"WooCommerce checkout not working" is not a diagnosis yet. The store can be online, the checkout page can load, the cart can still show products, and still no order goes through. This sheet is deliberately short: use it to identify your case, then open the right guide.
For the full end-to-end method, the reference guide is broken WooCommerce checkout: diagnosis, signals and next action.
Find the first lost signal
A working checkout chains six observable steps: the cart survives from product page to checkout, the form renders without JavaScript or Store API failure, payment methods appear for the expected buyer context, the place-order click does not stall, the gateway returns a response, and a confirmation is reached.
Find the first step that no longer produces its normal signal. That step points to the guide you need, not the general symptom.
Open the right guide
- Cart empty on arrival at checkout: WooCommerce cart emptied.
- Page loading forever or a frozen step: WooCommerce checkout stuck.
- Payment methods missing or payment failing: WooCommerce payment failed.
- 500 error, blank page or fatal error: WooCommerce checkout 500 error.
- Error message when submitting the form: WooCommerce checkout validation error.
- Payment taken but no confirmation page: WooCommerce order confirmation missing.
Keep proof while you triage
Before fixing anything, note the time, the failing step, the expected result and the observed result. CashFlowCanary watches those signals without storing customer data; the scope is described in features and the coverage in plans. For a first external diagnosis, request a free audit.