Create pbs-woocommerce-store.md via n8n
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PBS/Tech/Projects/pbs-woocommerce-store.md
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PBS/Tech/Projects/pbs-woocommerce-store.md
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---
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project: pbs-woocommerce-store
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type: project-plan
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status: active
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tags:
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- pbs
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- wordpress
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- woocommerce
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- ecommerce
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- stripe
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- automation
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- n8n
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- staging
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- production
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created: 2026-03-20
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updated: 2026-03-20
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path: PBS/Tech/Projects/
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---
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# WooCommerce Cookbook Store — Project Plan
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## Project Goal
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Add a commerce section to plantbasedsoutherner.com to sell Jenny's first cookbook (digital + physical), using a lean WooCommerce setup with free plugins only. This is a **stepping stone** — designed to launch quickly while preserving a clean migration path to a custom-built commerce solution in the future.
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## Key Decisions Made
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- **WooCommerce over Shopify** — keeps the Sunnies on-site for a seamless brand experience, no monthly platform fees, full data ownership
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- **Lean plugin approach** — WooCommerce core + free official extensions only, no premium plugin dependencies for Phase 1
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- **Stripe as primary payment processor** — free WooCommerce integration, supports credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay
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- **PayPal as secondary option** — free WooCommerce integration, covers buyers who prefer PayPal
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- **Staging first, always** — full deployment and testing on staging before production
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- **Future-proof mindset** — all product/order data lives in MySQL, making eventual migration to a custom Flask/Go/Rust backend straightforward
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## Architecture Overview
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```
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Sunnies browse → plantbasedsoutherner.com/shop (WordPress + WooCommerce)
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↓
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Add to cart → still on PBS site
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↓
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Checkout → still on PBS site
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↓
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Payment → Stripe handles card processing behind the scenes
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↓
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Order complete → WooCommerce stores order, triggers n8n webhooks
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↓
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n8n automation → confirmation emails, alerts, digital delivery
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```
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## Long-Term Vision
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WooCommerce is the **temporary tenant**. The long-term plan is a custom commerce backend (Flask, Go, or Rust) with direct Stripe API integration. Key principles:
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- Product and order data stays in MySQL — portable regardless of frontend
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- n8n automations are backend-agnostic (webhook-triggered)
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- Traefik routing can point to any service, not WooCommerce-specific
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- When ready, swap the engine without rebuilding the infrastructure
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---
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## Phase 1: WooCommerce Core Setup (Staging)
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**Goal:** Get a working cookbook store on staging.plantbasedsoutherner.com
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### 1.1 Install & Configure WooCommerce
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- [ ] Install WooCommerce plugin on staging
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- [ ] Run the setup wizard (store address, currency, product types)
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- [ ] Configure general settings (timezone, currency display, measurements)
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- [ ] Set store pages (shop, cart, checkout, my account)
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- [ ] Disable WooCommerce features we don't need yet (reviews, coupons, etc.) to keep it lean
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### 1.2 Redis Cache Configuration
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- [ ] Configure WooCommerce cart/checkout pages to bypass Redis object cache
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- [ ] Add cache exclusion rules for WooCommerce session cookies (`woocommerce_cart_hash`, `woocommerce_items_in_cart`, `wp_woocommerce_session_*`)
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- [ ] Test that cart persists across page loads (cache bypass working)
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- [ ] Flush Redis cache after WooCommerce installation
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### 1.3 Payment Gateway Setup
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- [ ] Create Stripe account for PBS (if not already existing)
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- [ ] Install WooCommerce Stripe Gateway (free official plugin)
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- [ ] Configure Stripe in **test mode** on staging
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- [ ] Install WooCommerce PayPal Payments (free official plugin)
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- [ ] Configure PayPal in **sandbox mode** on staging
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- [ ] Test both payment methods with test card numbers
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### 1.4 Product Setup — Jenny's Cookbook
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- [ ] Create product: Physical cookbook (simple product, requires shipping)
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- [ ] Create product: Digital cookbook — PDF (downloadable product)
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- [ ] Optional: Create bundled product (physical + digital combo)
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- [ ] Upload product images (Jenny to provide)
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- [ ] Write product descriptions (Jenny to provide or review)
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- [ ] Configure pricing
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- [ ] Set up shipping zones and rates for physical book
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- [ ] Configure digital download settings (download limits, link expiry)
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### 1.5 Store Design & Integration
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- [ ] Create/customize shop page with Elementor to match PBS branding
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- [ ] Style cart and checkout pages to match site aesthetic
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- [ ] Add "Shop" link to main site navigation
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- [ ] Ensure mobile responsiveness (Sunnies likely shopping from Instagram links)
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- [ ] Test full purchase flow on mobile and desktop
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---
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## Phase 2: n8n Order Automation
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**Goal:** Automate order processing workflows via n8n
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### 2.1 WooCommerce Webhook Setup
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- [ ] Configure WooCommerce webhook for `order.completed` → n8n
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- [ ] Configure WooCommerce webhook for `order.created` → n8n (for alerts)
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- [ ] Verify webhook payload structure
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### 2.2 n8n Workflow: Order Notifications
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- [ ] Build workflow: new order → Google Chat notification to Travis
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- [ ] Build workflow: new order → summary notification to Jenny (email or preferred channel)
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- [ ] Include order details: product, amount, shipping info (if physical)
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### 2.3 n8n Workflow: Digital Delivery (Optional Enhancement)
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- [ ] Evaluate if WooCommerce's built-in digital delivery is sufficient
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- [ ] If custom delivery needed: n8n workflow to send personalized delivery email via MailerLite or Google Workspace
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- [ ] Track download completions
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### 2.4 n8n Workflow: Order Dashboard Sync (Future)
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- [ ] Sync order data to a reporting table in `pbs_automation` MySQL database
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- [ ] Enables future custom dashboards without querying WooCommerce directly
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---
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## Phase 3: Production Deployment
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**Goal:** Move tested store to production
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### 3.1 Pre-Production Checklist
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- [ ] All staging tests pass (payment, cart, checkout, email, webhooks)
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- [ ] Jenny has reviewed and approved product pages
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- [ ] Stripe switched from test mode to live mode
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- [ ] PayPal switched from sandbox to live mode
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- [ ] Shipping rates verified
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- [ ] Tax configuration reviewed (may need research for PBS's specific situation)
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- [ ] Privacy policy and terms of sale updated on site
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- [ ] WooCommerce email templates customized with PBS branding
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### 3.2 Production Deployment
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- [ ] Install WooCommerce on production
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- [ ] Replicate all staging configuration
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- [ ] Apply Redis cache exclusions on production
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- [ ] Configure live payment gateways
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- [ ] Create products (or export/import from staging)
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- [ ] Connect n8n production webhooks
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- [ ] Test one real transaction (buy your own cookbook!)
