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Elementor Column Gap Not Working? Fix It Now

Are you meticulously designing your website with Elementor, aiming for that perfect layout, only to find your carefully adjusted Elementor column gap not working as expected? It’s a common frustration for many Elementor users. You set the perfect spacing, hit update, and your columns either refuse to budge, or the gap appears completely different on the live site. Don’t worry, you’re not alone, and more importantly, this issue is usually solvable.

Elementor, with its drag-and-drop interface, empowers millions to build stunning websites without coding. However, like any powerful tool, it can sometimes present unexpected quirks. The good news is that most issues with the Elementor column gap not working stem from a few common culprits, and we’re here to guide you through a comprehensive troubleshooting process. This guide provides multiple solutions, from simple checks to more advanced fixes, ensuring you get your layout looking exactly as you envision.

Let’s dive in and troubleshoot why your Elementor column gap not working and get your design back on track!

Understanding the Elementor Column Gap Feature

Before we jump into fixes, let’s quickly review how the Elementor column gap is supposed to work. Elementor offers a convenient way to manage spacing between your columns without needing custom CSS. This setting applies to content within columns, not the section padding itself.

You can find the Elementor column gap settings in two places:

• Section Settings: Edit the Section containing your columns. Under the “Layout” tab, you’ll find the “Columns Gap” option. Here, you can choose from predefined options like “No Gap,” “Narrow,” “Extended,” “Wide,” “Wider,” or a “Custom” value.
• Column Settings (Individual): You generally don’t set a gap on individual columns themselves, but rather on the container section. However, individual column padding and margin settings can interfere with the overall gap.

When you set a column gap on the section, Elementor applies internal padding to the columns within that section to create the visual space. Knowing this mechanism is crucial for understanding why your Elementor column gap might not be working as expected.

Why Your Elementor Column Gap Not Working: Common Causes

When your Elementor column gap not working, it’s usually due to one of these reasons:

• Caching conflicts (browser, plugin, server)
• Theme or plugin conflicts
• Custom CSS overwriting Elementor’s styles
• Incorrect Elementor settings or configuration
• Outdated Elementor or WordPress versions
• Specific layout or design choices (e.g., negative margins)

Multiple Solutions to Fix Elementor Column Gap Not Working

Here are several actionable solutions to resolve your Elementor column gap issues, starting with the simplest and moving to more advanced troubleshooting.

1. Clear Caches: The First Line of Defense

Frequently, the culprit behind an Elementor column gap not working is simply an old version of your site being displayed. Caching stores static versions of your website to improve loading times, but it can also prevent you from seeing your latest design changes.

Step-by-step:

1. Clear Elementor Cache:
   • From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data.
   • Click the Regenerate Files button.
   • Then, go to the General tab on the same page and click Clear Cache.
2. Clear WordPress Caching Plugin Cache (if applicable): If you’re using a caching plugin like WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, LiteSpeed Cache, or WP Rocket, clear its cache. The method varies by plugin, but usually, there’s a “Clear Cache” or “Purge All Caches” option in its settings or the WordPress admin bar.
3. Clear Browser Cache: Browsers also store cached versions of websites.
   • Chrome: Go to chrome://settings/clearBrowserData, select “Cached images and files,” and click “Clear data.”
   • Firefox: Go to about:preferences#privacy, scroll to “Cached Web Content,” and click “Clear Now.”
   • You can also try a hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R) after clearing other caches.
4. Clear Server/CDN Cache (if applicable): If your hosting provider offers server-level caching (like many Hostinger plans with LiteSpeed Cache) or you’re using a CDN (Content Delivery Network) like Cloudflare, clear their caches as well. Refer to your host’s documentation or CDN provider’s dashboard.

2. Verify Elementor Section Column Gap Settings

Sometimes, the Elementor column gap not working is simply because the setting wasn’t applied correctly or was accidentally reset.

Step-by-step:

1. Edit the page with Elementor.
2. Select the Section that contains the columns where the gap issue is occurring.
3. In the Elementor editor panel on the left, go to the Layout tab.
4. Locate the Columns Gap option.
5. Ensure it’s set to your desired value (e.g., “Narrow,” “Extended,” or a “Custom” value).
6. If it’s already set, try changing it to “No Gap,” updating, then changing it back to your desired gap and updating again. This can sometimes “kick” Elementor into reapplying the CSS.
7. Click Update to save your changes and then check the live site (after clearing cache, if necessary).

3. Check for Conflicting Padding and Margins

The Elementor column gap feature works by applying internal padding to columns. If you’ve also applied custom margins or padding to individual columns or the widgets within them, these values can override or interfere with the intended column gap, making it seem like your Elementor column gap not working.

