Elementor is one of the most widely used WordPress page builders. Its drag-and-drop interface makes it easy for anyone to create professional, highly customizable websites. Anyone can build visually stunning pages without any coding skills.
Like other tools, Elementor is not without issues. Users often encounter problems when updating the plugin, installing third-party add-ons, or changing their site settings. These conflicts can break website layouts, cause missing widgets, or even make the site completely inaccessible website.
This guide will explore common elementor issues which leads to frequent site break problems and provide step-by-step fixes to restore Elementor functionality. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
1. Elementor Update Breaks Site
The most common Elementor issue is after updating Elementor, your pages might break, showing design inconsistencies, missing widgets, or, in severe cases, fatal errors that make the site inaccessible.
Why It Happens:
- The update may have introduced new features that conflict with your theme or plugins.
- Some third-party add-ons may not be compatible with the latest Elementor version.
- Elementor’s database structure might have changed, causing unexpected conflicts.
Fix:
- Rollback Elementor to a previous version: If the issue started after updating Elementor, you can revert to a stable version. Go to Elementor > Tools > Version Control and select a previous version.
- Check for plugin or theme conflicts:
- Deactivate all plugins except Elementor and see if the issue persists.
- Switch to a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four) to check if your theme is causing the issue.
- Ensure your WordPress version and PHP version are up-to-date (Elementor recommends PHP 7.4+ and WordPress 5.8+).
- Regenerate Elementor CSS and Data: Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data.
- Clear all caches (browser, CDN, and server-side caching plugins like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache).
2. Fatal Errors Due to Missing Classes (Like Scheme_Typography)
One of the most frequent Common Elementor Issues users encounter after an update is the following error:
Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class ‘Elementor\Core\Schemes\Typography’ not found
Why It Happens:
- Elementor removed the old
Scheme_Typography
class in recent versions. - Some third-party add-ons like PowerPack or Ultimate Addons may still rely on the outdated class reference.
Fix:
- Edit the affected plugin/theme file and remove the outdated scheme reference.
- Replace it with Elementor’s new global typography system:
use Elementor\Core\Kits\Documents\Tabs\Global_Typography;
- Update the PowerPack or third-party plugin causing the issue.
- Check for plugin updates under Plugins > Installed Plugins.
- If no update is available, contact the plugin developer for a fix.
- Temporarily disable the conflicting plugin by renaming its folder via FTP (wp-content/plugins/plugin-name-disabled).
3. Elementor Widgets Not Loading or Blank Page
Among the Common Elementor Issues, users often experience the editor panel getting stuck on loading, or widgets failing to appear.
Why It Happens:
- Low PHP memory limits.
- JavaScript conflicts caused by other plugins or the theme.
- Corrupt Elementor settings or cache.
Fix:
- Increase PHP memory limit by adding this to
wp-config.php
:
- Increase PHP memory limit by adding this to
define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' );
- Clear Elementor cache: Navigate to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data.
- Check for JavaScript conflicts:
- Open the browser console (Right-click > Inspect > Console) to identify any errors.
- If errors appear, disable third-party plugins one by one to find the conflict.
- Switch to a default theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four) and check if Elementor loads properly.
- Disable unused widgets: Go to Elementor > Settings > Experiments and disable any experimental features.
4. White Screen of Death (WSOD) After Activating Elementor
The site turns completely blank after activating or updating Elementor.
Why It Happens:
- A fatal error occurs, but it’s not displayed because of suppressed error reporting.
- Conflicting themes or plugins crash the site.
- Server memory is insufficient to load Elementor’s features.
Fix:
- Enable WP Debug Mode to reveal the error source. Add this to
wp-config.php
:
- Enable WP Debug Mode to reveal the error source. Add this to
define('WP_DEBUG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
- Access the
wp-content/debug.log
file via FTP and check the error details. - Deactivate conflicting plugins via FTP:
- Navigate to
wp-content/plugins/
. - Rename plugin folders one by one (e.g., elementor-pro-disabled).
- Try reloading the site after each rename.
