The release of WordPress 6.9, codenamed “Gene,” in late 2025 promised a major leap forward with collaborative editing tools and the new Abilities API. However, shortly after its December 2nd launch, early adopters reported a wave of critical failures, ranging from broken layouts to total admin lockouts. If you manage a production site, holding off on this update is currently the safest move.
What’s New in WordPress 6.9?
While the update introduces powerful features, they involve deep changes to the core system:
- Collaboration Tools: Real-time block commenting for editors.
- Abilities API: A fundamental rewrite of how user permissions and roles are managed.
- Interactivity API: A new framework for handling front-end JavaScript within blocks.
- Visual Enhancements: Advanced typography settings and drag-and-drop layout controls.
Major Issues Reported
1. Critical Plugin Failures
The shift in core APIs has caused popular plugins to malfunction:
- WooCommerce: Version 10.2 suffered from broken checkout buttons and order processing errors. You must update to 10.2.1 or higher before considering WordPress 6.9.
- Yoast SEO: Users reported disappearing meta boxes and integration errors with page builders. Ensure you are on version 26.5.
- Elementor: Many users encountered “Safe Mode” prompts or infinite loading screens. Version 3.24 is required to mitigate most of these issues.
2. Layout and Theme Destruction
Older and “classic” themes have been hit hardest by changes in how block styles are loaded:
- Broken Grids: Sidebars shifting below content and columns collapsing into single rows.
- CSS Loading Errors: Reports show that styles enqueued via
wp_enqueue_style()often fail to load, leaving sites unstyled. - Mobile Navigation: Responsive menus and sticky elements frequently stop functioning on custom-coded themes.
3. Admin Lockouts and Performance Spikes
- Dashboard Access: Due to the new Abilities API, some security and login plugins are causing redirects that prevent admins from logging into their own sites.
- Server Overload: Significant CPU and RAM spikes have been documented, with some sites hitting 100% resource usage due to database query loops (common on sites using the Woodmart theme).
- SEO Risks: Broken XML sitemaps have been reported, which can negatively impact how Google crawls and indexes your content.
Best Practices: How to Move Forward Safely
To avoid downtime and lost revenue, follow this pre-update checklist:
- Wait for Version 6.9.1: Minor “point releases” usually arrive within weeks to fix the most glaring bugs found by the community.
- Use a Staging Site: Never update a live site directly. Test the 6.9 update on a clone of your site first to identify conflicts.
- Update Plugins First: Ensure your theme and every single plugin (especially WooCommerce and SEO tools) are updated to their latest versions before updating the WordPress core.
- Have a Rollback Plan: Perform a full site backup. If 6.9 breaks your site, be prepared to revert to version 6.8.3 immediately.
Final Verdict: While the new features are exciting, WordPress 6.9 is currently too unstable for mission-critical websites. Stay on version 6.8.3 until the first round of patches is released.
