Updating WordPress is usually a routine task. Most site owners expect small improvements, not major disruptions.
However, after the release of WordPress 6.9, some websites began experiencing unexpected performance problems almost immediately after the update.
If your site suddenly became slow, started showing server errors, or went offline without any obvious reason, this article will help you understand what may be happening.
We will explain these WordPress 6.9 update issues in plain language, why only certain sites are affected, and what you can do if this happens again.
Why Some Websites Run Into Problems After Updating WordPress
Not every WordPress update affects every site in the same way. WordPress 6.9 introduced internal changes that improved performance and modernized how content is handled.
For most websites, these changes worked quietly in the background.
Problems arose when certain themes or site setups relied on older behavior that WordPress no longer follows. When those assumptions no longer held true, the result was unexpected errors and heavy server load.
What Changed in WordPress 6.9 Behind the Scenes
WordPress 6.9 adjusted how it handles certain internal processes related to loading content and navigating between posts. These changes were designed to be more efficient and flexible, but they also changed how WordPress signals when a task is complete.
Themes that were not prepared for this change may continue running a task even after it should stop. Over time, that repeated process can overwhelm the server.
Why These Changes Do Not Affect Every Site
Many websites use themes and plugins that already follow modern WordPress standards. These sites were updated to WordPress 6.9 without any issues.
Sites affected by WordPress 6.9 update issues tend to share specific traits. They often rely on complex theme logic, advanced navigation features, or custom WooCommerce behavior. When those elements are present, the impact of the update becomes visible.
Common Performance Issues Reported After the WordPress 6.9 Update
For affected websites, the symptoms often look severe and sudden. Everything may appear fine at first, then the site quickly becomes unresponsive.
Sudden CPU and Memory Spikes With No Traffic Increase
One of the most common signs is a sharp increase in CPU and memory usage. This usually happens without any increase in visitors. The server becomes overloaded because it is running the same process repeatedly, not because more people are visiting the site.
As resources are consumed, pages take longer to load and background tasks begin to fail.
Why Websites Appear Stable in Maintenance Mode
Maintenance mode often gives the impression that the problem has disappeared. This happens because maintenance mode pauses many dynamic processes, including those that trigger the problematic behavior.
Once the site is taken out of maintenance mode, those processes start running again. If one of them is stuck in a loop, the performance issues return almost immediately.
Understanding the Compatibility Problem Causing These Errors
The root cause of many WordPress 6.9 update issues lies in how some themes interact with WordPress core functions.
How Certain Themes Handle Adjacent Content
Some themes include features that automatically load related content, such as previous or next posts. These features rely on WordPress functions that return information about nearby content.
Before WordPress 6.9, these functions clearly indicated when there was no more content to load. After the update, that behavior changed, and not all themes adjusted accordingly.
Why Infinite Loops Overload Servers
When a theme does not recognize that it should stop searching for content, it continues making requests endlessly. This creates what is known as an infinite loop.
Each loop consumes server resources. Over time, database queries begin to pile up, scripts reach their execution limits, and the server struggles to keep up. The end result is a slow or inaccessible website.
Why WooCommerce Stores Are Seeing More WordPress Update Problems
WooCommerce websites are more likely to encounter WordPress 6.9 update issues because they rely heavily on dynamic content and database queries.
Product Pagination and Navigation Features
Many WooCommerce themes offer product navigation features that allow users to move between products. These features often use the same internal functions that changed in WordPress 6.9.
If those features are not updated to match the new behavior, they can trigger infinite loops and cause severe performance problems.
Themes Most Commonly Mentioned in Support Forums
Several users have reported issues while using specific WooCommerce-focused themes. WoodMart and, in some cases, Storefront have been mentioned repeatedly. This does not mean these themes are fundamentally flawed, but it does mean they require updates or configuration changes to work correctly with WordPress 6.9.
What to Do If Your Site Breaks After a WordPress Update
When a website experiences serious issues after an update, the priority should always be stabilizing the site before making further changes.
