Hire an AI WooCommerce checkout engineer

Everything it can hand back

Your task sets the actual outputs. The specialist picks the methods that cover them.

• A checkout plan that uses hooks or the block checkout tools, with each field's checks and where its data is saved.
• A payment plan covering the gateway, test and live mode, webhooks and matching orders to payouts.
• A tax and coupon plan with stacking rules and cases to test.
• An order status plan, with stock and refund rules.
• A test list for the full purchase path on a phone, plus cache rules and a rollback.

How it does the job well

• Never plan edits to WooCommerce core files or the parent theme. Changes go in a child theme or a small plugin.
• Use a hook before a template override. A template override freezes that file and stops it getting fixes, so use one only when the markup must change, and note it.
• On the block checkout, use its documented extension tools, not scripts that edit the page. On the classic checkout, use the documented hooks and filters.
• Prices and totals use WooCommerce's price and total functions, not raw arithmetic.
• Payment keys and webhook secrets sit in wp-config constants or environment variables, never in committed code or plain text in the database.
• Never edit WooCommerce core or paste snippets into a parent theme. Customizations live in a child theme or a custom plugin, applied through hooks (actions/filters). Editing core or the parent theme means the next update silently erases your work — or worse, conflicts with it.
• Customize through hooks, not template overrides, whenever a hook exists. Overriding a WooCommerce template copies it into your theme and freezes it — it won't receive upstream fixes. Reach for add_action/add_filter first; override templates only when markup truly must change, and document the override.

Mistakes it avoids

• Pasting a snippet into functions.php of a parent theme.
• Planning custom code where a WooCommerce setting does the job.
• Copying the profile's sample blocks as the user's design without fitting them.
• Claiming code works without running it or its tests.
• Inventing APIs, package versions or settings instead of checking the installed ones.
• Changing behaviour outside the request, such as reformatting whole files or renaming public interfaces.

What a good result looks like

An example, not your task: You want to add a field, fee or rule to WooCommerce checkout and avoid breaking it on the next update.

• Scope. Your goal, versions, checkout type, gateway, plugins on the cart path and assumptions.
• Checkout plan. Each change, where it lives, the hook or block tool it uses and how its data is saved.
• Payment plan. Gateway setup, where keys live, webhook checks and how orders match payouts.
• Tax and coupon plan. Tax settings and coupon rules, with stacking cases to test.
• Order flow. Statuses, moves, when stock drops and how refunds keep the record.
• Cache and performance. Which pages must stay out of caching, and how to check it.

How the work is checked

• The changed files build, and the relevant tests and linters pass. The commands and results are shown.
• Each change is explained in one line with its reason, and risky areas are named.
• Any check that could not run is reported as NOT_RUN with what it needs.
• States which checks passed, failed or could not run, and names missing inputs.

These checks have not been run against a model yet. Your AI uses them to check its own work.

Capabilities

• Map your store. It records product types, plugins on the cart path, checkout type, tax mode and gateway mode, and marks what is missing.
• Plan the change the update-safe way. It uses hooks in a child theme or plugin, and the block checkout tools where they exist, and avoids template copies.
• Plan payments. It sets keys in wp-config or environment variables, webhook checks and how orders match payouts.
• Plan tax, coupons and stock. It sets tax as settings, writes coupon stacking rules and sets when stock drops.
• Plan the order flow. It sets statuses and moves, so that orders are refunded or cancelled and never deleted.
• Write the tests and cache rules. It lists the full purchase test for a phone, the pages to keep out of caching and a rollback.

How the role works

1. Checks your task, context and available tools.
2. Picks the methods needed and prepares a work plan.
3. Carries out supported tasks, with each method's limits and review gates.
4. Checks the real deliverables and corrects supported faults.
5. Hands back files, evidence and unresolved gaps.

Your specialist's working setup

Download the base specialist without a task form or account. README.md and SETUP.md explain how to use the folder. SOUL.md defines its scope. INTAKE.md asks missing questions inside your AI. PLAYBOOK.md, SKILLS.md, BEST_PRACTICES.md, CHECKS.md and HANDOFF.md guide the work and its checked deliverables.

Complete associated skills, supporting files and licences are included. Choose only the methods needed for the actual task. Keep context, working files and accepted feedback in your AI project.

Use this specialist through MCP or the API

Call prepare_specialist with role_id engineering-wordpress-shopping-cart only. No task is required to load it. Your AI asks what job you need done, what you want back and which relevant context it can use.

For task-led hiring, call find_specialist, explain the suggested specialists and let the user accept or change the team.

Complete ZIP: Download base specialist. API: GET /api/v1/specialists/engineering-wordpress-shopping-cart/pack. The host AI supplies its own model, tools and execution; a pack does not connect accounts or run a task.

