cart empty at checkout for some buyers

LuckyMoose

Sorry if is basic, is my first post.

Some buyers of my prints say the cart is empty when they arrive to the checkout. On my laptop works fine, i tried three times.

SiteGround managed, no cache plugin.

That's what I don't get, why only them? Where to look?

ivanvallejo

Had the same on the coffee shop once. Not WooCommerce, the host's page cache was handing out a saved copy of the cart page.

You say no cache plugin, but SiteGround caches on the server anyway, I'm pretty sure it is on by default and that is why it works on your laptop, you are logged in and get a fresh page while a buyer gets the stored copy with an empty cart.

Check Speed Optimizer or Site Tools. Dynamic Cache on, but you need to have /cart, /checkout and /my-account in the exclude list. Easy to miss.

If those are missing, add them!

Then purge the cache and let one buyer try again.

christopher

Adding to what ivan said, on SiteGround the exclude list is only half of it. The dynamic cache is also supposed to skip the whole page for anyone with something in the cart. Woo sets a cookie called woocommerce_items_in_cart as soon as you add a product and the cache is meant to see that cookie and stop serving the saved copy.

Fwiw that's the bit that broke on a client site of mine last year, the excludes were fine but the cookie rule wasn't and the fix came from SiteGround support not from me.

So you'd have to open a chat with them. Ask them plainly if their cache skips pages when that cookie is set.

Took them ten minutes tbh.

ivanvallejo

Christopher is right about the cookie, but three things first. Roberto. Which SiteGround plan and is Cloudflare in front of it because then the cache that matters isn't even theirs.

Second, log out on your laptop and buy a print as a stranger; if the cart is empty for you too, it's the cache.

Third, how did those buyers reach the shop? From Instagram or Facebook the in-app browser drops cookies and the cart has nothing to hold on to, I had to learn that one on the coffee shop. Woo lists the pages and the cookie here: https://woocommerce.com/document/configuring-caching-plugins/

LuckyMoose

Should be the Instagram browser? Host says cache skips cart and checkout, buyers came from my Instagram on phones, logged in never happens.

tamara

I had the same empty cart on my ceramics shop and ivan's first tip fixed it for me. The host cache! In your case your host says is excluded, but I'd still go to the Caching page in Site Tools and press the clear cache button, that's what their support told me to do first and it costs nothing. Five minutes.

christopher

probably the Instagram browser, like ivan said.

There was a thread here in summer, Facebook shop link, same symptoms.

This happens when the in-app browser throws cookies away between pages.

Cheap fix, you have to put a line in the bio: open the shop in your browser.

Worked for that guy.

ivanvallejo

Hi,

Before you blame the Instagram browser, look at the link in your bio. I just went through the same thing on the coffee shop and it wasn't the app at all. The bio link started with www and the site itself runs without www so the buyer adds a print on www. The cart cookie is set for www then Woo sends them to the checkout on the bare domain where that cookie doesn't exist. Empty cart. Logged in it never happens because you type the address yourself.

Check two places. Settings > General, what's the Site Address there, with or without www, and then the bio link, same or different? If they differ you have your answer.

The fix isn't in WordPress. I'm on Hostinger and did it in their panel, on SiteGround ask support for a redirect from www to the bare domain and update the bio link while you wait.

LuckyMoose

Was the www link in the bio. Redirect done. Cart stays from Instagram now, thanks ivan, christopher, tamara.