So, the day we all (WooCommerce lovers) were waiting for has arrived. WooCommerce 9.7 was released on 25 February 2025, as promised by WooCommerce. This time, it’s not a usual WooCommerce version update. This WooCommerce version has come up with some necessary features like faster block editor performance and smarter shipping method display.
Whether you are a merchant searching for a more sensible shipping method display or a developer wanting to leverage the new API enhancements, WooCommerce 9.7 has something to offer. Dive in here with us as soon as possible and see what’s new in this release and its benefits.
WooCommerce 9.7.1 Released – Latest Update
Seven days after the release of WooCommerce 9.7, we are witnessing a newer, more stable and secure version. WooCommerce 9.7.1 has been released on 4 March 2025. This latest WooCommerce version has essential security patches to resolve core vulnerabilities and improve platform security.
- Product Name XSS Fix
The new version addresses XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) risks by streamlining how product names are treated during Cart and Checkout. It ensures they cannot be injected with malicious scripts. (#56048)
- Safer Coupon Notices
WooCommerce has also hardened coupon notices used in shortcodes by adding elements rather than raw text, mitigating possible security risks. (#56047)
- Refactored String-Based HTML in JavaScript
Another critical enhancement is the replacement of string-based HTML elements in JavaScript with createElement(), securing the code against script injection. (#56047)
WooCommerce 9.7 Release Date and Timeline
Although the earlier release date of WooCommerce 9.7 was February 24, 2025. But, due to a stable tag update, WooCommerce delayed the update. But finally, WooCommerce came out on Tuesday, 24 Feb 2025.
- Beta Release: January 21, 2025
- RC: February 10, 2025
- Final Release: February 25, 2025
Key Highlights of WooCommerce 9.7 Release
With today’s WooCommerce 9.7 release, the platform keeps getting smarter, faster, and more intuitive. The shipping method display has been improved, block editor performance has been enhanced, and the Add to Cart with Options block has been streamlined to deliver an improved user experience. Developers also received new API improvements and performance enhancements, which make WooCommerce more efficient and scalable than ever.
6 Major WooCommerce 9.7 Highlights
- New shipping method display – Shipping methods are now displayed with descriptions and estimated delivery times to enhance checkout clarity for customers.
- Faster block editor performance – Significant performance refactoring lowers execution time and callbacks to improve store editing speed significantly.
- Improved Add to Cart with Options block – The new stepper layout enhances quantity selection to offer a smoother purchasing process.
- Enhanced Product Variations API – There are now more sophisticated filtering choices for variations such as status, virtual, and downloadable attributes for developers.
- Smarter Store Notice management – Store Notices are automatically disabled when going into a block theme and enabled when going into a classic theme.
- Multisite network security updates – New WooCommerce sites in a multisite network now have more stringent control over cross-site customer data access to better protect privacy.
List of All the New WooCommerce 9.7 Features
- New Shipping Method Display
- Faster Block Editor Performance
- Enhanced Add to Cart with Options Block
- Enhanced Product Variations API
- Smarter Store Notice Handling
- Modernized Payment Settings Interface (Beta)
- Modernized Email Styling (Beta)
- Improved Cart and Checkout Logic
- Security Enhancements for Multisite Networks
Main Features of WooCommerce 9.7
– A Smarter Way to Display Shipping Methods
One of the most prominent changes in WooCommerce 9.7 is the enhanced shipping method selection interface within the Checkout block. Extension developers are now able to specify a description and estimated delivery time for every shipping method. Such information facilitates the selection of the optimal shipping method during checkout, lowering customer confusion levels and enhancing the overall shopping experience.
During checkout, these updates show up in two locations. When customers are shown available shipping methods, they’ll see the description and estimated delivery time. However, the cart block sidebar displays only the estimated delivery time to keep it short. This update puts the information consumers need on their fronts without being bombarded with too many details.
Developers who need to take advantage of these new attributes should utilize the woocommerce_package_rates filter.
Example code:
add_filter( 'woocommerce_package_rates', function ( $rates, $package ) {
foreach ( $rates as $rate_id => $rate ) {
if ( 'flat_rate' === $rate->method_id ) {
$rate->description = 'This is a custom description for ' . $rate->label . '.';
$rate->delivery_time = 'This will be delivered in 1 day.';
}
if ( 'free_shipping' === $rate->method_id ) {
$rate->description = 'This is a custom description for ' . $rate->label . '.';
$rate->delivery_time = 'This will be delivered in 3 days.';
}
}
return $rates;
}, 10, 2 );
– A Major Performance Boost for the Block Editor
Speed matters and WooCommerce 9.7 makes a significant leap forward in performance. The biggest improvements come from a complete product block registration system refactor. Specifically how WooCommerce registers product-related blocks within the Single Product template.