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### 3.3 Launch
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- [ ] Add shop to site navigation
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- [ ] Jenny announces cookbook launch on Instagram
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- [ ] Monitor first orders closely for any issues
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- [ ] Verify n8n automations fire correctly
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---
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## Phase 4: Expand Product Catalog (6+ Months)
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**Goal:** Add meal plans, merch, and other digital products as Jenny is ready
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- [ ] Evaluate: WooCommerce extensions vs custom PBS-API endpoints per product type
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- [ ] Add new products as needed
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- [ ] Consider: Sunnie merch store (t-shirts, kitchen items)
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- [ ] Consider: Downloadable meal plans / recipe collections
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- [ ] Assess if WooCommerce is still serving us or if it's time to start the custom build
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---
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## Phase 5: Custom Commerce Platform (Future)
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**Goal:** Replace WooCommerce with a custom-built solution
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- [ ] Choose framework (Flask, Go, or Rust based on Travis's preference at that time)
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- [ ] Direct Stripe API integration (no plugin middleman)
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- [ ] Direct PayPal API integration
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- [ ] Migrate product data from WooCommerce MySQL tables
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- [ ] Migrate order history
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- [ ] Build admin UI for Jenny (product management, order viewing)
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- [ ] Retire WooCommerce
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---
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## Plugin List (Free Only)
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| Plugin | Purpose | Cost |
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| WooCommerce | Core commerce engine | Free |
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| WooCommerce Stripe Gateway | Credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay | Free |
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| WooCommerce PayPal Payments | PayPal checkout option | Free |
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**That's it.** Three free plugins. No premium dependencies for Phase 1.
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---
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## Infrastructure Considerations
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### Linode Resources
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- 2GB should handle initial cookbook sales volume
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- Monitor memory usage after WooCommerce install (it adds overhead)
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- If needed, upgrade to 4GB — WooCommerce + Redis + n8n + WordPress is a lot for 2GB under load
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### Docker / Traefik
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- No changes needed to Traefik config — WooCommerce runs inside the existing WordPress container
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- No new containers required for Phase 1
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### Database
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- WooCommerce adds ~20+ tables to the WordPress database
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- These are separate from `pbs_automation` — no conflict with existing PBS-API data
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- Future migration: WooCommerce tables are well-documented, data extraction is straightforward
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### Security
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- Stripe handles PCI compliance (card data never touches our server)
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- WooCommerce checkout should be HTTPS-only (already handled by Traefik + Let's Encrypt)
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- Consider adding Wordfence WooCommerce-specific rules
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---
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## Key Risks & Mitigations
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| Risk | Mitigation |
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| WooCommerce performance on 2GB Linode | Monitor closely, upgrade if needed |
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| Redis cache interfering with cart/checkout | Configure cache exclusions before testing |
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| Plugin update breaks something | Test updates on staging first, always |
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| Scope creep into paid plugins | Hard rule: free plugins only for Phase 1 |
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| Tax complexity | Research early, may need free tax config or manual rates |
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---
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## Discussion Points Captured
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- **WordPress regret is real** — WooCommerce is a pragmatic compromise, not a long-term commitment
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- **Custom commerce is realistic** — Flask/Go/Rust + Stripe API is a legitimate future project within Travis's skillset (estimated: a month of weekends)
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- **Shop Pay not available on WooCommerce** — not a dealbreaker, Apple Pay + Google Pay + PayPal covers the same need
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- **Stripe handles all the scary payment stuff** — PCI compliance, fraud, chargebacks. Our code just says "charge $24.99" and Stripe does the rest
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- **Data portability** — all product/order data lives in MySQL and can be migrated when the custom build is ready
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---
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## Next Steps
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1. Deploy WooCommerce on staging
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2. Configure Redis cache exclusions
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3. Set up Stripe test account
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4. Create cookbook products
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5. Test full purchase flow
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---
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*Project: Plant Based Southerner — Commerce*
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*Created: March 20, 2026*
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*Maintained by: Travis with Claude*
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