WooCommerce maintenance checklist

A WooCommerce maintenance checklist is the normal WordPress routine plus the tasks that only a store needs. This page covers only what is different for WooCommerce. Use it alongside the monthly WordPress maintenance checklist, which covers users, security scans, speed and housekeeping.

What makes a store different

Three things change the routine when a site sells online:

• The database never stands still. Orders, customers and stock levels change at any hour. A backup from last night does not contain this morning's orders, so restoring it loses them.
• A fault costs money straight away. A broken checkout is lost sales from the first minute, and it can stay hidden because the rest of the site looks normal.
• More moving parts. WooCommerce, its extensions, the payment gateway, shipping and tax rules, and the theme's shop templates all have to agree with each other.

Before every update

1. Take a full backup of files and database immediately before you start. Do not rely on the scheduled one.
2. Check the release notes for WooCommerce and for each extension you are about to update.
3. Check each extension's "Tested up to WooCommerce version" value. If it is older than the WooCommerce version you are moving to, read the extension's notes or ask its developer before going ahead.
4. Apply the updates on a staging copy first. WooCommerce's documentation is plain on this: do not test updates directly on the production site.
5. On staging, test product pages, the cart, checkout, payment, shipping, taxes, order emails and anything extension-specific.
6. Choose a quiet trading period for the live update.

During the update

1. Update WooCommerce first and wait for it to finish before doing anything else.
2. If WooCommerce shows a database update notice, confirm the backup exists, then run the database update. Its progress is listed under WooCommerce > Status > Scheduled Actions.
3. Update extensions, payment gateways and the theme next, in the same session.
4. Avoid combining several major updates unless that exact combination was tested on staging.
5. For larger updates, WooCommerce's Coming soon mode can hide the store from the public until the checks are done.

After every update

1. Place a test order from product page to confirmation, using a test or low-risk payment method.
2. Confirm the order appears in the admin with the correct totals, shipping and tax.
3. Confirm the customer email and the admin new-order email both arrive.
4. Refund or cancel the test order and check stock returns to the right level.
5. Check for admin notices, extension alerts and failed scheduled actions.
6. If something is wrong at checkout, restore the backup and work the problem out on staging.

Monthly store checks

Checkout and payments

1. Place a test order even if nothing was updated. Payment providers change things on their side too.
2. Log in to the payment gateway's dashboard and compare a few recent transactions with the matching WooCommerce orders.
3. Look through recent orders for a cluster of failed or pending payments. A sudden rise usually points to a gateway or connection fault.
4. Check that API keys, webhooks and certificates for the gateway have not expired.

System status

Open WooCommerce > Status and read the report.

1. Templates. The report lists theme files that override WooCommerce's default templates and marks any that are outdated. Outdated cart and checkout overrides are a common cause of checkout faults after an update. The lasting fix belongs to the theme developer.
2. Database. Note the WooCommerce database version and the table sizes, and compare them with last month.
3. Scheduled Actions. WooCommerce runs background jobs here, including some customer emails and subscription renewals. Check the failed count and read the error on any failed task.
4. Logs. Open the fatal-errors log. It is kept automatically. Payment gateway logs must be switched on in each gateway's settings.

Orders and data

1. Check for orders stuck in pending or processing for longer than normal.
2. Confirm stock levels match reality for your best sellers.
3. Check that order data is still reaching any connected system, such as accounting, shipping or stock software.
4. Review coupon codes and remove expired or leaked ones.

Order storage

WooCommerce has a newer way of storing orders called High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS). It keeps orders in their own database tables. It is the default for new installations, and older stores have to switch it on.

1. Check which order storage your store uses under WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced > Features.
2. If you plan to switch, confirm every extension supports HPOS first. WooCommerce disables the option when an active plugin is not compatible.
3. If compatibility mode is on, check that no orders are waiting to sync.

Customer-facing checks

1. Test shipping rates for a local, a regional and an international address if you ship that widely.
2. Check tax is calculated correctly on a sample order.
3. Test the account pages: login, password reset and order history.
4. Run through the checkout on a phone.

Quarterly store checks

• Restore a backup to staging and confirm orders, products and customers are intact.
• Review every extension and ask whether it is still used and still maintained.
• Review who has shop manager and administrator access.
• Check that returns, shipping and privacy pages match how the business works now.

When to hand this over

A store has more that can go wrong and less room for it to go wrong quietly. If updates are being put off because nobody wants to risk the checkout, that is the sign to get help. Stryx looks after stores through its WooCommerce maintenance service and builds them through WooCommerce development. Get in touch to talk about your store.