Title: Server CPU 100%
Last modified: February 17, 2026

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# Server CPU 100%

 *  Resolved [leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leepaulheron/)
 * (@leepaulheron)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/)
 * Hello WooCommerce Support,
 * WooCommerce appears to be maxing out my server CPU resources, just like other
   recent threads.
 * The issue started with WC 10.5.1, and continues with the latest update 10.5.2.
   Yesterday we took the following steps:
    - Placed front-end behind Maintenance Mode to block incoming traffic.
    - Deactivated all plugins via cPanel File Manager, restored one-by-one, ensuring
      all were up-to-date, including a fresh install of WC via [ Plugins > Add New]
    - Deactivated and purged LS Cache at server level (because others were reporting
      issues with LS Cache – it remains deactivated).
    - Our host has disabled WP-Cron via [ wp-config ], and added an MU-Plugin to
      stop Action Scheduler running via admin-ajax async runner.
    - Sadly the issue recurs, every time WooCommerce is active.
 * Please see the following Pastebin for the WC Status Report: [https://pastebin.com/8w03iNwf](https://pastebin.com/8w03iNwf)
 * Looking forward to your assistance as soon as you can, thank you.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 24 total)

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 *  Plugin Support [Frank Remmy (woo-hc)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/frankremmy/)
 * (@frankremmy)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18824617)
 * Hi [@leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leepaulheron/),
 * I can imagine how frustrating it must be to watch your server hit 100% CPU like
   that, especially after all the careful testing and plugin isolation you’ve already
   done. You’ve clearly put a lot of effort into narrowing this down, and that kind
   of thoroughness really helps move things forward.
 * To get a clearer picture of what WooCommerce might be doing in the background,
   could you please check the logs and share anything that looks relevant?
 * You can find them at WooCommerce → Settings → Logs. Once you’re there, look for
   any recent entries that mention:
    - Action Scheduler
    - Checkout or order processes
    - Background tasks
    - Errors or warnings tied to WooCommerce or extensions
 * That way, we can dig deeper and help pinpoint what’s driving the CPU spike.
 *  Thread Starter [leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leepaulheron/)
 * (@leepaulheron)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18824646)
 * Thank you for responding.
 * Within [ WooCommerce > Status > Logs ] there is a recurring warning [ Action 
   Scheduler migration in progress. The list of scheduled actions may be incomplete].
 * Further, in log file [ wc_get_related_products-2026-02-17 ] there are over 2000
   lines of identical warnings:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       2026-02-17T09:50:10+00:00 ERROR Invalid limit type passed to wc_get_related_products. Expected integer, got string with value: "4"
       ```
   