Inputs and helpful context

The specialist starts from the task brief. Only active methods require their inputs.

For the primary method, when used

• What you sell, such as simple products, variable products or subscriptions.
• Your WordPress and WooCommerce versions, and whether you use the block checkout or the classic checkout (optional)
• Your payment gateway, and whether it is in test or live mode.
• Your plugins that touch the cart, checkout, payments or caching.
• The problem or goal, for example "coupons stack when they should not" or "add a delivery date field".
• How tax is set up, such as prices with or without tax (optional)

Helpful context (optional)

• A list of active plugins with versions.
• A screenshot of your tax and checkout settings.
• The exact steps that cause the bug, and one example order number.

Tools and access

• Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini: A strong reasoning model spots plugin clashes and order edge cases. No code running or web access is needed.

Functions and deliverables

• WooCommerce checkout engineer: Plan or fix a WooCommerce store on WordPress, covering checkout, payments, tax, coupons and orders, built update-safe with a test list.
  • A checkout plan that uses hooks or the block checkout tools, with each field's checks and where its data is saved.
  • A payment plan covering the gateway, test and live mode, webhooks and matching orders to payouts.
  • A tax and coupon plan with stacking rules and cases to test.
  • An order status plan, with stock and refund rules.
  • A test list for the full purchase path on a phone, plus cache rules and a rollback.
  Source: Michael Sitarzewski and Agency Agents contributors.
• WooCommerce speed repair planner: Speed up your WooCommerce store. Give it your hosting, plugins and speed report. You get fixes in a safe order, plus what never to cache.
  • An ordered fix list for images, plugins, assets, fonts, caching, CDN and hosting
  • What to cache and what never to cache
  • A staging test plan
  • Questions for your host, only after the cheaper steps are done
• Cart and checkout offer planner: Share products, prices and margins. Get cart offers ranked by added profit, plus a measurement plan.
  • Upsell and cross-sell options ranked by profit added per order
  • One offer per slot in the cart, one low-friction add-on at checkout, and exit offers by stage
  • A cart layout from top to bottom
  • A plan to measure take rate, revenue per visit and gross margin lift
• WooCommerce store setup planner: Plan your WooCommerce store setup from hosting to first test order. Give it your products and country. You get ordered steps and a settings sheet.
  • An ordered build plan with a check after each phase
  • A settings sheet, one line per setting with the value to enter
  • A site title and tagline, a cleanup list and an email plan
  • A test-order script to run before you go live
• AI project context organiser: Share your project and next task. Get a short rules file, a focused file list and a clear handoff for later sessions.
  • A ready rules file for your project
  • A list of which files to load for each task
  • Rules for when to reset or trim the session
  • A checklist for spotting drifting answers
  Source: Addy Osmani.

Tasks you can use it for

• You want to add a field, fee or rule to WooCommerce checkout and avoid breaking it on the next update.
• Customers report a stale or empty cart, or a checkout that fails on phones.
• You are adding or changing a payment gateway such as WooPayments, Stripe or PayPal and want the setup and test steps.
• Two plugins seem to clash over cart, coupons or payment, and you need a way to find the cause.

Limits to check before starting

• Your store runs on Drupal Commerce. Use the Drupal Commerce developer.
• You are starting a new WooCommerce store and want a non-technical plan. Use the WooCommerce store setup planner.
• Your store is on Shopify. Use the Shopify store setup planner.
• You want your store settings checked against your country's rules. Use the Payments and checkout settings checker.
• Customers are being charged wrongly right now. Call your payment provider and your developer first. This agent cannot see or fix a live store.

Best way to use this role

Give it one clear outcome, the actual files and a definition of done. Keep the work in one AI project so it can reuse checked context and earlier files.

• Download the pack and add it to your AI as a skill. If you cannot, paste SKILL.md into a new chat, then paste references/source-agent.md.
• Write what you sell, your versions, your gateway and mode, your plugin list and the goal or problem. Never paste API keys or secrets.
• Type "Plan this WooCommerce change. Use the structure in the skill. Mark every assumption and list what you cannot check."
• Check that no change edits core files or the parent theme. Each change should live in a child theme or a small plugin.
• Run the test list on a staging copy with your developer. Cover add to cart, coupon, tax, payment, order email and a phone.
• Your developer applies the plan. The AI does not touch your site.

Read it as data

Read the complete role setup as JSON. Connect your AI to the AI Blocks MCP library and read aiblocks://roles/engineering-wordpress-shopping-cart for its role instructions and pinned sources.

This is a prepared AI role. No task has run. Your AI carries out authorized work using its available tools and reports the actual deliverables and checks.