Server CPU 100%

Hi @leepaulheron,

Thank you for the detailed follow up, this is really helpful. I can see how concerning it must be to find thousands of repeated log entries alongside a constant CPU spike, especially after the thorough isolation steps you have already taken. Let us work through this methodically.

There are two key things standing out from what you shared:

First, the recurring log entry: Invalid limit type passed to wc_get_related_products. Expected integer, got string with value: "4"

This indicates that somewhere in your setup, likely a theme or extension, the wc_get_related_products() function is being called with a string instead of an integer. Even though “4” looks correct, WooCommerce expects a strict integer type. If this is being triggered repeatedly, for example during product queries or background processes, it can quickly flood the logs and contribute to high CPU usage.

This is not typically caused by WooCommerce core alone. It is usually introduced by custom code, a theme override, or a third party plugin hooking into related products.

Second, the Action Scheduler warning: Action Scheduler migration in progress. The list of scheduled actions may be incomplete

If the migration is stuck or repeatedly attempting to run, that can also create heavy background processing and CPU load, especially if WP Cron has been disabled and a custom MU plugin is altering how async runners work.

Here is how I recommend proceeding:

1. Please run a full plugin and theme conflict test, even if one was done earlier. On a staging site if possible, or during a maintenance window on production:

• Switch to a default theme such as Storefront or Twenty Twenty Four
• Deactivate all plugins except WooCommerce
• Clear all caches, server cache included
• Monitor CPU usage and logs

If the errors stop, reactivate plugins one by one, testing after each activation, until the log entries return. That will pinpoint the source.

2. If you are using any custom snippets, for example via Fluent Snippets or in functions.php, temporarily disable them as well, since this type mismatch often comes from custom filters.
3. Go to WooCommerce → Status → Tools and:

• Clear WooCommerce transients
• Regenerate the product lookup tables
• If available, run any Action Scheduler migration or cleanup tools

You can also review Scheduled Actions at: WooCommerce → Status → Scheduled Actions, and check whether there are large numbers of pending or failed actions. Documentation for reference: https://woocommerce.com/document/understanding-the-woocommerce-system-status-report/scheduled-actions/

If possible, please also share a snapshot of the Scheduled Actions screen and confirm whether the wc_get_related_products error still occurs with only WooCommerce active and a default theme. You can share screenshots via https://snipboard.io and any logs via https://pastebin.com so the thread stays clean and easy to review.

Once we isolate whether this is theme, custom code, or extension related, we can guide you more precisely. Looking forward to your update so we can get this fully resolved.

Hi @leepaulheron,

That sounds good, take your time and work through the tests carefully. When you’re done, just share what you find from the default theme and WooCommerce only test, plus anything notable under Scheduled Actions. We’ll take it from there and keep narrowing this down together.

Hi @leepaulheron,

Thank you for the update and for sharing the latest Status Report, I can see how carefully you’ve been working through this and I truly appreciate the thoroughness.

Regarding the WooCommerce Analytics plugin, I understand your hesitation about installing something labeled as beta. Just to clarify, this is an official WooCommerce extension. The beta label does not mean it is unstable or experimental in a risky sense, it simply means we are continuously improving and refining it. It is safe to use and is often recommended specifically to help regenerate and repair Action Scheduler tables when corruption is suspected.

That said, stepping back to your conflict test results from yesterday, you identified Shopkeeper Extender as producing a very large number of PHP errors. Since this plugin is required by the premium Shopkeeper theme by GetBowtied, and removing it stabilized logging, this strongly suggests the root issue may be within that extension’s interaction with WooCommerce. In cases like this, the responsibility to maintain compatibility with WooCommerce updates lies with the theme or plugin developer. I would recommend escalating this directly to GetBowtied support with your logs and findings, as they may already be working on an update.

Also, I noticed from your System Status Report that you’re currently running: WP Version: 6.8.3, while 6.9.1 is available. Keeping WordPress core up to date is important, especially when troubleshooting database and scheduled action issues. If possible, I recommend updating WordPress to 6.9.1 after taking a full backup, and then monitoring whether the “Commands out of sync” errors persist.

At this stage, the key areas I would suggest focusing on are:

1. Confirm WordPress is updated to 6.9.1
2. Continue working with the Shopkeeper developer regarding the extender conflict
3. Consider the official Analytics plugin as a safe method to regenerate Action Scheduler tables if corruption remains suspected

Please keep us posted on what you hear back from the theme developers and how things behave after updating WordPress. We’ll continue narrowing this down with you.