As each WordPress person is aware of, updating plugins will be an thrilling (and demanding) time. You get new options and bug fixes, however there’s additionally an opportunity issues go awry and your web site crashes. While you’re updating WooCommerce that pleasure and stress can develop even additional as a result of even a small glitch could cause large ripples that have an effect on your backside line. With that in thoughts, we need to stroll you thru a few of the greatest practices round updating Woocommerce so that you could relaxation assured that your corporation is protected if you press the replace button.
1. Backup Your WooCommerce Retailer
Earlier than working any replace in your WordPress website, you must at all times make a backup. At all times. Whereas the overwhelming majority of them are protected and can trigger no hurt, the uncommon exception happens, crashes a website, and the modifications should be reverted. This follow of creating backups is much more necessary when updating WooCommerce as a result of the very last thing you need is in your complete inventoryand gross sales historical past to go poof with the press of a button.
There are a selection of backup choices to select from, with one of the fashionable being UpdraftPlus. It’s a free plugin that provides full website backup and restoration, together with your WooCommerce database. The method is generally guide without spending a dime customers, however you’ll be able to improve to automate sure components and allow offsite, cloud storage.
Moreover, Jetpack (which is owned by the identical guardian firm as each WooCommerce and WordPress) has an computerized, every day backup in your WooCommerce retailer beginning at $95 per 12 months. In case you are working a high traffic WooCommerce store, having a every day backup of your stock and gross sales is likely one of the greatest issues you’ll be able to spend money on.
Whatever the methodology, earlier than updating WooCommerce, remember to again up your website and retailer. Make certain that your backup service contains the wp-content folder in addition to the location’s databases, as WooCommerce knowledge is saved in each locations.
2. Check the Replace
One of many largest errors that WordPress customers make typically (and never simply concerning WooCommerce) is pushing an replace dwell with out testing it first. With out testing it, you don’t know if there are conflicts along with your WordPress model, your theme, or some other plugins that you’ve got put in in your website.
The simplest approach to do that is to have a cloned website or staging website arrange on which you’ll be able to set up the replace and see what occurs. Utilizing Native by Flywheel is likely one of the best and easiest methods to do that. Native is an app that lets you run offline WP websites in your native machine the place you’ll be able to see what impact updating WooCommerce could have in your website with out even touching your manufacturing website.
Different instruments reminiscent of MAMP additionally exist for this type of testing. Moreover, SiteGround and plenty of different fashionable internet hosting corporations supply “staging sites” as a part of your membership, which work the identical approach. As a duplicate of your website, you’ll be able to see what impact modifications have earlier than pushing the updates dwell.
Being certain that updating WooCommerce received’t take your retailer offline is paramount. The updates might additionally produce other results in your website, too, and brushing by these results earlier than pushing them public is a superb thought.
Check the Database Replace, Too
After the WooCommerce replace is completed, you’ll seemingly get a message that there’s a WooCommerce Database Replace Required. This received’t have an effect on your posts or pages, simply the tables that WooCommerce makes use of. Nevertheless, everytime you’re interacting with the WP database in any approach, you’ll want to ensure that it’s performed on a take a look at server first.
These database modifications hardly ever influence the efficiency of the non-WooCommerce parts of your website, however you need to be very certain that’s the case. So earlier than you simply assume issues are working positive in your staging website after updating the WooCommerce plugin, just remember to’ve pressed the purple Replace WooCommerce Database button and given the location a whirl that approach, too. As a result of WooCommerce integrates itself so absolutely with WordPress, testing the database earlier than going dwell is value spending the effort and time on.
3. Test Your Cost Processors and Gateways
Outdoors of plugin conflicts, you need to confirm that your fee processors and gateways are appropriate with the brand new model of WooCommerce. That is particularly necessary in case you restrict your retailer to just one or two processors. The simplest method to verify is to develop the main points in Plugins web page that exhibits an replace. You must see a Examined Up To WooCommerce Model heading above an inventory of fee gateway and different extensions you could have put in.
picture from WooCommerce.com
If the model of WooCommerce you’re updating to isn’t examined, replace with care. You would possibly lose the flexibility to obtain funds from customers by that gateway till it’s up to date.
Moreover, your WooCommerce.com account has a My Subscriptions tab. You need to use this part to see any premium extensions and addons which may not be appropriate with a brand new WooCommerce replace (but).
Wrapping Up with Updating WooCommerce
WooCommerce is the preferred ecommerce platform for WordPress for a motive. It’s dependable, secure, easy-to-use, and stays updated always. However staying updated isn’t with out its pitfalls. As with all different WordPress plugin, you could do your due diligence to make sure that your web site is appropriate with all the modifications the Woo devs make of their codebase. More often than not, you’ll have completely no points. However when cash is on the road (and it at all times is in case you’re working with WooCommerce), you’ll be able to by no means take too man precautions.
So remember to make common backups of your website and databases and have them prepared for restoration. By no means push an replace dwell with out testing on a development or staging server first, simply to verify there aren’t conflicts someplace hidden deep within the website. And ensure that the ways in which you are taking funds are appropriate with the brand new model earlier than updating WooCommerce. Having the brand new, shiny model of Woo is improbable. However it’s much less improbable in case you can’t settle for folks’s cash.
Updating WooCommerce will be performed with simply the press of a button, however we extremely suggestion take to those greatest practices to make sure that your website continues working as easily as potential.
What’s your course of for updating WooCommerce? What do you do to make sure model stability?
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