WooCommerce 9.9: What to Expect from the June Release

WooCommerce 9.9 is now scheduled for release on 2 June 2025, a few weeks later than originally expected. According to the WooCommerce team, the delay is intended to allow more time to focus on quality and stability. It’s also likely that the recent release of WordPress 6.8 has influenced this decision. Given the close relationship between the two platforms, ensuring compatibility is a sensible move that should create a smoother experience for users managing both systems.

This release is expected to improve usability, give merchants more control and adopt more modern development practices. Here’s what’s likely to be included.

Modernised Payments Interface

The Payments settings page in WooCommerce is being rebuilt using React, a widely used JavaScript library. This change is expected to make the Payments area load faster and provide a much more intuitive experience for store owners.

All payment methods, including PayPal, Stripe and direct bank transfers, are expected to be managed through a single interface. According to current development notes, existing plugin configurations will remain unaffected.

Block-Based Templates for Single Products

WooCommerce 9.9 is also set to introduce block-based templates for individual product pages. If you’ve used the Gutenberg block editor (the drag-and-drop editing tool built into WordPress), this will be familiar.

Previously, customising a product page required either a compatible theme or some custom coding. With block-based templates, users will be able to add, move or remove elements like product images, pricing, descriptions, reviews or ‘Add to Cart’ buttons without touching a line of code.

A Streamlined Release Cycle

WooCommerce 9.9 follows the platform’s revised release cycle, which progresses through three stages before the final version is launched: Alpha, Beta and Release Candidate (RC).

• Alpha: An early-stage preview for developers. Features are still in development and likely to change.
• Beta: A more stable version with all planned features included. Developers and plugin authors use this phase to test compatibility and report bugs.
• Release Candidate (RC): The final version before public release. If no major bugs are found, this version becomes the official update.

This process means that by the time the final version is released, it’s tested more thoroughly, which lowers the chances of unexpected issues after launch.

Preparing for WooCommerce 9.9

If you manage a WooCommerce site, here’s how you can prepare for the upcoming release:

1. Test the new Payments interface on a staging site first (a safe copy of your website used for testing changes). This lets you preview how it works without risking issues on your live site.
2. Check your theme and plugins for compatibility with the new block-based product templates. If your theme doesn’t support blocks, your product pages might not display correctly after the update.
3. Follow updates from official WooCommerce sources, including the developer blog and GitHub page, especially during the Beta and RC phases. These sources often share helpful technical notes, change logs and known issues ahead of the final release.

We’ll continue to monitor the release and share any important updates in the run-up to launch. If you’d like help preparing for WooCommerce 9.9 or want support implementing the new features once available, contact us.