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Elementor Related Posts Not Working? Fix It

Are you using Elementor to design your WordPress website and finding that your carefully configured “Related Posts” section just isn’t showing up, or perhaps it’s displaying irrelevant content? You’re not alone! The Elementor Related Posts widget is a powerful tool for improving user engagement and SEO by guiding visitors to more relevant content. However, like any sophisticated feature, it can sometimes encounter hiccups.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive deep into the common reasons why your Elementor related posts not working might be failing and provide you with a multitude of actionable, step-by-step solutions. Whether it’s a simple caching conflict or a deeper configuration issue, we’ll help you get your related posts back on track, engaging your audience, and boosting your page views.

Let’s troubleshoot this together and make sure your related content is always within easy reach for your visitors!

Why Are Your Elementor Related Posts Not Working? Understanding the Root Causes

Before we jump into the solutions, it’s helpful to understand the typical culprits behind Elementor related posts not working. Identifying the source of the problem can often lead you directly to the fix.

• Incorrect Widget Configuration: The most common reason. If the query to fetch posts isn’t set up correctly, the widget won’t know what to display.
• Caching Issues: Caching plugins or server-level caching can sometimes prevent dynamic content like related posts from updating or displaying correctly.
• Plugin Conflicts: Other WordPress plugins, especially those that modify queries, post types, or display conditions, can interfere with Elementor’s functionality.
• Theme Conflicts: While Elementor is designed to work with most themes, some heavily customized or poorly coded themes can cause unexpected issues.
• Insufficient Posts/Categories/Tags: If you don’t have enough posts that share common categories or tags with the current post, the widget might appear empty.
• Elementor or WordPress Outdated: Running outdated versions of Elementor, Elementor Pro, or WordPress can lead to compatibility issues and unexpected bugs.
• Custom Post Type or Taxonomy Issues: If you’re using custom post types or taxonomies, the Elementor widget might need explicit configuration to recognize them.
• Display Conditions Not Met: If you’ve set up display conditions for the section containing the related posts widget, these might be preventing it from showing.

Step-by-Step Solutions to Fix Elementor Related Posts Not Working

Here, we’ll provide multiple solutions, starting with the simplest and moving towards more complex troubleshooting steps. Follow these logically to diagnose and resolve your issue.

Solution 1: Verify Elementor Related Posts Widget Configuration Correctly

This is often the first place to look. A simple oversight in the widget settings can lead to your Elementor related posts not working.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Edit Page/Post with Elementor: Navigate to the post or page where the related posts widget is located and click “Edit with Elementor.”
2. Select the Related Posts Widget: Click directly on the related posts widget to open its settings panel on the left.
3. Check Query Settings:
   • Go to the Content tab > Query section.
   • Source: Ensure this is set to what you intend, typically “Posts.”
   • Related By: This is crucial. Common options are “Author,” “Categories,” or “Tags.” Choose the one that best reflects how you want to relate posts. For example, if you want posts with the same category, select “Categories.”
   • Include/Exclude: Double-check if you’ve inadvertently included or excluded specific posts or categories that prevent content from showing.
   • Terms: If you’re filtering by specific terms, ensure they are correctly selected.
   • Order By: Make sure the ordering (e.g., Date, Title, Random) is logical and not contributing to an empty display.
   • Posts Per Page: Ensure a reasonable number is set (e.g., 3, 4, 6) and not 0 or 1 if you expect multiple posts.
4. Layout and Content Settings: Also, briefly review the “Layout” and “Content” tabs to ensure no visibility options (like “Hide on Mobile”) are unexpectedly activated, or that post content elements (like “Title,” “Excerpt”) are not globally hidden.
5. Update and Preview: After making any changes, click the “Update” button in Elementor and then view the live page to see if the issue is resolved.

For more details on widget configuration, refer to the Elementor Related Posts Widget documentation.

