How to Troubleshoot Common Issues in WooCommerce Plugin?

Today, we are going to learn how to troubleshoot common issues in WooCommerce plugin development involves.

We can follow a systematic approach to identifying and resolving problems. Here are some steps we can follow:

Check for Errors and Logs

This is going to be our first step for starting development in the WooCommerce plugin.

Enable debugging in WordPress by adding the following lines to your `wp-config.php`

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', true );
define( 'SCRIPT_DEBUG', true );

Verify Plugin Activation

Ensure that your plugin is activated and properly configured in the WordPress admin panel in the plugin menu.

Check for Conflicts

• Deactivate other plugins one by one to see if the issue persists. This can help identify conflicts with other plugins.
• Switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-One) temporarily to check if the issue is related to your theme.

Inspect JavaScript and CSS Files

Check for syntax errors or incorrect file paths in your plugin’s JavaScript and CSS files.

Test in Different Environments

Some issues may be specific to certain server configurations.

You can test your plugin on a different server rather than your local environment.

Test in Different Browsers

Some issues may be specific to certain Browsers. Test your plugin on a different Browser like Chrome/Mozilla/ Safari etc.

Handle Exception Handling

Exception handling is used to change the normal flow of the code execution if a specified error (exceptional) condition occurs.

<?php
//create function with an exception
function checkNum($number) {
  if($number>1) {
    throw new Exception("Value must be 1 or below");
  }
  return true;
}

//trigger exception
checkNum(2);
?>

The code above will get an error like this:

Fatal error: Uncaught exception ‘Exception’
with message ‘Value must be 1 or below’ in C:\webfolder\test.php:6
Stack trace: #0 C:\webfolder\test.php(12):
checkNum(28) #1 {main} thrown in C:\webfolder\test.php on line 6

<?php
//create function with an exception
function checkNum($number) {
  if($number>1) {
    throw new Exception("Value must be 1 or below");
  }
  return true;
}

//trigger exception in a "try" block
try {
  checkNum(2);
  //If the exception is thrown, this text will not be shown
  echo 'If you see this, the number is 1 or below';
}

//catch exception
catch(Exception $e) {
  echo 'Message: ' .$e->getMessage();
}
?>

You may also check How to Add Custom Registration Form Fields in WooCommerce.

WooCommerce Plugin Debugging Tools

How to troubleshoot common issues using a few debugging tools.

• Use Var_dump() and Error_log(): Add var_dump(), print_r() and error_log() statements at critical points in your code to inspect variables and trace program flow.
• Check for API Key and URL Issues: If your plugin interacts with external services or APIs, ensure that API keys, URLs, and authentication details are correct.
• Stay Updated with Documentation: Refer to WooCommerce and WordPress documentation regularly to ensure you’re using the latest recommended practices.
• Backup Before Making Changes: Before making significant changes to your plugin code, always back up your files and database.

WooCommerce Plugin Support

That’s all for the WooCommerce plugin common issues post. For any technical help, please reach us at [email protected], also hire WooCommerce developers for your next project.