How to Find Errors on a WordPress Elementor Website

Today, I’ve prepared an interesting and useful article for you. By the end of this article, you will know:

• The most effective ways to identify mistakes on your WordPress Elementor website.
• How to fix these issues to improve the quality of your website and enhance the user experience.

Let’s dive right in!

Understanding Website Errors in Elementor

Every WordPress website can have errors, and while some are unique, most issues are common across websites, especially those built with Elementor. Many of these common errors are often found by experienced WordPress developers, but as a beginner, it might be challenging to spot them right away. Thankfully, with the help of this article, you will learn several ways to identify and troubleshoot errors that may not be immediately visible but are critical to your website’s performance.

Elementor is one of the most popular page builder plugins for WordPress, known for its easy-to-use interface and powerful features. However, like any tool, Elementor can sometimes cause conflicts or issues—often due to compatibility issues with themes or other plugins. In this guide, we’ll show you how to identify and fix these errors.

Step 1: Create a Staging Site

Before making any changes to your live website, set up a staging environment. This is a replica of your live website where you can test new plugins, updates, and design changes without impacting the live site. A staging environment is essential for debugging as it allows you to make and test fixes safely.

Most managed WordPress hosts offer a one-click staging feature, but you can also create a staging environment manually using plugins like WP Staging or by duplicating your website on a local server.

Step 2: Keep Your Plugins, Theme, and WordPress Core Updated

Ensuring that your plugins, theme, and WordPress core are up-to-date is crucial for avoiding errors and ensuring compatibility. Outdated plugins or themes are common causes of conflicts that can lead to errors in Elementor.

However, if an update causes an issue, consider rolling back to the previous version until a fix is released. Elementor and WordPress allow version rollbacks, which can be helpful in situations where the latest version introduces errors.

Step 3: Identify and Resolve Plugin or Theme Conflicts

In many cases, Elementor issues are caused by conflicts with other plugins or themes. To troubleshoot this, follow these steps:

1. Deactivate All Plugins Except Elementor: Disable all plugins except Elementor and Elementor Pro (if applicable).
2. Test the Website: Try editing the page with Elementor. If the issue is resolved, it means one of the deactivated plugins was causing the conflict.
3. Reactivate Plugins One by One: Reactivate each plugin one at a time, checking the website after each activation. If the issue reappears, you’ve found the culprit.
4. Replace or Update the Problematic Plugin: Once you identify the problematic plugin, consider replacing it with an alternative or contacting the plugin developer for support.

Similarly, theme conflicts can also cause Elementor issues. Switch to a basic theme, like Twenty Twenty-One, to see if your theme is causing the problem.

Step 4: Enable WordPress Debug Mode for Detailed Error Reporting

To find more technical issues on your website, you can enable WordPress Debug Mode. This feature allows you to see specific error messages that can help identify the root cause of issues.

1. Access the wp-config.php File: Open your WordPress installation directory and locate the wp-config.php file.
2. Edit the Debug Constants: Find the line that says define('WP_DEBUG', false); and change it to true.

   define('WP_DEBUG', true);
   define('WP_DEBUG_LOG', true);
   define('WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false);
   define('SCRIPT_DEBUG', true);

• WP_DEBUG: Enables or disables debug mode.
• WP_DEBUG_LOG: Creates a log file in the /wp-content/ directory, where all errors will be recorded.
• WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY: Controls whether errors are shown on the front-end. Set to false to avoid showing errors to visitors.
• SCRIPT_DEBUG: Forces WordPress to load non-minified versions of core CSS and JavaScript files.

1. Check the Debug Log: After enabling debugging, navigate to wp-content/debug.log to see detailed error messages. This file will provide valuable information on the exact causes of issues.

Step 5: Check the Browser Console for JavaScript Errors

JavaScript errors are often a source of issues in Elementor, particularly for front-end functionality. You can view JavaScript errors using your browser’s developer console:

1. Open Developer Tools: In Chrome, right-click on the page and select Inspect, then go to the Console tab.
2. Reload the Page: Refresh the page and watch for any errors that appear in the console.
3. Identify JavaScript Errors: Errors in red will indicate the script or function causing the problem. Common issues include conflicts with other scripts or errors within Elementor’s own code.

If you find a JavaScript error related to a specific plugin or widget, try disabling or replacing it.

Step 6: Use Built-In Elementor Tools

Elementor comes with built-in tools to help diagnose issues:

1. Go to Elementor > Tools: Navigate to the Tools section in the Elementor dashboard.
2. Regenerate CSS & Data: Click on Regenerate CSS to clear any CSS issues that may be causing styling problems on your site.
3. Sync Library: Use the Sync Library option to refresh your Elementor templates and resources.

These tools can fix minor issues without needing to manually troubleshoot.

Step 7: Search for Known Issues and Solutions

If the above steps don’t resolve your issue, consider searching for the error message or description of your issue online. The WordPress and Elementor communities are very active, and there are likely other users who have faced similar problems.

1. Visit the Elementor Knowledge Base: Elementor has an extensive Knowledge Base where you can search for solutions.
2. Check the Elementor GitHub: If the issue seems like a bug, check the Elementor GitHub Issues page for any reported bugs and fixes.
3. Use Forums: The WordPress support forum, Reddit, and Facebook groups are excellent places to ask for help and get advice from other Elementor users.

Step 8: Consider Hiring a Professional

If you’ve tried all of the above and still can’t resolve the issue, consider hiring a professional developer. Many skilled developers specialize in WordPress and Elementor and can help resolve complex issues. Platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, and Fiverr offer access to experienced WordPress professionals.

Hiring a professional might cost money, but it can save you time and prevent frustration, especially if your website is essential to your business.

Common WordPress and Elementor Errors

Here’s a quick list of some common errors you might encounter when using Elementor:

1. White Screen of Death (WSOD): Often due to memory issues or plugin conflicts.
2. 500 Internal Server Error: Can result from a corrupted .htaccess file or PHP memory limit issues.
3. Elementor Not Loading: Usually due to low memory, plugin conflicts, or outdated software.
4. CSS Not Updating: Can be fixed by regenerating CSS files or clearing cache.

Each of these issues can be fixed by following the steps in this guide.

Conclusion

Finding errors on a WordPress Elementor website can be challenging, but with the right approach and tools, you can effectively identify and resolve issues. Always start by setting up a staging environment, update your plugins and themes, and systematically troubleshoot by disabling conflicting elements. With WordPress Debug Mode and browser console logs, you can gain valuable insights into errors that aren’t immediately visible.

Remember, debugging skills improve with practice. By identifying and fixing issues on your own, you’ll gain a better understanding of your website and build confidence as a WordPress developer. And if you’re stuck, the WordPress community is always there to help!

If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out, and happy debugging!