The WordPress ecosystem was buzzing in late 2025. Version 6.9, code‑named “Gene,” promised everything from collaborative note‑taking and a powerful command palette to a new Abilities API that would make permission management consistent across plugins and themes. For developers and site owners who have been watching the evolution of the block editor, it sounded like a milestone worth celebrating. However, just days after its December 2 release, hundreds of site owners found themselves dealing with broken layouts, malfunctioning plugins and even complete lockouts of their admin areas. In this article we summarise the major WordPress 6.9 update issues that early adopters have reported and explain why you should consider holding off on updating your production sites.
What Changed in WordPress 6.9?
Before diving into the problems, it’s important to understand what WordPress 6.9 introduced. The update shipped several headline features:
Notes and collaborative tools – allowing editors to leave comments directly on blocks.
Enhanced command palette – a keyboard‑driven way to insert blocks or navigate settings.
Typography improvements and drag‑and‑drop controls – giving more visual control over fonts and layout.
The new Abilities API and Interactivity API – providing a consistent way to manage user permissions and to add client‑side interactivity to blocks.
While these features will be valuable in the long run, they also touched core systems deep inside WordPress. The Abilities API changes how roles and capabilities are mapped, while the Interactivity API rewrites how front‑end JavaScript interacts with blocks. These under‑the‑hood changes are a major reason so many plugins and themes have yet to catch up.
Plugin Compatibility Meltdown
One of the biggest complaints about the WordPress 6.9 update has been its impact on widely used plugins. Mark McNeece at 365i tested the release on client sites and found that three of the most common plugins—WooCommerce, Yoast SEO and Elementor—broke immediately. According to his report:
WooCommerce checkout errors: WooCommerce version 10.2 produced serious checkout issues under WordPress 6.9. Automattic had to rush out version 10.2.1 the same day the core release went live, with a changelog that read “essential fixes for WordPress 6.9 compatibility.” Without the patch, carts displayed incorrectly, the “Place Order” button stopped responding, AMP pages conflicted and refunded orders were mishandled. If you run WooCommerce, you should update the plugin to 10.2.1 or higher before even considering WordPress 6.9.
Yoast SEO integration issues: Yoast’s SEO panel failed to load properly in the block editor, leaving missing meta boxes and broken integration with Elementor. Version 26.4 fixed fatal errors with Site Kit integration, but Yoast released version 26.5 specifically to address WordPress 6.9 and Elementor issues. If your SEO panel disappears or you see browser console errors, update Yoast and wait.
Elementor editor failures: Elementor users reported the editor failing to load or showing “Enable Safe Mode” prompts. Common symptoms included spinning loaders, missing widgets and error messages stating that the preview couldn’t be loaded. Elementor 3.24 or later resolves most of these problems, but older versions are incompatible.
These cases highlight a broader issue: WordPress 6.9 introduced changes to block interactivity and the new Abilities API, which meant any plugin touching checkout flows, meta boxes or page builders needed urgent updates. If your essential plugins haven’t released a compatible version, updating core could break mission‑critical functionality.
Theme and Layout Destruction
Beyond plugin conflicts, WordPress 6.9 wreaked havoc on many themes—especially older, non‑block‑based designs. The Botcrawl team reports that the update caused widespread breakage across classic themes, child themes and custom coded layouts, disrupting front‑end rendering and even admin access. They observed:
Sidebars and grids collapsing: Sites that were stable for years saw sidebars move under content, grid layouts collapse into single columns and CSS rules ignored. Some themes lost container sizing entirely, causing posts to stretch across the entire viewport.
Missing menus and mobile breakpoints: Mobile menus and responsive breakpoints vanished. Broken sticky elements and inconsistent image scaling resulted in poor user experience and potential ranking declines.
CSS not loading via
wp_enqueue_style(): A WordPress.org forum thread documents how styles enqueued viawp_enqueue_style()no longer load, causing collapsed layouts and missing fonts. Even regenerating CSS caches didn’t consistently fix the problem.
Classic themes were hit hardest because 6.9 changed how block styles load; themes not designed for the new system experienced unpredictable behaviour. If your site uses an older theme or heavy customizations, testing in a staging environment is essential before upgrading.
Admin and Login Lockouts
Another significant issue has been wp‑admin lockouts. Botcrawl notes that some site owners were redirected to the homepage when trying to log in or encountered partial admin pages. Plugins that modify login URLs or implement security rules (such as Easy Hide Login) often broke under the new Abilities API. These problems can leave you unable to access your dashboard without renaming plugin folders via FTP.
