Fatal error: Allowed memory size

Hi @buildblog,

Thanks for reaching out. I can imagine how disruptive it is to encounter a fatal memory error right at the start of your build.

From what you’ve shared, it looks like your site is hitting the PHP memory limit of 512 MB, triggered during database operations involving WooCommerce, especially within webhook functions and core DB queries.

Here are a few things to check and try:

1. Increase the Memory Limit (if your host allows it): Try increasing it to 768M or 1024M by adding this line to your wp-config.php file just above the line that says “That’s all, stop editing!”:

define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '768M' );

2. Clear WooCommerce Data Caches: Go to WooCommerce → Status → Tools, and run:
   • Clear transients
   • Clear WooCommerce sessions
   • Delete orphaned variations (if applicable)
3. Temporarily Disable Webhooks: The warning in wc-webhook-functions.php suggests WooCommerce is trying to loop through a null value. If you have webhooks that you’re not using yet, consider disabling or deleting them under WooCommerce → Settings → Advanced → Webhooks.
4. Database Cleanup: Since the site was cloned, it’s possible some references in your database are outdated. You can use a plugin like WP Migrate Lite to search and replace old URLs or check the wp_options table for legacy values from the original site.

If the issue persists after trying the above, please share your System Status Report so we can take a closer look. You’ll find it under WooCommerce → Status → Get system report → Copy for support, then paste it into a site like https://pastebin.com/ or https://gist.github.com/ and share the link here.

Happy to help further once we can review that!

Hi @buildblog,

Thank you for the added clarification and for the steps you’ve already taken. I’ve reviewed your initial message and the error logs you shared, and aside from the memory limit issue, there are a few other important errors worth addressing.

One of them is a warning that says: “Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in wc-webhook-functions.php on line 176.” This usually points to a broken or improperly configured webhook. Please go to WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced > Webhooks and remove any broken or unused webhooks. For troubleshooting purposes, it’s best to delete all webhooks temporarily. Just make sure to keep a record of any that you remove in case you need to set them up again later.

Another issue is the “Commands out of sync” database error. This often occurs when multiple overlapping SQL queries are running and exhausting server memory. To resolve this, first ensure all plugins are deactivated and switch your theme to a default one like Storefront. Then, add the following line to your wp-config.php file:

define('WP_ALLOW_REPAIR', true);

After that, visit https://yourdomain.com/wp-admin/maint/repair.php and select the “Repair and Optimize Database” option. Once completed, remove that line from your wp-config.php file to secure the site again.

Next, go to WooCommerce > Status > Tools and clear both types of transients as well as the template cache. Then, check the Logs tab and clear any accumulated logs. Be sure to also look into the Scheduled Actions section and delete any actions that are stuck, pending, or have failed.

Once all of this is done, activate only WooCommerce and check if the issue still occurs. Let me know what you find, and I’ll be glad to help further if needed.

Hi @buildblog,

Thank you for your feedback and for staying persistent while we work through this. I understand how challenging it is when a critical plugin like WooCommerce won’t activate due to a memory error.

Just to get a clearer picture, could you let us know when this issue first began? Was it immediately after copying the site, or did it start following a recent update?

In the meantime, I recommend running a conflict test. If you have access to your hosting file manager or FTP, try renaming the folders of all other plugins (for example, change plugin-name to plugin-name_disabled), leaving only the WooCommerce plugin folder active. If you can access Plugins > Installed Plugins from your WordPress dashboard, you can also deactivate all other plugins there.

Then, attempt to activate WooCommerce again and check if it runs without hitting the memory limit.

If it still fails to activate, please confirm your current PHP version. It might help to switch to a different version temporarily (for example, PHP 8.3 or 8.4) to see if that resolves the issue.

Once you’re able to activate WooCommerce successfully, please share your System Status Report with us. You can find it under WooCommerce → Status → Get system report → Copy for support, then paste it on https://pastebin.com/ or https://gist.github.com/ and send us the link here.

Let’s see how it goes!