 * I can paste the whole of today’s log file into Pastebin, but’s just 2000+ lines
   of the same.
 * Do let me know how we should proceed, thanks.
 *  [LovingBro (woo-hc)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lovingbro/)
 * (@lovingbro)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18824673)
 * Hi [@leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/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/](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](https://snipboard.io)
   and any logs via [https://pastebin.com](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.
 *  Thread Starter [leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leepaulheron/)
 * (@leepaulheron)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18824678)
 * Thank you for the comprehensive directions.
 * This will take a while, so leave it with me, and i’ll get back to you once complete.
 * All the best, and thanks.
 *  [LovingBro (woo-hc)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lovingbro/)
 * (@lovingbro)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18824688)
 * Hi [@leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/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.
 *  Thread Starter [leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leepaulheron/)
 * (@leepaulheron)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18824962)
 * So the results of the conflict test, along with server error logs, pointed to
   the third-party plugin [ Shopkeeper Extender ], which is a required plugin for
   the premium Shopkeeper theme by GetBowtied.
 * In fact, there were over 185000 log entries showing PHP errors relating to that
   plugin alone, despite it being up-to-date, and showing nothing on smoke tests
   via [ plugintests.com ] – I have notified the plugin author via the official 
   support, and am waiting to hear.
 * Over the last couple of hours I have rebuilt the plugins folder gradually, leaving
   out [ Shopkeeper Extender ]. With the exception of a CPU spike caused by WooCommerce
   regenerating thumbnails (due to the switch to a default theme and back again),
   all appears to be within normal limits.
 * Since removing that plugin, all error logging has ceased. I am cautiously optimistic.
 * Since the site has a LOT of images, I will leave it in maintenance mode overnight
   to allow the regeneration to complete, then put it live tomorrow morning and 
   report back.
 * If you could please leave this ticket open, I will update in the morning. Thanks
   very much.
 *  Plugin Support [shahzeen(woo-hc)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/shahzeenfarooq/)
 * (@shahzeenfarooq)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18825011)
 * Hi there,
 * Thanks for the detailed update and for sharing the results of your conflict testing.
   It’s great that you were able to identify **[Shopkeeper Extender]** as the source
   of the PHP errors and that removing it has stabilized the site.
 * It makes sense to leave the site in maintenance mode overnight while thumbnails
   are being regenerated, especially given the large number of images. That’s a 
   good precaution to ensure everything completes without causing further issues.
 * We’ll leave this ticket open as requested. Please update us tomorrow once the
   site is live again so we can review the results and provide any further guidance
   if needed.
 * Thanks again for your thorough troubleshooting and for keeping us informed it’s
   very helpful.
 *  Thread Starter [leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leepaulheron/)
 * (@leepaulheron)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18825628)
 * Good morning.
 * Further to this thread, it seems the site was showing CPU spikes overnight, and
   the server [ error_log ] is now showing repeated [ WordPress database error Commands
   out of sync; you can’t run this command now ].
 * The logs also show references to JetPack – which is not installed on this site.
 * Link to full error log here: [https://pastebin.com/jAjX5RBV](https://pastebin.com/jAjX5RBV)
 * Thanks for your attention, and I hope we can get to the bottom of this.
 *  Thread Starter [leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leepaulheron/)
 * (@leepaulheron)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18825630)
 * Sorry, Pastebin santitized and removed the log. Apologies. Here is one example:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       [18-Feb-2026 00:06:44 UTC] WordPress database error Commands out of sync; you can't run this command now for query SELECT p.ID FROM wp_posts p WHERE post_type='scheduled-action' AND p.post_title='wc_schedule_pending_batch_processes' AND p.post_status IN ('in-progress', 'pending') ORDER BY p.post_date_gmt ASC LIMIT 0, 1 made by shutdown_action_hook, do_action('shutdown'), WP_Hook->do_action, WP_Hook->apply_filters, Automattic\WooCommerce\Internal\BatchProcessing\BatchProcessingController->Automattic\WooCommerce\Internal\BatchProcessing\{closure}, Automattic\WooCommerce\Internal\BatchProcessing\BatchProcessingController->remove_or_retry_failed_processors, call_user_func, as_has_scheduled_action, ActionScheduler_Store->query_action, ActionScheduler_HybridStore->query_actions, ActionScheduler_wpPostStore->query_actions
       ```
   
