WooCommerce CRUD & Data Stores

Before writing code

Fetch live docs:

1. Web-search site:developer.woocommerce.com crud data stores for CRUD documentation
2. Web-search site:github.com woocommerce woocommerce HPOS for HPOS architecture
3. Fetch https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/wiki for architecture decisions

CRUD Architecture

Data Objects

WooCommerce's core entities extend WC_Data:

• WC_Product — products (and subtypes: WC_Product_Simple, WC_Product_Variable, etc.)
• WC_Order — orders (and WC_Order_Refund)
• WC_Customer — customer profiles
• WC_Coupon — discount coupons
• WC_Shipping_Zone — shipping zones

WC_Data Base Class

All CRUD objects inherit from WC_Data:

• $data — array of core properties with defaults
• $meta_data — array of WC_Meta_Data objects
• $id — object ID
• $object_type — string identifier (e.g., 'product', 'order')
• $data_store — the WC_Data_Store instance handling persistence

Getters and Setters

• get_{prop}( $context = 'view' ) — retrieve a property
  • 'view' context — runs woocommerce_{object_type}_get_{prop} filter (for display)
  • 'edit' context — returns raw stored value (for forms/admin)
• set_{prop}( $value ) — set a property (in memory, not persisted until save())
• save() — persist to database (calls data store's create() or update())
• delete( $force_delete ) — remove from database

Meta Data

• get_meta( $key, $single, $context ) — get meta value
• update_meta_data( $key, $value, $meta_id ) — set meta (in memory)
• delete_meta_data( $key ) — mark meta for deletion
• save_meta_data() — persist meta changes (called automatically by save())

Data Stores

What Data Stores Do

Data stores abstract the persistence layer. The CRUD object calls generic methods (read, create, update, delete) on its data store, which handles the actual SQL.

Built-In Data Stores

Custom Data Stores

You can swap data stores via the woocommerce_{object}_data_store filter:

1. Implement WC_Object_Data_Store_Interface (or extend an existing data store)
2. Implement methods: create(), read(), update(), delete(), read_meta(), update_meta(), delete_meta()
3. Filter: add_filter( 'woocommerce_product_data_store', function() { return 'My_Custom_Store'; } )

HPOS (High-Performance Order Storage)

What Changed

HPOS moves order data from wp_posts/wp_postmeta to dedicated tables:

• wp_wc_orders — core order fields (status, currency, total, customer_id, dates)
• wp_wc_orders_meta — order meta
• wp_wc_order_addresses — billing/shipping addresses
• wp_wc_order_operational_data — internal operational data

Why HPOS

• Massive performance improvement for stores with many orders
• Orders no longer pollute the wp_posts table
• Dedicated indexes for order queries
• Cleaner separation of concerns

Compatibility Modes

• Sync enabled — both posts and custom tables are written (transition period)
• Authoritative: Custom tables — custom tables are the source of truth
• Authoritative: Posts — legacy mode, posts are source of truth

Declaring HPOS Compatibility

add_action( 'before_woocommerce_init', function() {
    if ( class_exists( \Automattic\WooCommerce\Utilities\FeaturesUtil::class ) ) {
        \Automattic\WooCommerce\Utilities\FeaturesUtil::declare_compatibility(
            'custom_order_tables', __FILE__, true
        );
    }
});

HPOS-Compatible Code

• DO: Use $order->get_meta(), $order->update_meta_data(), $order->save()
• DO: Use wc_get_orders() with proper args for querying
• DON'T: Use get_post_meta(), update_post_meta() on orders
• DON'T: Use WP_Query to query orders directly
• DON'T: Assume $order->get_id() is a wp_posts ID

Querying

wc_get_orders()

The proper way to query orders (HPOS-compatible):

• Accepts args like status, customer_id, date_created, meta_key, meta_value
• Returns array of WC_Order objects
• Under the hood, delegates to the active order data store

wc_get_products()

Query products — delegates to WC_Product_Query:

• type, status, sku, category, tag, price, meta_key, etc.
• Returns array of WC_Product objects

Best Practices

• Always use CRUD getters/setters, never access $data directly
• Always call save() after modifying an object
• Use 'edit' context for admin forms, 'view' context for frontend display
• Use wc_get_orders() / wc_get_products() for queries, not WP_Query
• Declare HPOS compatibility in every extension
• Test with HPOS authoritative mode enabled

Fetch the WooCommerce CRUD and HPOS documentation for exact method signatures, query parameters, and compatibility requirements before implementing.