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Can I Downgrade WooCommerce?

Last updated on January 18, 2023 @ 4:07 pm

If you’re running an online store, chances are you’re using WooCommerce. It’s a popular eCommerce platform that powers many online stores.

But what if you need to downgrade WooCommerce? Is it possible?

The short answer is yes, it is possible to downgrade WooCommerce. However, it’s not as simple as clicking a button or two. You’ll need to do some work to ensure that your store will still function properly after downgrading.

Before we get into the details of how to downgrade WooCommerce, let’s first talk about why you might need to do this. There are a few reasons why you might want to downgrade:

  • You’re not happy with the latest version. Maybe you don’t like the new interface or you’re having problems with the latest update. Whatever the reason, if you’re not happy with the latest version of WooCommerce, downgrading might be the best option.
  • You need to use an older plugin or theme. If you’re using an older plugin or theme that isn’t compatible with the latest version of WooCommerce, downgrading might be your only option.
  • You want to experiment with an older version.Maybe you’re a developer who wants to experiment with an older version of WooCommerce. Or maybe you just want to see how things used to be! Whatever the reason, if you want to experiment with an older version of WooCommerce, downgrading is an option.

So now that we’ve talked about why you might need to downgrade WooCommerce, let’s talk about how to do it. As we mentioned earlier, it’s not as simple as clicking a button or two.

Step 1: Backup Your Site

Before you do anything else, you’ll need to backup your site. This is important because if anything goes wrong during the process, you’ll be able to restore your site from the backup. There are a few different ways to backup your WordPress site:

PRO TIP: Downgrading WooCommerce is not recommended as it can lead to data loss and issues with your site.
  • Backup WordPress manually. This involves downloading your WordPress files and database from your web server and saving them on your computer.
  • Use a WordPress backup plugin. This is the easiest way to backup your WordPress site. There are many different plugins available, so choose one that works best for you.
  • Use a WordPress managed hosting service. If you’re using a WordPress managed hosting service like WP Engine or Flywheel, they will handle backups for you.
  • Use cloud storage. You can also use cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive to backup your WordPress site.

Deactivating and deleting your current plugin version is necessary in order for Step 3 (installing the older plugin version) to work properly.

Step 2: Deactivating and Deleting Your Plugin Version

Deactivating Your Plugin Version:

1) In the left-hand sidebar of your WordPress admin panel, click on plugins.,

2) Find the plugin that you want to deactivate and click on Deactivate.,

3) Once the plugin has been deactivated, proceed to Step 2B.

Deleting Your Plugin Version:,

1) In the left-hand sidebar of your WordPress admin panel, click on plugins.,

2) Find the plugin that you want to delete and click on Delete.,

3) Once the plugin has been deleted, proceed to Step 3.,

Step 3: Install The Older Plugin Version

To install an older version of a plugin on WordPress, follow these steps:

  1. In the left-hand sidebar of your WordPress admin panel, click on Plugins > Add New.
  2. In the search field, type in the name of the older plugin version that you want to install.
  3. Once you’ve found the correct plugin, click on “Install Now.”
  4. Once the plugin is installed, click on “Activate Plugin.”

Alternatively, if installing from source files (i.e. a ZIP file), unzip them first and then follow these instructions:

  1. In your FTP client, connect to the server where your WordPress site is hosted.
  2. Navigate to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
  3. Upload the unzipped directory to this location.
  4. In your WordPress admin panel, click on Plugins > Installed Plugins.
  5. Find the newly installed plugin and click on “Activate.”
Dale Leydon

Dale Leydon

Sysadmin turned Javascript developer. Owner of 20+ apps graveyard, and a couple of successful ones.