Before, every block had its store subscriptions individually, resulting in many callbacks and longer execution times. With the new mechanism, WooCommerce aggregates all subscriptions into one store subscription. It reduces the number of callbacks by 99% and saves 75% of execution time while working with Single Product templates.
To put that into perspective, the old implementation triggered 4,550 subscription callbacks when loading the Single Product template in the Site Editor. With WooCommerce 9.7, that number is reduced to just 24 callbacks, and execution time drops from 2.47 to 0.63 seconds. That’s a huge difference, making it noticeably faster to edit product pages and templates.
Aside from speed, this release also corrects a bug where inactive callbacks from the past were still active. WooCommerce now unsubscribes unused callbacks effectively, making interaction in the Site Editor even more seamless.
– A New Add to Cart with Options Look
The Add to Cart with Options block is now user-friendly thanks to a new stepper layout for choosing product quantities. Rather than typing in a number, shoppers can now make use of a simple stepper to change quantities.
This option exists in the Single Product template and can be found in block settings under “Quantity Selector.” Online store owners can pick between the original layout and the new stepper, providing additional design flexibility for a smooth shopping process.
To access it, head to Site Editor > Templates > Single Product Template. Now, choose the Add to Cart with Options block to discover the new layout features.
More Enhancements in WooCommerce 9.7
This launch is not simply about UI enhancements. They have also improved developer tools and provided cleverer automation that enhances store management.
- Better Product Variations API – WooCommerce REST API provides enhanced filtering facilities for product variations, enabling filtering based on status (include_status, exclude_status), virtual status, and downloadable status.
- Smarter Store Notice Handling – Store Notices now automatically deactivate when changing to a block theme and reactivate when switching to a classic theme. This can only happen if previously activated. This change avoids confusion and makes notices behave as anticipated.
- More Secure Multisite Support – WooCommerce enhanced customer data privacy in multisite networks to prevent unauthorized access to various sites within the same network.
WooCommerce 9.7: First Glimpse at Features Coming Soon
WooCommerce 9.7 also features some beta functionality that is still in the process of being polished.
– Streamlined Payment Settings
WooCommerce continues to deploy its React-based Payments settings interface, as promised in WooCommerce 9.6. The new payment settings are now live for 50% of new stores. The new UI adds an “Official” badge for extensions built in partnership with WooCommerce, making it easier for merchants to find trusted solutions.
Pass true or false values to the reactify-classic-payments-settings flag to enable this feature. Or add the code pasted below to the functions.php file.
add_filter( 'woocommerce_admin_get_feature_config', function( $features ) {
return array_merge(
$features,
[
'reactify-classic-payments-settings' => true,
]
);
}, 999 );
Modernized Email Styling (Beta)
WooCommerce is improving email customization through more precise previews and a better modern look. Store owners can now view a more realistic preview of customer emails, which maintains branding consistency.
If you want to try the modernized email experience, activate it under WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced > Features > Email Improvements.
WooCommerce 9.7: API Updates
WooCommerce 9.7 has a few REST API and Store API improvements for better functionality and security.
- REST API Enhancements – Developers can handle Product stock better with API requests, and new constants are available for product statuses and types.
- Store API Updates – One of the most critical fixes in this release is that stock indicators for variable products are now displayed correctly. Additionally, redundant calls to the cart API have been minimized, enhancing performance.
WooCommerce 9.7: Security Improvements
WooCommerce has also included significant security updates in 9.7, especially for multisite networks. In the past, a site administrator in a multisite setup could view customer information from other sites, which was a privacy concern.
Now, for new eCommerce sites, cross-site access to data is disabled by default unless the user has manage_network_users capabilities. The current WooCommerce sites will remain unchanged, but this change will make WooCommerce more secure for multi-tenant environments.
Why WooCommerce 9.7 Matters for Merchants and Developers
For business owners, WooCommerce 9.7 enhances the shopping process with a more detailed shipping method display, an improved checkout, and a simplified product page editor. Customers also receive improved shipping information, a more intuitive quantity selector, and a better overall experience when searching/buying products.
For developers, the new performance optimizations, additional API filtering options, and REST API improvements give them better control and efficacy. The transition towards React-based payment settings and updated email templates reflect WooCommerce’s dedication to ensuring its platform remains future-proof.
Final Thoughts
As we have seen in WooCommerce version history, they have always pushed their limits to achieve extraordinary results. They brought out performance improvements, smarter automation, and more developer-focused enhancements. This release makes it easier for developers or store owners to operate an online store, saves time, and provides more flexibility.
If you have not already, it is time to update now. Stay ahead of the competition and harness these new features to get the best out of your WooCommerce store.
You can also hire Professional WooCommerce service providers for a smooth transition to WooCommerce’s latest version (9.7).
