As we know, WordPress transients provide an excellent way to store cached data temporarily, improving performance by reducing unnecessary database queries or API calls. However a common pitfall I have come across recently is assuming the presence of transient data is valid and usable and can ultimately result in affecting stores bottom line which no doubt has been the case of users experiencing this issue.
https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/issues/50855
In short, variable product availability data gets cached in transients to improve performance. However, if this cached data becomes corrupt (which it is doing), your store might show in-stock products as out of stock. Directly impacting sales, trust, support teams, reputation etc.
In this specific example, I created a couple of methods to check the variable product transient cache for required data, and if it failed these checks I rebuilt the cache. Granted, I still need to investigate what is the cause of the corrupt data to begin with but in the meantime this is a welcomed step forward which prevents the issue from surfacing in production stores.
https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/pull/53603
Validate your transient data
Where possible, we should validate transient data instead of blindly trusting it and build a self-healing system that rebuilds corrupt or invalid transients where we have the ability to. The cost of skipping validation can be severe, especially in stores where data accuracy directly affects sales and trust. Always validate your transient data before use, and implement a rebuild mechanism for when validation fails (if possibly, obvs).
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