 *  Plugin Support [shahzeen(woo-hc)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/shahzeenfarooq/)
 * (@shahzeenfarooq)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18825632)
 * Hi there!
 * Thanks for sharing the error log. The “**Commands out of sync; you can’t run 
   this command now**” message you’re seeing usually appears when there are corrupted
   Action Scheduler records or conflicts with other plugins.
 * Since you mentioned running a conflict test, could you please confirm whether
   all plugins except WooCommerce were disabled when this error occurred and when
   the CPU spikes happened overnight? This helps isolate whether the issue is coming
   from WooCommerce core or another plugin.
 * One supported step that often resolves corrupted Action Scheduler tables is to
   use a[ WooCommerce analytics plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/woocommerce-analytics/).
   Installing it will **regenerate the Action Scheduler tables**, which can fix 
   corruption without affecting your data.
 * Once that’s in place, you can monitor the site to see if the database errors 
   and CPU spikes persist.
 *  Thread Starter [leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leepaulheron/)
 * (@leepaulheron)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18825658)
 * Hello,
 * The plugin you mention is in Beta, so i’m not comfortable installing that at 
   present, apologies.
 * Attached is the link to the latest WC Status Report, which shows the current 
   plugin list and environment – [https://pastebin.com/MznFAxc0](https://pastebin.com/MznFAxc0)
 * As per this thread, we completed conflict testing yesterday, which identified
   an issue with [ Shopkeeper Extender ]. The site remains in maintenance mode pending
   the solution of this issue.
 * Do let me know your thoughts, and thank you.
 *  Thread Starter [leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leepaulheron/)
 * (@leepaulheron)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18825681)
 * I have now manually run all past-due actions, which all appear to have completed
   successfully.
 * However, the most recent errors in the [ error_log ] shows the following:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       [18-Feb-2026 11:03:56 UTC] WordPress database error Commands out of sync; you can't run this command now for query SELECT option_name, option_value FROM wp_options WHERE option_name IN ('_transient_timeout_jetpack_autoloader_plugin_paths') made by shutdown_action_hook, do_action('shutdown'), WP_Hook->do_action, WP_Hook->apply_filters, Automattic\Jetpack\Autoloader\jp6b58e44f39d45cbcc950226f1149a5ce\al5_0_15\Shutdown_Handler->__invoke, Automattic\Jetpack\Autoloader\jp6b58e44f39d45cbcc950226f1149a5ce\al5_0_15\Plugins_Handler->cache_plugins, set_transient, wp_prime_option_caches[18-Feb-2026 11:03:56 UTC] WordPress database error Commands out of sync; you can't run this command now for query SELECT autoload FROM wp_options WHERE option_name = '_transient_jetpack_autoloader_plugin_paths' LIMIT 1 made by shutdown_action_hook, do_action('shutdown'), WP_Hook->do_action, WP_Hook->apply_filters, Automattic\Jetpack\Autoloader\jp6b58e44f39d45cbcc950226f1149a5ce\al5_0_15\Shutdown_Handler->__invoke, Automattic\Jetpack\Autoloader\jp6b58e44f39d45cbcc950226f1149a5ce\al5_0_15\Plugins_Handler->cache_plugins, set_transient, update_option[18-Feb-2026 11:03:56 UTC] WordPress database error Commands out of sync; you can't run this command now for query SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM wp_options made by shutdown_action_hook, do_action('shutdown'), WP_Hook->do_action, WP_Hook->apply_filters, Automattic\Jetpack\Autoloader\jp6b58e44f39d45cbcc950226f1149a5ce\al5_0_15\Shutdown_Handler->__invoke, Automattic\Jetpack\Autoloader\jp6b58e44f39d45cbcc950226f1149a5ce\al5_0_15\Plugins_Handler->cache_plugins, set_transient, update_option
       ```
   
 * This is confusing, because Jetpack is not installed on this site. Does WooCommerce
   use aspects of Jetpack in it’s own codebase?
 * Looking forward to your advice, thank you.
 *  [LovingBro (woo-hc)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lovingbro/)
 * (@lovingbro)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18825690)
 * Hi [@leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/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.
 *  Thread Starter [leepaulheron](https://wordpress.org/support/users/leepaulheron/)
 * (@leepaulheron)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/#post-18825706)
 * Hello,
 * Thank you for your response.
 * I can confirm that the [ Shopkeeper Extender ] plugin was removed yesterday, 
   and will not be reinstalled until the author gets back to me with a fix. The 
   current issues all appear to be Action Scheduler related.
 * I will run a backup and try the WooCommerce Analytics plugin, to see if that 
   helps. Will get back to you later. Thank you.
 *  Plugin Support [shahzeen(woo-hc)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/shahzeenfarooq/)
 * (@shahzeenfarooq)
 * [4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/page/2/#post-18825728)
 * Hi there!
   Thanks for the update!
 * As a next step, we suggest trying this on a **staging site first**. Keep only**
   WooCommerce** and the **WooCommerce Analytics plugin** active, and see if that
   resolves the Action Scheduler issues. This will help confirm whether the problem
   is related to corrupted tables or other plugins on your live site.
 * Let us know what you find.

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 * 25 replies
 * 5 participants
 * Last reply from: [LovingBro (woo-hc)](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lovingbro/)
 * Last activity: [3 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/server-cpu-100/page/2/#post-18836570)
 * Status: resolved