Product Updates and New Releases — May 2026

What's New in v1.17.0 at a Glance

This release is the standard quarterly platform-compatibility refresh, with a handful of substantive functional and stability improvements layered on top:

• Magento 2.4.9 + PHP 8.5 compatibility across every WeltPixel Magento 2 extension and the Pearl Theme.
• Magento Security Patch coverage for all currently-supported Magento branches (2.4.4 through 2.4.8).
• Google Automated Discounts: critical fixes for database connection exhaustion, Varnish cache invalidation, and discount calculation under edge-case product and tax configurations.
• Google Analytics 4: new frontend bot-detection logic to keep automated crawler traffic out of your conversion data and off your server's CPU.
• Layered Navigation: new persistent multi-filter behavior plus two bug fixes (review ratings display, orphaned attribute exceptions).
• Maxmind Fraud Prevention: fixed a notification email logic bug that, in certain configurations, was preventing orders from being created when a high fraud score was detected.
• Owl Carousel Slider: fixed a mixed-content issue (HTTP asset URLs on HTTPS pages) that triggered PCI DSS compliance scan warnings.
• Google XML Sitemap: extended the Meta Robots configuration to cover category listings, search listings, and sort/order parameter URLs.
• Rich Snippets: resolved a Magento Commerce Staging conflict that was producing errors during scheduled CMS page updates.

Stores running Google Automated Discounts on higher-traffic environments may want to prioritize the upgrade, since the database and Varnish cache fixes there resolve issues that have been observed under load.

Magento 2.4.9 and PHP 8.5 Compatibility

Every WeltPixel Magento 2 extension and the Pearl Theme have been updated to support:

• Magento Open Source 2.4.9 and Adobe Commerce 2.4.9.
• Latest Magento Security Patches for all branches currently in Adobe's support window: 2.4.8-p3, 2.4.7-p8, 2.4.6-p13, 2.4.5-p15, and 2.4.4-p16.
• PHP 8.5.

Merchants planning to upgrade to Magento 2.4.9 in 2026 can do so without losing access to any WeltPixel functionality. Stores still on PHP 8.3 or 8.4 are unaffected and continue to work without changes.

Performance and Stability Fixes

Google Automated Discounts

Three targeted fixes address issues that have been visible on higher-traffic stores:

• Database connection exhaustion under load: previous behavior could, in very specific cases, exhaust the database connection pool under heavy load and lead to brief downtime. Visitor update logic was streamlined alongside the fix to further reduce database load.
• Varnish cache hit-rate degradation: the extension's HTTP context plugin was unintentionally causing Varnish to create per-session cache entries for all visitors, severely reducing cache hit rates and overall site performance. Resolved.
• Discount calculation edge cases: multiple corrections to how Discounted Prices are calculated and applied, addressing customer-reported issues around configurable product options and tax handling configurations.

Stores running Google Automated Discounts on Magento Commerce or higher-traffic Open Source setups are the ones most likely to feel the impact of these fixes.

Speed Optimization

Added support for additional patches that can be applied during composer-based installation. Useful for stores with non-standard Composer setups.

New Features

Layered Navigation — Persistent Multi-Filter Selections

Multiple filter selections within the layered navigation are now persisted across page interactions. A new admin option lets merchants enable or disable this behavior, so stores that prefer the previous reset-on-navigation pattern can keep it.

Two related bug fixes ship in the same release:

• Fixed a display issue with Review Ratings inside layered navigation filters.
• Fixed an exception on category pages caused by attributes used in filters that were incorrectly configured or orphaned in the catalog.

The Layered Navigation new feature and fixes are also included in the Pearl Theme bundle via its integrated Layered Navigation module.

Google XML Sitemap — Extended Meta Robots Coverage

The Meta Robots configuration now applies to category listings, search listings, and sort/order parameter URLs, making behavior consistent with how filter URLs were already handled. This gives you a single configuration surface for controlling how search engines treat parameterized navigation URLs across your catalog.

Tracking Improvements

Google Analytics 4 — Frontend Bot Detection

A new frontend bot-detection layer prevents the extension's tracking requests from being triggered by automated traffic such as Googlebot or AdsBot crawlers.

Two real problems this addresses:

• Unnecessary CPU load on the server caused by tracking-request volume from heavy bot activity.
• Lower-quality data in Google Analytics, where bot-driven page views were diluting real-user engagement metrics and skewing campaign-attribution math.

The same bot-detection logic is included in Suite PRO for merchants running the bundled installation.

Compliance and Critical Fixes

Maxmind Fraud Prevention — Order-Creation Bug

A critical issue in the order fraud-score notification email logic could, in certain configurations, prevent orders from being created when a high fraud score was detected. The error was thrown during the notification step and propagated up, blocking the order itself.

Merchants who use Maxmind with high-fraud-score notifications enabled are most likely to encounter this scenario and benefit from upgrading.

Owl Carousel Slider — Mixed-Content (PCI DSS) Fix

Fixed a mixed-content issue where certain slider asset URLs could be loaded over HTTP on HTTPS pages. The issue was surfacing on PCI DSS compliance scans as a vulnerability finding.