- Navigate to
- Increase server resources: Ask your hosting provider to raise PHP memory and execution limits.
5. Responsive Issues — Elementor Styles Not Applying
Changes made in Elementor appear correctly on desktop but do not reflect on mobile or tablet.
Why It Happens:
- Elementor’s CSS files may not be updating properly.
- Custom breakpoints might be misconfigured.
- A caching plugin or CDN is serving outdated styles.
Fix:
- Regenerate CSS files: Navigate to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data.
- Disable caching plugins or clear their cache.
- Ensure mobile styling is properly set:
- Open Elementor and switch to Mobile View.
- Adjust margin, padding, and font sizes accordingly.
- Check Custom Breakpoints in Elementor Settings: Elementor > Settings > General.
6. “Elementor Not Loading” or “Editor Stuck on Loading”
The Elementor editor does not open or gets stuck while loading.
Why It Happens:
- Server configuration limits may prevent Elementor from loading.
- Memory or execution time restrictions are too low.
- A conflicting plugin or theme is blocking the editor.
Fix:
- Enable Safe Mode in Elementor > Tools > Safe Mode to isolate the problem.
- Increase the PHP execution time limit by adding the following to
php.ini
or.htaccess
:
max_execution_time = 300;
- Deactivate conflicting plugins and switch to a default theme.
- Ensure that your hosting environment meets Elementor’s system requirements.
7. Elementor “Invalid JSON” Error When Editing a Page
You see an error message like “Invalid JSON response” while editing in Elementor.
Why It Happens:
- Incorrect WordPress permalink settings.
- Mismatch between the site URL and WordPress URL.
- Browser caching issues.
Fix:
- Check WordPress permalinks: Go to Settings > Permalinks and set them to “Post name.”
- Ensure site URLs match: Verify that the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) are the same.
- Clear the browser cache and try using a different browser.
8. Custom Fonts or Icons Not Showing in Elementor
Icons from Font Awesome or custom fonts don’t load properly in Elementor.
Fix:
- To enable Font Awesome, go to Elementor > Settings > Advanced > Load Font Awesome and set it to “Yes” or “Yes for Admin.”
- Check CDN settings: If you are using a CDN, ensure it’s not blocking Font Awesome or custom font files.
- Clear cache: Navigate to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data to refresh styles.
9. 500 Internal Server Error After Elementor Update
The site crashes with a “500 Internal Server Error” after updating Elementor.
Fix:
- Increase PHP memory limit in
wp-config.php
:
- Increase PHP memory limit in
define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '512M' );
- Check the error log: Open
wp-content/debug.log
to identify the conflicting plugin or function. - Rollback Elementor: If the issue persists, revert to a previous stable version under Elementor > Tools > Version Control.
10. Elementor Not Saving Changes
Changes in Elementor do not save or revert after refreshing the page.
Fix:
- Increase WordPress memory limit as shown above.
- Disable conflicting plugins, especially security or caching plugins that may interfere with saving.
- Deactivate and reactivate Elementor to reset its settings.
11. “Content Area Was Not Found” Error in Elementor
When trying to edit a page in Elementor, an error message appears stating, “The Content Area Was Not Found in Your Page.” This prevents the user from accessing the Elementor editor.
Why It Happens:
- The selected page does not contain a content area where Elementor can be used.
- The theme lacks the
the_content()
function in itspage.php
template file. - WordPress settings may be incorrectly configured, preventing Elementor from loading the page properly.
Fix:
- Check Homepage Settings:
- Go to Settings > Reading and make sure your homepage is set to a valid page (not blank).
- Ensure that a static page is selected if needed.
- Verify Theme Compatibility:
- If using a custom theme, ensure that the
the_content()
function exists inpage.php
. - If the function is missing, add the following code snippet inside your theme’s
page.php
file:
<?php the_content(); ?>
- If using a custom theme, ensure that the
- Switch to a Default Theme: Temporarily activate a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four) and check if Elementor works properly.
- Enable Compatibility Mode: Go to Elementor > Settings and enable compatibility mode if the issue persists.