Stabilizing Your Website Without Making Things Worse
If performance problems appear immediately after updating, it may be necessary to temporarily roll back to the previous WordPress version. This can quickly restore stability and prevent further disruption while the root cause is investigated.
It is also important to avoid making multiple changes at once. Randomly disabling plugins or editing files without a plan can make troubleshooting more difficult.
When Rolling Back WordPress Makes Sense
Rolling back WordPress is not a failure. It is a practical step when an update causes unexpected issues and no immediate fix is available. Once the site is stable, you can evaluate theme updates or configuration changes before attempting the upgrade again.
How to Reduce the Risk of WordPress Update Issues in the Future
While no update is completely risk-free, there are steps you can take to reduce the chances of downtime.
Testing updates on a staging site allows you to identify problems before they reach your live website. This is especially important for WooCommerce stores and business-critical sites.
Delaying automatic core updates gives you control over timing. Applying updates manually after testing helps prevent surprises.
Using actively maintained themes and plugins increases compatibility with future WordPress releases. Developers who keep their products up to date are more likely to adapt quickly to changes in WordPress core.
Monitoring server performance immediately after updates can help catch issues early. If resource usage spikes, you can act before visitors are affected.
Finally, having a rollback and backup plan in place ensures that even if something goes wrong, recovery is quick and controlled.
How Expresso Company Can Help
Navigating WordPress updates should not put your business at risk. At Expresso Company, we help businesses manage WordPress updates safely and strategically.
If you are experiencing WordPress 6.9 update issues, our team can identify the root cause, stabilize your website, and implement long-term solutions that align with future WordPress releases. From theme compatibility audits to update planning and performance optimization, we take care of the technical details so you can focus on running your business.
If your site started acting up after a recent update, Expresso Company is ready to help you move forward with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions About WordPress 6.9 Update Issues
Is WordPress 6.9 unsafe to use?
No, WordPress 6.9 itself is not unsafe or unstable. For the majority of websites, the update works exactly as intended and provides performance and structural improvements. The issues that some site owners experienced are not caused by WordPress being broken, but by compatibility problems with certain themes or site configurations that rely on older WordPress behavior.
When WordPress changes how an internal function works, themes that were not updated to account for that change can behave unpredictably. This is why some sites were affected while many others updated without any problems at all.
Why did my site break even though traffic did not increase?
In these cases, the issue is not related to visitors or traffic volume. Instead, the problem comes from internal processes running repeatedly in the background. Certain themes or features can trigger loops that never finish, even when no one is actively browsing the site.
These loops consume server resources continuously. As CPU and memory usage increase, the server struggles to handle normal requests, which leads to slow loading times, errors, or complete outages. This is why sites can fail suddenly, even during low-traffic periods.
Are WooCommerce sites the only ones affected?
WooCommerce sites are the most commonly affected because they rely heavily on dynamic content, database queries, and product navigation features. These elements are more sensitive to changes in how WordPress handles content relationships.
That said, WooCommerce is not the only factor. Any site using a theme or custom code that depends on similar logic, such as navigating between related posts or loading adjacent content automatically, could experience similar issues. WooCommerce sites simply tend to expose the problem more quickly due to their complexity.
Should I wait before updating WordPress in the future?
For personal blogs or low-risk sites, updating immediately is usually fine. However, for business-critical websites, online stores, or lead-generation sites, waiting is often the smarter approach.
Testing updates on a staging site allows you to confirm that your theme and plugins work correctly before applying changes to your live website. Waiting a short period also gives theme and plugin developers time to release compatibility updates if needed. This approach reduces the risk of downtime and unexpected disruptions.
Can these issues be permanently fixed?
Yes, these issues can be resolved permanently. The long-term fix involves updating or adjusting the theme so it properly supports the changes introduced in WordPress 6.9. Once the theme logic is corrected, the site can run on WordPress 6.9 and future versions without problems.
In the short term, rolling back WordPress or disabling specific theme features can stabilize the site. In the long term, working with updated themes and maintaining a controlled update process ensures that similar issues do not return with future WordPress releases.