Stores undergoing PCI compliance reviews and using Owl Carousel Slider can apply this update to clear the finding before their next scan.

Rich Snippets — Magento Commerce Staging Compatibility

Fixed a conflict with Magento Commerce's Staging (Scheduled Updates) functionality. Previously, this conflict was causing errors related to meta image handling in scheduled CMS page updates. Adobe Commerce merchants using Staging for promotional content scheduling now have a clean upgrade path.

How to Update

WeltPixel paid extensions and the Pearl Theme are distributed via Composer (private Packagist). Composer is the only supported install and upgrade method.

• For all paid extensions: bump the relevant weltpixel/* package constraint to ^1.17.0 in your composer.json, then run composer update weltpixel/* --with-dependencies, followed by Magento's standard bin/magento setup:upgrade, setup:di:compile, and setup:static-content:deploy sequence.
• For Pearl Theme: follow the dedicated Pearl Theme upgrade guide for the recommended step-by-step procedure. Pearl Theme v1.17.0 corresponds to internal version 101.17.0 (per the existing 101.x major-version scheme).

Always run the upgrade on a staging environment before applying to production, especially if you are simultaneously upgrading Magento core to 2.4.9 or PHP to 8.5.

A Note on the Public GitHub Repositories

A number of WeltPixel modules are also distributed as standalone open-source repositories on github.com/Weltpixel. These public repositories are no longer actively maintained. They remain at v1.16.0 and are not being re-tagged for the v1.17.0 release. They are also not officially covered by WeltPixel product support.

The v1.17.0 builds of those modules ship as part of the Pearl Theme and Suite PRO bundles. Merchants who want the v1.17.0 version of a specific free module can access it through either of those bundle packages.

Merchants who continue to use the standalone public repositories should be aware that the v1.16.0 builds were not validated against Magento 2.4.9 or PHP 8.5, and may require compatibility adjustments by the merchant or their developer to run on the latest Magento environment.

This applies to the free, open-source standalone modules only. Paid extensions distribute the v1.17.0 build through Composer.

Key Takeaways

• v1.17.0 is the synchronized quarterly compatibility refresh — every Magento 2 extension and Pearl Theme now supports Magento 2.4.9 and PHP 8.5.
• The most consequential non-compatibility changes are in Google Automated Discounts (stability under load) and Maxmind Fraud Prevention (order-creation bug).
• Google Analytics 4 gains a frontend bot-detection layer that cleans up both server CPU and downstream GA4 data quality.
• Layered Navigation ships a new persistent multi-filter behavior, with admin-side opt-out for stores that prefer the legacy reset behavior.
• Owl Carousel Slider fixes a PCI DSS-relevant mixed-content issue.
• Update through Composer (composer update weltpixel/* --with-dependencies) or your WeltPixel customer account. Run the upgrade on staging first if you are simultaneously upgrading Magento core.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is WeltPixel compatible with Magento 2.4.9?

Yes. WeltPixel v1.17.0 introduces full compatibility with Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce 2.4.9. The same release adds compatibility with the latest Magento Security Patches for 2.4.4 through 2.4.8, so merchants on older supported branches can apply the security patches without losing WeltPixel functionality.

Does WeltPixel support PHP 8.5?

Yes. All Magento 2 extensions and Pearl Theme are PHP 8.5-compatible as of v1.17.0. Stores still on PHP 8.3 or 8.4 are not required to upgrade and continue to work without changes.

Which extensions received functional changes beyond compatibility updates?

Eight extensions received substantive changes beyond Magento and PHP compatibility: Google Analytics 4 (frontend bot detection), Google Automated Discounts (database, Varnish, and discount calculation fixes), Google XML Sitemap (extended Meta Robots coverage), Layered Navigation (persistent multi-filter feature plus two bug fixes), Maxmind Fraud Prevention (notification email order-blocking fix), Owl Carousel Slider (HTTPS mixed-content fix), Rich Snippets (Magento Commerce Staging conflict fix), and Speed Optimization (additional composer-install patch support).

How do I update my WeltPixel extensions to v1.17.0?

If you installed via Composer, update the package constraints to ^1.17.0 in your composer.json and run composer update weltpixel/* --with-dependencies followed by Magento's standard upgrade commands. If you installed via direct download, fetch the v1.17.0 archive from your WeltPixel customer account at weltpixel.com/account and re-upload. Run the upgrade on staging first, particularly when combined with a Magento core or PHP version upgrade.

Did v1.17.0 fix the Google Automated Discounts performance and stability issues?

Yes. The release addresses three separate issues: a database connection issue that could, in very specific cases, lead to brief downtime under heavy load; Varnish cache fragmentation caused by per-session HTTP context cache entries; and discount calculation errors around configurable product options and tax handling. Stores running Google Automated Discounts under significant traffic are most likely to benefit from this update.

Why does the GitHub repository for a free WeltPixel module still show v1.16.0?