Solution 2: Clear Caches – Elementor, WordPress, and Browser

Outdated cache is a surprisingly common reason for Elementor related posts not working. Websites use caching to improve performance, but it can sometimes serve old content.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Clear Elementor Cache:
   • From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data.
   • Click the “Regenerate Files & Data” button.
   • Then go to Elementor > Tools > General and make sure “CSS Print Method” is set to “External File” (though “Internal Embedding” is sometimes used for specific troubleshooting).
2. Clear WordPress Caching Plugin Cache: If you use a caching plugin like WP Super Cache, WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, or W3 Total Cache:
   • Go to your plugin’s settings page (usually found in the WordPress dashboard sidebar or under “Settings”).
   • Look for an option to “Clear Cache,” “Purge All Caches,” or “Delete Cache Files.”

   For specific instructions, check your caching plugin’s official documentation or our Hostinger guide on clearing WordPress cache.

3. Clear Browser Cache: While less likely to affect server-side rendering, it’s good practice.
   • Chrome: Ctrl+Shift+Del (Windows) / Cmd+Shift+Del (Mac) > Select “Cached images and files” > “Clear data.”
   • Firefox: Ctrl+Shift+Del (Windows) / Cmd+Shift+Del (Mac) > Select “Cache” > “Clear Now.”
4. Check Incognito/Private Mode: Browse your site in an incognito or private window to bypass browser cache and cookies, providing a fresh view.

Solution 3: Update Everything

Outdated software is a breeding ground for bugs and compatibility issues. Always ensure your core WordPress installation, Elementor, Elementor Pro, and all other plugins are up to date.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Backup Your Website: Crucial! Before any major updates, always create a full backup of your website. Your hosting provider (like Hostinger) often offers one-click backup solutions.
2. Update WordPress Core: Go to Dashboard > Updates in your WordPress admin. If an update is available, install it.
3. Update Elementor and Elementor Pro:
   • Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
   • Look for “Elementor” and “Elementor Pro.” If an update is available, click “Update Now.”
4. Update All Other Plugins: While in Plugins > Installed Plugins, update any other plugins that show an available update.
5. Update Your Theme: Go to Appearance > Themes. If your theme has an update, install it. If you’re using a child theme, ensure the parent theme is updated.
6. Re-test: After all updates, clear all caches (as per Solution 2) and check if your Elementor related posts not working issue is resolved.

Solution 4: Check for Plugin and Theme Conflicts

Conflicts between plugins or between a plugin and your theme are common in WordPress. This can often be the reason behind your Elementor related posts not working.

Step-by-Step Instructions (Staging Environment Recommended):

If possible, perform these steps on a staging site to avoid affecting your live website.

1. Deactivate All Plugins (Except Elementor & Elementor Pro):
   • Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
   • Select all plugins except “Elementor” and “Elementor Pro.”
   • From the “Bulk Actions” dropdown, choose “Deactivate” and click “Apply.”
2. Test for Related Posts: Check your website again. If the related posts now appear correctly, a deactivated plugin was causing the conflict.
3. Reactivate Plugins One by One:
   • Go back to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
   • Reactivate one plugin at a time.
   • After reactivating each plugin, check your website.
   • The moment the Elementor related posts not working issue reappears, you’ve identified the conflicting plugin.
4. Theme Conflict Check: If deactivating all plugins didn’t solve the issue, switch your theme temporarily to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-Four).
   • Go to Appearance > Themes.
   • Activate a default theme.
   • Test for related posts. If they show up, your theme is the issue.
5. Resolve Conflicts:
   • Conflicting Plugin: Contact the plugin developer for support, look for alternative plugins, or consider if the functionality of the conflicting plugin is essential.
   • Conflicting Theme: Contact your theme developer for support, check for theme updates, or consider switching to a more Elementor-compatible theme.