12. Elementor Stuck in Maintenance Mode
After an update or a crash, the website gets stuck in maintenance mode, preventing access.
Why It Happens:
- WordPress creates a
.maintenance
file during updates; WordPress sometimes fails to delete this file properly after an update. - A failed update or interrupted process left the site in maintenance mode.
Fix:
- Delete the
.maintenance
file:- Access your site via FTP or File Manager in your hosting panel.
- Navigate to the root directory (
public_html
orwww
). - Locate and delete the
.maintenance
file.
- Clear Browser Cache and Reload:
- Press
Ctrl + Shift + R
(Windows) orCmd + Shift + R
(Mac) to force a hard refresh. - Try using a different browser to check if the issue persists.
- Press
13. Elementor Global Colors or Styles Not Applying
Elementor’s Global Colors, Fonts, or other styling options are not reflected on the live site.
Why It Happens:
- Optimized DOM Output is enabled, preventing Elementor from applying styles correctly.
- CSS files have not been regenerated after making changes.
- Caching plugins or a CDN is serving outdated styles.
Fix:
- Disable Optimized DOM Output:
- Navigate to Elementor > Settings > Features.
- Find Optimized DOM Output and disable it.
- Regenerate CSS Files:
- Go to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data and click Regenerate.
- Clear Cache:
- Clear all cached files if you are using a caching plugin (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache).
- If using a CDN, purge the cache and test again.
14. WooCommerce Pages Not Loading in Elementor
Elementor does not edit WooCommerce pages properly or displays them incorrectly.
Why It Happens:
- WooCommerce pages are not correctly set up in WordPress settings.
- The theme has a custom WooCommerce template that is not fully compatible with Elementor.
- Elementor does not support direct editing of dynamic WooCommerce pages like the cart and checkout pages.
Fix:
- Ensure WooCommerce Pages Are Set Properly:
- Navigate to WooCommerce > Settings > Advanced.
- Ensure the Cart, Checkout, and My Account pages are correctly assigned.
- Use WooCommerce-Compatible Themes:
- If using a custom theme, check for Elementor compatibility.
- Consider switching to an Elementor-friendly WooCommerce theme like Astra or GeneratePress.
- Use Elementor’s WooCommerce Widgets: Instead of directly editing the WooCommerce pages, use Elementor’s WooCommerce widgets to customize product pages, category pages, and checkout sections.
15. Elementor Custom CSS Not Working
Custom CSS added in Elementor does not apply or fails to display on the live site.
Why It Happens:
- The browser is displaying an old cached version of the site.
- CSS files are being minified or combined incorrectly.
- Elementor’s Custom CSS is not being properly loaded due to settings or conflicts.
Fix:
- Clear Elementor Cache: Go to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data.
- Use
!important
in Custom CSS Rules:.my-custom-class { color: red !important; }
- Check Caching Plugins & Minification Settings:
- If using a caching plugin, disable CSS minification and test.
- If using a CDN, ensure stylesheets are not being aggressively cached.
- Disable Third-Party CSS Optimization Plugins:
- Plugins like Autoptimize or WP Super Minify might interfere with Elementor’s styles.
- Temporarily disable them and see if styles apply correctly.
🚀 Key Takeaways – Common Elementor Issues
- ✅ Always test updates in a staging environment before applying them to your live site.
- ✅ Check for plugin and theme conflicts whenever Elementor breaks your layout.
- ✅ Increase PHP memory limits & optimize server resources to improve Elementor performance.
- ✅ Regenerate CSS & clear cache to fix styling issues and responsiveness problems.
- ✅ Enable Safe Mode & Debugging to troubleshoot loading and fatal errors.
- ✅ Use an Elementor-compatible theme to avoid conflicts with custom templates.
💡 Final Tip:
To keep your Elementor site running smoothly, consider regular maintenance—update plugins, back up your site, and monitor performance using caching and optimization tools.
We hope this guide helps you resolve Common Elementor Issues and restore your website’s functionality with ease.
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