Woocommerce Legacy REST API will be removed in Woocommerce 9.0

Hey @kristinubute,

Thanks for reaching out, and great question!

Whether this will affect a specific site depends on whether any of the plugins or custom code on the site are using the legacy REST API connection or not.

Most plugin authors are aware of this upcoming change and by now have moved their plugins to the new API.

However, I’d suggest checking the list of plugins on the site to see if any of them haven’t been updated in a while. The site could potentially be using some outdated plugin that relies on the old API to communicate with some external service.

The support article below explains more on this, in-depth, and provides some suggestions on how to check if this is being used and what steps to take. I’d suggest giving this a read:

• The Legacy REST API will move to a dedicated extension in WooCommerce?9.0

Hope this helps!

If I have clients with over 20 plugins, HOW do I know which plugins will require this ?

Rather than having to email every single plugin developer to find out?

Thanks in advance.

Hi @kristinubute

Please refer to this section How can I tell if this affects me? in the article shared above.

Hope this helps!

Hi there, I am still really confused with the issue. The WooCommerce Legacy REST API?will be finished as of Version 9. I get that. But the new plugin, as far as I can see is called the same thing. IS that right or wrong?

Also, when I find out the new name of the plugin that will replace the ‘old’ WooCommerce Legacy REST API?, do I have to setup all of my postage and freight settings again? Or will the new plugin, when installed and woocommerce is upgraded to version 9, takeover all of the old settings and continue of from there?

Any help would be appreciated

Hi @rdwebstuff24,

If you have plugins relying on the Legacy REST API, they may stop working once removed. However, most plugin authors should have updated their plugins to use the new API by now.

The WooCommerce Legacy REST API will be finished as of Version 9. I get that. But the new plugin, as far as I can see is called the same thing. IS that right or wrong?

Yes, you are right.

when I find out the new name of the plugin that will replace the ‘old’ WooCommerce Legacy REST API , do I have to setup all of my postage and freight settings again? Or will the new plugin, when installed and woocommerce is upgraded to version 9, takeover all of the old settings and continue of from there?

You must use the WooCommerce Legacy REST API plugin to enable and keep using the legacy REST API. Once you install it, it should take over all of the old settings and continue, even when the legacy REST API is removed from the core after the 9.0 update. And you should not be required to set up your postage and freight settings again.

If you’re still unsure about any of this, I recommend contacting a professional developer or contacting the authors of your plugins directly. They should be able to provide more specific advice based on your setup.

I hope this helps clarify things a bit. Please let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi Shameem,

Thanks for getting back to me. Can you see why people are confused. You are replacing a plugin called ‘WooCommerce Legacy REST API’ with a plugin called ‘WooCommerce Legacy REST API’. Why are they called the same thing?? That is very confusing.

I use quite a few WooCommerce plugins to achieve the shipping options that my clients requires as below.

It says I can check the useage by going to the the WooCommerce log files

But when I go to that page, there are no logs.

Also confused with this. Even though the API box I checked

When I go to the REST API page there is no API key there?

Am I using the Legacy REST API or do you think I am not using it?

Do I need to be using this legacy API at all. Am I even using it (going by these screenshots??)? I am not sure.

Hello rdwebstuff24

Thank you for your reply.

Allow me to explain this in little bit more detail.

The REST API is a way for other applications or websites to communicate with your WooCommerce store. It’s like your website’s language to talk to other services. The “Legacy REST API” is an older version of this language.

Whether you need the Legacy REST API or not depends on whether you have any plugins, services, or custom code that specifically requires it. If you’re unsure, you might need to consult with a developer or the support teams for any plugins or services you’re using.

To determine if you can uncheck the “Enable the legacy REST API” box, you might need to do a bit of testing.

You could uncheck the box, and then thoroughly test your site to see if anything stops working. If everything still functions as expected, you likely don’t need the Legacy REST API.

You are replacing a plugin called ‘WooCommerce Legacy REST API’ with a plugin called ‘WooCommerce Legacy REST API’. Why are they called the same thing?? That is very confusing.

Currently, the Legacy REST API is part of the WooCommerce core plugin, not a separate one. By WooCommerce version 9 it will be removed from WooCommerce core and introduced as a separate plugin for those sites which require this service.

I hope this helps clarify things.
If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to ask. ??

Best regards,
Z.Z

Hi there – is there an easy way for non-Developers to check if the REST API is needed/used?

There is no information or any Program/Plugin Listed in my Woo “REST API / Webhooks” tabs…
Furthermore, when go over to “functions” in WooCommerce options, there is a warning that it cant switch to HPOS because the “REST API plugin is installed and activated”…
However, there are no additional warnings of plugins or whasoever that are not compatible (with HPOS)…

Any advice is appreciated.
thanks
Pedro