WooCommerce 8.1.0 Released

We are pleased to announce the release of WooCommerce 8.1.0. This release should be backwards compatible with the previous version.

This release contains:

As always, we recommend creating a backup of your site and making sure that your theme and any other plugins are compatible before updating. You can check out this update guide for more information.

Upcoming PHP Requirement Change

This release continues to support PHP version 7.3. We recently announced our plan to end support for PHP 7.3, beginning with the release of WooCommerce 8.2.0, scheduled for release in October of 2023. Read our announcement post for full details.

Whatโ€™s new in 8.1.0?

New WooCommerce Blocks Patterns

There are two new patterns available to use: Featured Products: Fresh & Tasty pattern and Social: Follow us in social media.

Featured Products: Fresh & Tasty pattern
Follow us in social media pattern

Also, the existing patterns have been improved, removing some pre-configurated styles.

Mini Cart Block Customization

On WordPress 6.3 or with the latest version of Gutenberg, it is possible to customize the Mini Cart blockโ€™s Price, Icon, and Counter color.

This release includes important bug fixes for several blocks, enhancing the overall user experience.

Interactivity API Integration with Product Button

We have integrated the Product Button with the Interactivity API, enhancing the shopping experience. These are the highlights:

  • Real-time Counter Update:
    Quantity changes in the mini-cart are immediately reflected on the Product Button.
  • Smoother Counter Animations:
    The counter in the Product Button updates with smoother animations.
  • Streamlined Visual Feedback:
    The Product Button smoothly transitions from โ€˜Add to Cartโ€™ to โ€˜Loadingโ€™ status to show the quantity in the cart when a product is added, providing clear visual feedback.

Known Issue: When the Products (Beta) block is loaded with the Classic Placeholder block, the Product Button doesnโ€™t work as expected in the Classic Template block. Specifically, clicking the โ€˜Add to Cartโ€™ button in the Classic Template Block results in a complete page refresh. This is not the expected behavior. We encourage users experiencing this issue to consider migrating from the Classic Placeholder block to the Products block. This block is designed to work smoothly with the Interactivity API and to ensure the Product Button functions correctly.

Performance Enhancements for Checkout

We spent some time tidying up the Store API performance, this resulted in a 100ms faster server response, or 25%-30% faster Cart/Checkout requests.

We also changed how shipping selection works, and it is now visibly faster by 1000ms and feels immediate.

We still have a lot of performance improvements planned and will share them as we release them.

Other Notable Changes

  • New Product Editor:
    • Create Variations options block. #39256
    • Create the Organization tab. #39232
    • Add product visibility. #39477
  • Add support for Japan and UAE to WooPayments. #39431

Template Changes

Template FileGitHub Links
/templates/checkout/order-received.php#39758
/templates/checkout/payment.php#39348
/templates/checkout/thankyou.php#39758

Reposted from WooCommerce

If you have a care plan with 7th Circle Designs this update will be taken care of based on your plan’s schedule. If you do not have a care plan, sign up now.