Solution 5: Ensure Enough Related Content Exists

The Elementor related posts widget needs content to display. If your posts don’t share enough categories or tags, the widget might appear empty.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Check Categories and Tags: For the post where the related posts aren’t showing:
   • Edit the post (in WordPress editor, not Elementor).
   • Look at the “Categories” and “Tags” meta boxes on the right sidebar.
   • Ensure the post is assigned to relevant categories and tags.
2. Review Other Posts:
   • Go to Posts > All Posts.
   • Find other posts that *should* be related to the problematic post.
   • Check their categories and tags. Do they share commonalities with the problematic post?
   • If not, edit these posts to assign shared categories or tags.
3. Adjust Widget Query (if necessary): If you find you don’t have many shared categories/tags, you might temporarily adjust the Elementor Related Posts widget query in Solution 1 to be less restrictive (e.g., relate by “Author” if authors are shared, or include more diverse terms) to test if content appears.

This is crucial for the widget to function as intended. If there’s no logical relation, it won’t display any posts.

Solution 6: Debug with WordPress Debug Mode

If you’re still stuck, enabling WordPress debug mode can reveal underlying errors that Elementor related posts not working.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Access your wp-config.php file: Use an SFTP client (like FileZilla) or your hosting control panel’s File Manager to access your WordPress root directory.
2. Edit wp-config.php: Open the wp-config.php file for editing.
3. Add Debug Constants: Locate the line /* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */ and just above it, add the following lines:

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

   WP_DEBUG enables debugging. WP_DEBUG_LOG saves errors to a file. WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY is set to false to prevent errors from showing on your live site, which can be unappealing to visitors and a security risk.

4. Save and Revisit Your Site: Save the wp-config.php file. Now, visit the page where your Elementor related posts not working issue is occurring.
5. Check the Debug Log: A new file named debug.log should appear in your wp-content directory. Open this file and look for any recent errors or warnings related to Elementor, posts, or queries. These messages can often pinpoint the exact problem.
6. Revert Debug Changes: Once you’ve gathered the error information, remember to change define( 'WP_DEBUG', true ); back to define( 'WP_DEBUG', false ); or remove the lines entirely for security and performance.

For more on debugging, consult the WordPress Debugging documentation.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting Elementor Related Posts

Beyond the primary solutions, here are some specific scenarios and what to do when your Elementor related posts not working is a persistent headache.

Issue: Elementor Related Posts Not Working with Custom Post Types (CPTs) or Custom Taxonomies

If you’re using CPTs (e.g., “portfolio,” “products”) or custom taxonomies (e.g., “product_category”), the default Elementor widget might not automatically recognize them without specific configuration.

Troubleshooting:

1. Check Elementor’s Query Controls: When editing the related posts widget, under the “Query” section, ensure your Custom Post Type is selected in the “Source” dropdown.
2. Use Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) or CPT UI: If your CPTs and taxonomies aren’t showing up, ensure they are registered correctly. Plugins like ACF (if you’re using Post Object fields) or Custom Post Type UI are essential.
3. Custom Query (Elementor Pro): For more complex scenarios, Elementor Pro allows you to use a custom query. You might need to write a custom query function in your theme’s functions.php file and then select this function in the Elementor widget’s Query settings.

   add_action( 'elementor/query/my_custom_related_query', function( $query ) {
   
       // Example: Query posts based on a custom taxonomy term slug
   
       $current_post_id = get_the_ID();
   
       $terms = get_the_terms( $current_post_id, 'your_custom_taxonomy' ); // Replace 'your_custom_taxonomy'
   
       if ( $terms && ! is_wp_error( $terms ) ) {
   
           $term_ids = wp_list_pluck( $terms, 'term_id' );
   
           $query->set( 'tax_query', array(
   
               array(
   
                   'taxonomy' => 'your_custom_taxonomy', // Replace with your taxonomy
   
                   'field'    => 'term_id',
   
                   'terms'    => $term_ids,
   
               ),
   
           ) );
   
           $query->set( 'post__not_in', array( $current_post_id ) ); // Exclude current post
   
           $query->set( 'posts_per_page', 3 ); // Max number of posts
   
       } else {
   
           $query->set( 'post__in', array(0) ); // Return no posts if no terms