The public GitHub repositories for our free, open-source standalone modules are no longer actively maintained and are not being re-tagged for the v1.17.0 release. They remain at v1.16.0 and were not validated against Magento 2.4.9 or PHP 8.5; merchants continuing to use them on the latest Magento environment may need to apply compatibility adjustments themselves or with a developer. The v1.17.0 builds of those same modules ship as part of the Pearl Theme and Suite PRO bundles. Paid extensions distribute the v1.17.0 build through Composer.

Does Pearl Theme v1.17.0 affect my customizations?

The v1.17.0 update focuses on Magento 2.4.9 / PHP 8.5 compatibility plus the inherited Layered Navigation changes. Theme template and CSS overrides should not be affected. As with any theme update, run the upgrade on staging and verify your customizations before deploying to production. See the Pearl Theme upgrade guide for the recommended workflow.

Full Per-Extension Changelog

Every extension below has been updated to v1.17.0 (May 18, 2026) with Magento 2.4.9, Magento Security Patches, and PHP 8.5 compatibility. Extensions with additional changes have those changes listed.

The free, open-source standalone modules on the WeltPixel GitHub organization are no longer actively maintained; they remain at v1.16.0 and may need merchant-side compatibility adjustments for Magento 2.4.9 / PHP 8.5. Their v1.17.0 builds ship as part of the Pearl Theme and Suite PRO bundles.

Advanced Category Sorting — Compatibility update only.

Advanced Wishlist — Compatibility update only.

Ajax Infinite Scroll — Compatibility update only.

Ajax Search Autocomplete — Compatibility update only.

Bing UET Addon — Compatibility update only.

CMS Block Scheduler — Compatibility update only.

CMS Product Reviews Widget — Compatibility update only.

Email Template Editor — Compatibility update only.

Full Page Scroll — Compatibility update only.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) — Added frontend bot-detection logic that prevents tracking requests from being triggered by automated traffic such as Googlebot or AdsBot crawlers. Reduces server CPU load and improves data quality in Google Analytics.

Google Automated Discounts — Fixed an issue where, in very specific cases, the extension could exhaust the database's available connections under heavy load and lead to brief downtime. Fixed a significant performance issue where the HTTP context plugin was unintentionally causing Varnish to create per-session cache entries for all visitors, severely reducing cache hit rates. Made multiple improvements to the way Discounted Prices are calculated and applied, addressing edge cases around configurable product options and tax handling.

Google Consent Mode v2 — Compatibility update only.

Google XML Sitemap — Extended the Meta Robots configuration to apply to category listings, search listings, and sort/order parameter URLs, consistent with how filter URLs were already handled.

Instagram Widget — Compatibility update only.

Klaviyo Addon — Compatibility update only.

Layered Navigation — New: multiple filter selections are now persisted across page interactions, with a new admin option to enable or disable this behavior. Fixed a bug related to how Review Ratings are displayed within the layered navigation filter. Fixed an exception on category pages caused by attributes used in filters that were incorrectly configured or orphaned in the catalog.

Lazy Loading — Compatibility update only.

Maxmind Fraud Prevention — Fixed a critical error in the order fraud-score notification email logic that could, in certain configurations, prevent orders from being created when a high fraud score was detected.

Mega Menu — Compatibility update only.

Meta Pixel Conversions API Addon — Compatibility update only.

Multistore — Compatibility update only.

Newsletter Popup — Compatibility update only.

Owl Carousel Slider — Fixed a mixed-content issue where certain slider asset URLs could be loaded over HTTP on HTTPS pages, addressing a PCI DSS compliance scan vulnerability.

Pinterest Addon — Compatibility update only.

Product Feed — Compatibility update only.

Product Labels — Compatibility update only.

Quick Cart — Compatibility update only.

Quick View — Compatibility update only.

Recently Viewed Products Bar — Compatibility update only.

Reddit Addon — Compatibility update only.

Rich Snippets — Google Cards: Fixed a conflict with Magento Commerce's Staging (Scheduled Updates) functionality, which was previously causing errors related to meta image handling in scheduled CMS page updates.

SEO Page Title Rewrite — Compatibility update only.

Shopify Checkout (Magento 2 → Shopify) — Compatibility update only.

Smart Product Tabs — Compatibility update only.

Snapchat Addon — Compatibility update only.

Social Login — Compatibility update only.

Speed Optimization — Added support for additional patches that can be applied during composer-based installation.

Success Page — Compatibility update only.

TikTok Pixel Events API Addon — Compatibility update only.

User Profile — Compatibility update only.

X (Twitter) Ads Addon — Compatibility update only.

Suite PRO — Includes the Google Analytics 4 frontend bot-detection feature.

Pearl Theme (internal version 101.17.0) — Includes Layered Navigation persistent multi-filter feature plus the two Layered Navigation bug fixes.

Need Help With the Upgrade?

If you have an active Support & Updates plan on your WeltPixel product, our team can walk you through the Magento 2.4.9 + PHP 8.5 compatibility steps for your specific store setup, or help diagnose any unexpected error you run into after upgrading. Open a support ticket and the team will get back to you with environment-specific guidance.

If your Support & Updates plan has expired, you can renew it at any time from your WeltPixel account to restore access to upgrades, future versions, and direct support.

For a step-by-step Pearl Theme upgrade, see How to upgrade Pearl Theme to the latest version.