Step-by-step:

1. Edit the page with Elementor.
2. Inspect individual Columns: Click on each column within the affected section.
   • Go to the Advanced tab.
   • Check the Margin and Padding settings. If you see custom values (especially negative margins), try resetting them to default (click the undo arrow).
3. Inspect Widgets: Check the widgets placed inside your columns as well.
   • Click on each widget within the affected columns.
   • Go to the Advanced tab.
   • Look for custom Margin and Padding values that might be pushing against the column boundaries. Reset or adjust them as needed.
4. Click Update and check your live site.

4. Disable WordPress Default Spacing

WordPress itself, or your theme, can sometimes add default spacing that conflicts with Elementor’s styling. Elementor offers a setting to disable this default spacing.

Step-by-step:

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Elementor > Settings.
2. Click on the General tab.
3. Look for the option Disable Default Colors and Disable Default Fonts. While these primarily affect colors and fonts, sometimes disabling them can resolve subtle spacing conflicts.
4. More importantly, within the Elementor editor, for the specific section where the column gap not working, check the Advanced tab. There might be theme defaults for padding/margin that need to be overridden.
5. For a more direct approach, sometimes themes add default padding to images or other elements. You might need to add a small amount of custom CSS (see next section) to remove these, but first, consider the following general Elementor setting.

Elementor’s Default Element Spacing:

Elementor Pro sections/containers automatically add element spacing based on your global settings. If you’re using Flexbox Containers:

1. Edit the Container where the issue occurs.
2. Go to the Layout tab.
3. Check the Items settings. Specifically, look at Gap Between Elements. This setting controls the space between items within the container, which can sometimes look like a column gap issue if your “columns” are actually nested containers.

5. Address Theme and Plugin Conflicts

A common reason for an Elementor column gap not working is a conflict with your active WordPress theme or another plugin. These can inject their own CSS that overrides Elementor’s styles.

Step-by-step (Deactivation Test):

This method involves systematically deactivating potential conflicting elements. Remember to backup your site first!

1. Switch to a Default WordPress Theme:
   • Go to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard.
   • Activate a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four or Twenty Twenty-Three.
   • Check if the Elementor column gap issue is resolved on the front end. If it is, your theme is the likely culprit. You may need to contact your theme developer for support or consider using an Elementor-friendly theme like Hello Elementor.
2. Deactivate Plugins:
   • Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
   • Deactivate all plugins except Elementor and Elementor Pro (if you’re using it).
   • Check your page again. If the Elementor column gap is now working, reactivate your plugins one by one, checking your page after each activation, until the issue reappears. This will help you identify the problematic plugin.
   • Once the conflicting plugin is identified, you can either look for an alternative, contact the plugin developer, or use custom CSS to override its styles (if you’re comfortable with CSS).
3. After identifying the conflict, reactivate your original theme and necessary plugins.

6. Use Custom CSS to Force the Gap (Advanced)

If all else fails, or if you prefer a precise level of control, you can use custom CSS to achieve your desired column gap. This is particularly useful if a theme or another plugin is stubbornly overriding Elementor’s default styles.

Step-by-step:

1. Identify the Section and Columns:
   • Edit your page with Elementor.
   • Select the Section where your Elementor column gap not working.
   • In the Advanced tab, expand “CSS Classes” and add a unique class, for example, my-custom-gap-section.
2. Add Custom CSS:
   • Option A (Elementor Custom CSS – specific page): Select the section, go to the Advanced tab, and expand “Custom CSS.”
   • Option B (Theme Customizer – site-wide): Go to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS.
   • Option C (Child Theme Stylesheet – recommended for permanent changes): If you have a child theme, you can add this to its style.css file.
3. Insert the CSS code:

   
   
   /* For responsive columns in desktop */
   
   .my-custom-gap-section > .elementor-container > .elementor-column {
   
       padding-right: 15px; /* Adjust as needed */
   
       padding-left: 15px; /* Adjust as needed */
   
   }
   
   /* Compensate for the extra padding on section itself */
   
   .my-custom-gap-section > .elementor-container {
   
       margin-left: -15px; /* Same as padding-left */
   
       margin-right: -15px; /* Same as padding-right */
   
   }
   /* Ensure first and last columns align correctly */
   
   .my-custom-gap-section > .elementor-container > .elementor-column:first-child {
   
       padding-left: 0; /* Or adjust to theme's default */
   
   }
   .my-custom-gap-section > .elementor-container > .elementor-column:last-child {
   
       padding-right: 0; /* Or adjust to theme's default */
   
   }
   /* For modern Flexbox Containers -- RECOMM