Critical 504 Gateway Timeout When WoodMart Is Active (WordPress 6.9.1)

Hi Edwin,

Thanks for the details. Here’s how we can proceed.

1) WoodMart supports the latest WordPress versions and requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Please ensure the theme and the WoodMart Core plugin are updated to the latest release.
2) Site-wide 504 errors are usually caused by a conflict or heavy process that exhausts server resources. Common causes we see:
– Third-party plugin conflicts
– Custom code or a recursive content block creating infinite loops
– Insufficient PHP limits or low max_execution_time

Please do the following checks:
– Update WoodMart, WoodMart Core, WooCommerce, and your page builder to the latest versions.
– Temporarily disable all plugins that are not related to our theme (keep only WooCommerce, your chosen page builder, and WoodMart Core).
– Clear/disable all caching layers (cache plugin and CDN) and test again.
– If you use a child theme, switch to the WoodMart parent theme and retest.
– Verify PHP/server limits meet or exceed:
memory_limit 256M
max_execution_time 180
max_input_vars 10000
– If both frontend and admin are inaccessible, use FTP to rename wp-content/plugins to plugins.old to regain access, then enable only the essentials and retest.
– If you recently added any custom HTML/code snippets, temporarily remove them to rule out recursive or heavy loops.

If the issue persists:
– Could you please disable all plugins that are not related to our theme and provide us your admin access so we can check it? Share WP admin credentials (and, if possible, FTP/SFTP) via the forum’s private content field.
– Let us know your server environment: PHP version, active caching/CDN, and any recent changes before the issue started.

We’ll investigate promptly once we have access and the non-theme plugins are disabled.

Kind Regards

Hi Edwin,

Thanks for the detailed findings. To your questions:

1) Compatibility
Yes, WoodMart supports the latest WordPress versions. Please ensure both the theme and WoodMart Core are updated to the latest releases.

2) About the 504 and infinite loop with wc_layered_nav_counts
We don’t have a general issue reported, but your observation points to WooCommerce layered navigation transients being regenerated in a loop. This can happen if filters on the shop page repeatedly trigger heavy recalculations or are hit by abnormal traffic.

Please run these focused checks:
– Remove all WooCommerce filter widgets from the shop and category archives and retest:
– In Appearance > Widgets, temporarily remove Layered Nav, Price Filter, and Active Filters from any sidebars used on Shop/Product Category pages.
– Keep only essentials active (WoodMart Core, WooCommerce, and your page builder) and switch to the WoodMart parent theme if using a child theme. Clear all caches/CDN and retest.

If the issue disappears without the filters, re-add the filter widgets one by one and monitor to identify which filter or context triggers the loop.

Given the scale of the repeated transient writes, there may be abnormal or automated traffic hitting your filters. Please check with your hosting/provider for unusual request patterns and consider temporary rate limiting if they confirm suspicious activity.

Kind Regards