WordPress.org forums also captured reports of massive CPU and memory spikes immediately after updating. One site owner found their error log flooded with “Maximum execution time exceeded” messages and SLEEP queries piling up in the database, pegging CPU and RAM at 100 %. Downgrading to WordPress 6.8.3 returned the site to normal. Multiple users confirmed the issue, and the Woodmart theme was a common factor.
SEO and Sitemap Breakage
Search engine visibility can also suffer. The Botcrawl article points out that WordPress 6.9 broke sitemaps for a significant number of sites—index files went missing, sitemaps became unreachable and Google Search Console reported errors. Because sitemaps help Google crawl your site efficiently, broken or missing files can slow indexing and cause pages to drop from search results. Users of SEO plugins like Rank Math and Yoast reported sporadic failures.
Performance Regression and Caching Problems
Contrary to promises of improved performance, many sites experienced slower page loads after updating. Users reported increased Time to First Byte and CSS files loading in unexpected orders. The update changed internal styling logic for the block editor, altering how theme stylesheets are prioritised and causing pages to visually “jump” during load. Caching plugins like WP Super Cache and W3 Total Cache sometimes served cached versions of broken pages; some users had to disable caching entirely until compatibility could be restored.
Editor and Function Deprecations
Content creators noticed that Notes—the new collaborative feature—altered block markup. Older plugins expecting the previous structure couldn’t parse the new markup, resulting in disappearing blocks and broken formatting. Some users temporarily fixed the issue by switching to the Classic Editor or disabling third‑party editing enhancements.
WordPress 6.9 also removed or modified several deprecated functions that older themes and plugins still relied on. This removal broke custom menu walkers, classic widgets, media modals and customizer features. If your theme or plugin hasn’t been updated to replace these functions, you may see errors or missing settings.
The Abilities API: Powerful but Dangerous
While the Abilities API aims to streamline permission management, its rollout created compatibility issues for plugins that manage user roles, membership systems and security rules. Fatal errors and silent failures occurred when plugins tried to assign or check capabilities that no longer existed under the new system. Developers have been scrambling to update their code since 6.9’s release. Until your critical membership or security plugins have confirmed compatibility, upgrading to WordPress 6.9 could destabilize access control across your site.
Should You Update WordPress 6.9 Now?
Given the number of regressions, the safest answer for most production sites is no—at least not yet. Here are some best practices to follow:
Wait for minor releases. WordPress core often issues point releases (6.9.1, 6.9.2) to address early bugs. These releases typically land within weeks of the major update and can resolve many of the issues outlined above. Delaying your update until these patches arrive lets others test the waters first.
Test in a staging environment. Use a staging or development copy of your site to test the update. Check your key plugins (WooCommerce, SEO tools, page builders), theme layouts and custom code. Only upgrade your production site when everything works as expected.
Update plugins before core. As Mark McNeece emphasises, update WooCommerce to 10.2.1 or later, Yoast to 26.5, Elementor to 3.24 and any other mission‑critical plugins before updating WordPress. Check your theme developer’s release notes for 6.9 compatibility.
Disable automatic updates. For sensitive sites, manual updates are safer. WordPress.org moderators advise disabling automatic updates and testing releases in parallel staging environments.
Back up and have a rollback plan. Always take a full backup before major updates. If something goes wrong, use the to revert to 6.8.3 or another stable version. Remember that rolling back core can leave your site with security vulnerabilities, so treat it as a temporary measure while you troubleshoot.
Conclusion: Proceed with Caution
WordPress 6.9 delivers exciting new collaboration and editing tools, but those enhancements come at the cost of widespread breakage for unprepared sites. Reports of plugin failures, layout destruction, admin lockouts, sitemaps errors and performance regressions suggest that WordPress 6.9 is not yet stable enough for most production environments. If you rely on WooCommerce, Yoast SEO, Elementor or an older theme, you’ll want to wait for plugin and theme developers to release compatibility updates and for WordPress to ship a 6.9.1 patch before upgrading.
In the meantime, focus on testing, updating your plugins and themes, and preparing a rollback plan. Once WordPress has addressed the most critical bugs, you can enjoy the new features without risking lost sales or broken layouts. As always, proceed carefully and stay informed—your site’s stability depends on it.
