How to Fix Common WP Bakery Issues: Troubleshooting Guide for WordPress Users

WPBakery Page Builder is one of the most popular WordPress plugins used for creating custom layouts and designs.

Despite being in high usage (around 4M user base), some common problems pop up while using it. Here are some well-known issues with WPBakery and ways to troubleshoot them.

WPBakery Backend Editor Not Loading

You attempt to access the backend editor, but it either never loads, a blank page appears, or the content area spins without end.

How to fix it

– Increase Memory Limit: Low memory limits are another common WordPress culprit for making the editor not load. You can increase the PHP memory limit in the `wp-config.php` file:
define( ‘WP_MEMORY_LIMIT’, ‘256M’ );

– Conflicting Plugins: Deactivate other plugins one by one and check if there is any conflict preventing WPBakery to work. Be sure to clear the cache after deactivation of each plugin.

– Update WPBakery and WordPress: Make sure you are running the latest version of WPBakery and WordPress, because newer versions often contain fixes for bugs and compatibility issues.

 

Elements or Shortcodes Not Showing Correctly

 

WPBakery elements (buttons, rows, columns, etc.) or shortcodes are not appearing as expected on the front-end.

 

How to fix it

– Clear Cache: Make sure that browser and WordPress cache is cleared. You may use plugins like WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache.

– Clean CSS/JavaScript Issues: In the “WPBakery Page Builder Settings”, enable CSS and JavaScript options under the tab General Settings.

– Enable Compatibility Mode: Enable “Legacy XSS” under WPBakery > General Settings if you are working with older themes dependent on shortcodes.

 

WPBakery Custom CSS Not Working

 

Custom CSS added through WPBakery doesn’t reflect on the website

How to fix it

– Check CSS Specificity: Ensure that your custom CSS is specific enough to override existing theme or plugin styles.

– Disable Cache Plugin: Caching plugins might prevent the custom CSS from loading properly. Disable the cache plugin and check if the issue resolves.

– Add `!important` Rule: Use the `!important` rule in your CSS to give it priority:
.your-class {
color: #fff !important;
}

Row and Column Layout Issues

Rows or columns do not align properly, causing layout issues or gaps in content.

How to fix it

– Check for Theme Conflicts: Sometimes, themes override the layout settings of WPBakery. Check the theme’s settings or disable custom styles from the theme temporarily.

– Ensure Responsive Settings Are Configured: Check the responsive options in WPBakery to ensure rows and columns are set correctly for different devices.

– Use Custom CSS: You can manually adjust row or column width using custom CSS if necessary.

 

Button Shortcode Doesn’t Work

Button shortcodes or buttons created with WPBakery don’t display correctly.

How to fix it

– Plugin Conflicts: Check for plugin conflicts by deactivating any new or unnecessary plugins, particularly front-end optimization plugins.

– Ensure Correct Usage of Shortcodes: Verify that you are using the correct shortcode format and attributes for WPBakery buttons.

– Theme Compatibility: Some themes might override the default WPBakery button styles. Apply custom CSS to override the theme’s styling.

 

WPBakery License Activation Problems

You can’t activate WPBakery, or the plugin says the license is invalid.

 

How to fix it

– Check Your License Key: Ensure that you are using the correct license key for the version of WPBakery you installed.

– Theme Bundled Version: Some themes come with WPBakery bundled. In such cases, you don’t need to activate the plugin separately, and updates are managed through the theme.

– Deactivate on Another Site: If you’ve used the license key on another site, deactivate it on that site before activating it on the new one.

 

Visual Composer Conflicting with Gutenberg

WPBakery conflicts with the default WordPress block editor (Gutenberg), causing issues in editing content.

How to fix it

 – Disable Gutenberg Editor for Pages Using WPBakery: You can disable Gutenberg on posts or pages where you want to use WPBakery: Disable Gutenberg editor from WPBakery Settings.

– Install the plugin Classic Editor to completely remove Gutenberg.

– Alternatively, add the following to your theme’s `functions.php` file to disable Gutenberg for specific post types:
add_filter(‘use_block_editor_for_post’, ‘__return_false’, 10);

 

Slow Performance

WPBakery editor is slow, taking too much time to load or save changes.

How to fix it

– Optimize Images: Large image sizes can significantly slow down the editor. Compress images using plugins like Smush or Imagify.

– Limit Plugins: Running too many plugins can slow down your site, so deactivate unnecessary ones.

– Upgrade Hosting: Low-tier hosting plans can cause performance bottlenecks. Consider upgrading to a faster server. That said you need to work a lot on the website because modern servers are most of them on the same performance level and you’ll be throwing money in vain.

– Minimize server and database requests: Done by theme and plugins.

– Contact me to fix your page speed and WPBakery performance.

 

 

WPBakery Shortcodes Displayed as Plain Text

WPBakery shortcodes are displayed as plain text in the content instead of rendering properly.

 

How to fix it

– WPBakery Not Enabled for Specific Post Types: Go to WPBakery Settings > Role Manager and ensure that the appropriate post types (e.g., pages, posts, custom post types) are selected to use WPBakery.

– Check for Content Encoding Issues: Ensure that your database and site encoding are set to UTF-8 and that there are no issues with character encoding.

 

Unable to Save Changes in WPBakery

After making changes to a page, you click save, but the changes don’t get applied.

 

How to fix it

– Clear Browser Cache: Browser caching might prevent the latest changes from appearing. Clear your browser cache or use incognito mode.

– Check for JavaScript Errors: Open your browser’s developer tools and check the console for any JavaScript errors when saving.

– Increase Maximum Input Vars Limit: Low `max_input_vars` can cause issues when saving large amounts of content. Increase the value in your PHP configuration file (php.ini):
max_input_vars = 3000;

 

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