After Deleting WooCommerce Product or Updating Product Category URL – UGH!

Deleted WooCommerce Products still appear as ghost products with broken links. This not-displaying-after-update also happens when updating Product Category images and changing Product Category slugs. This happens for unlogged-in users on front-end.

Sometimes clearing the Cache on Speed Optimizer (from SiteGround) plugin by clicking Purge Cache (WordPress Admin > Speed Optimizer > Caching > Manual Cache Purge > Purge Cache button) isn’t enough to get rid of the deleted ghost Products / updated Category URLs still showing on the front-end under a Product Category or a Product Tag.

The goal is to force WooCommerce, Shop page, Product Category & Product Tag terms to re-calibrate

Re-save the Shop page. Don’t add anything to the Shop page, just click Save.

Also try re-saving Settings > Permalinks. Don’t change anything, just click Save Changes.

Open the specific WooCommerce Product Category or Tag (that has the deleted ghost Product) and simply click Update.

Then click Purge Cache in the Speed Optimizer (from SiteGround) plugin.

Sometimes the WooCommerce Transients need to be cleared: WooCommerce > Status > Tools:
WooCommerce transients > Clear transients
Expired transients > Clear transients

Check deleted ghost product listings in Incognito browser window (I use Chrome).