Elementor Star Rating Not Working? Fix It Now

The Elementor Star Rating widget is a fantastic tool for showcasing testimonials, product reviews, or service satisfaction on your WordPress website. It adds visual appeal and builds trust with your audience. However, like any dynamic web element, you might occasionally encounter an “Elementor star rating not working” issue. Whether the stars aren’t appearing, the styling is off, or the rating isn’t saving correctly, it can be frustrating.

Don’t worry! You’ve landed in the right place. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through a series of actionable troubleshooting steps and solutions to get your Elementor star rating widget functioning perfectly again. We’ll cover everything from simple configuration checks to more advanced compatibility fixes, ensuring you have all the tools you need to resolve the problem.

Understanding Why Your Elementor Star Rating Might Not Be Working

An “Elementor star rating not working” issue can stem from various sources. Knowing the common culprits can help you pinpoint the problem faster:

• Plugin Conflicts: Other plugins, especially those altering front-end scripts or styles, can interfere with Elementor’s widgets.
• Theme Conflicts: An outdated or poorly coded theme might clash with Elementor, affecting widget rendering.
• Caching Issues: Aggressive caching (server-side, plugin-based, or browser-based) can prevent new changes from appearing or load old, broken versions of your page.
• Outdated Software: An old version of Elementor, Elementor Pro, WordPress, or your theme can lead to compatibility problems.
• Incorrect Widget Configuration: Simple errors in how the Elementor star rating widget is set up can cause it to malfunction.
• JavaScript Errors: Client-side scripting issues might prevent the interactive elements of the star rating from loading or functioning.
• Server-Side Resource Limitations: In rare cases, low PHP memory limits can affect Elementor’s performance.

Solution 1: Basic Checks & Widget Configuration for Elementor Star Rating

Often, the simplest solutions are the most effective. Let’s start with the basics to ensure your Elementor star rating is properly configured.

1.1 Verify Elementor Star Rating Widget Settings

Always double-check the widget settings first. It’s easy to overlook a small detail.

1. Navigate to the page where your Elementor star rating widget is located.
2. Click the “Edit with Elementor” button.
3. Select the Star Rating widget you’re having trouble with.
4. In the Elementor left panel, review the “Content,” “Style,” and “Advanced” tabs.
5. Content Tab:
   • Rating: Ensure the default rating is set as desired.
   • Stars: Check the number of stars (e.g., 5 or 10).
   • Icon: Confirm the star icon is selected (or choose a different one to test).
   • Title: If you’re using a title, ensure it’s entered correctly.
6. Style Tab:
   • Stars Size & Color: Make sure the star size isn’t set to 0 and the colors aren’t blending into the background.
   • Spacing: Check for any unusual spacing that might hide stars.
7. Advanced Tab:
   • Temporarily remove any custom CSS or JavaScript you might have added here to see if that resolves the issue.
8. After making any adjustments, click “Update” and clear your browser cache (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+R) to see if the Elementor star rating issue is resolved.

1.2 Test on a Different Page or New Widget

To isolate if the issue is specific to one widget or page, try this:

1. Create a new temporary page or section in Elementor.
2. Drag and drop a fresh Star Rating widget onto this new area.
3. Configure it with basic settings.
4. Publish the page and check if the new Elementor star rating widget works correctly. If it does, the problem might be with the specific page or existing widget’s corruption.

Solution 2: Clear Caching to Fix Elementor Star Rating Issues

Caching is designed to speed up your website, but it can often hide changes or serve outdated files, leading to an “Elementor star rating not working” scenario.

2.1 Clear Elementor Cache

Elementor has its own built-in cache that can sometimes interfere.

1. From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Elementor > Tools > General.
2. Click the “Regenerate Files & Data” button.
3. Then, go to the “Cache” tab.
4. Click on “Clear Cache”.

2.2 Clear WordPress Caching Plugin Cache

If you’re using a caching plugin (e.g., WP Super Cache, LiteSpeed Cache, W3 Total Cache, WP Rocket), clear its cache.

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Locate your caching plugin’s settings (usually in the sidebar or a top bar menu).
3. Find the option to “Clear Cache,” “Purge All Cache,” or “Delete Cache.” The exact wording varies by plugin.
4. For detailed instructions, refer to your plugin’s official documentation. Many popular caching plugins also have excellent guides in the WordPress Documentation.

2.3 Clear Browser Cache

Your browser also stores local copies of websites. A hard refresh can help.

• Windows/Linux: Ctrl + Shift + R or Ctrl + F5
• Mac: Cmd + Shift + R
• Alternatively, go to your browser settings and clear browsing data, including cached images and files.

Solution 3: Updating Software & Theme – Essential for Elementor Star Rating Stability

Outdated software is a significant source of bugs and compatibility issues, including instances where your “Elementor star rating not working.”

3.1 Update Elementor & Elementor Pro

1. Go to your WordPress Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Dashboard > Updates.
3. Check if there are updates available for Elementor and Elementor Pro.
4. Select them and click “Update Plugins.”
5. Alternatively, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and look for update notices next to Elementor and Elementor Pro.
6. Always update Elementor (free) first, then Elementor Pro.

3.2 Update Your WordPress Theme

An outdated theme can cause conflicts. Many themes regularly push updates for compatibility with Elementor and WordPress.

1. Before updating, check your theme’s documentation or support forum for any known issues with the latest WordPress or Elementor versions.
2. Go to Appearance > Themes.
3. If an update is available, you’ll see a notification. Click “Update Now.”
4. If you’re using a premium theme, you might need to update it manually by downloading the latest version from the theme developer’s website and uploading it via FTP or the WordPress dashboard (after deleting the old version, always back up first!).
5. For more details on theme updates, consult the theme’s official documentation or Hostinger’s guide on updating WordPress themes.

3.3 Update WordPress Core

Keeping WordPress itself up-to-date is fundamental for security and compatibility.

1. Navigate to Dashboard > Updates.
2. If a WordPress update is available, click “Update Now.”
3. For minor releases, WordPress can often update automatically. For major releases, manual confirmation is usually required.

Solution 4: Resolving Plugin & Theme Conflicts

One of the most common reasons for an “Elementor star rating not working” issue is a conflict with another plugin or your active theme. This method helps you identify the culprit.

4.1 Perform a Conflict Test with Plugins

1. Deactivate All Plugins (Except Elementor & Elementor Pro): Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins. Select all plugins except Elementor and Elementor Pro, then choose “Deactivate” from the “Bulk Actions” dropdown and click “Apply.”
2. Check the Elementor Star Rating: Visit the page with the star rating widget. If it works now, a plugin conflict is the cause.
3. Reactivate Plugins One by One: Go back to Plugins > Installed Plugins. Activate your plugins one by one, checking the Elementor star rating after each activation.
4. Identify the Conflicting Plugin: The moment the star rating stops working after activating a specific plugin, you’ve found the conflict.
5. Action:
   • Contact the conflicting plugin’s support team.
   • Look for an alternative plugin.
   • See if there’s a setting in the conflicting plugin that can be adjusted.

4.2 Test with a Default WordPress Theme

If the plugin conflict test didn’t yield results, your theme might be the problem.

1. Switch to a Default Theme: Go to Appearance > Themes. Activate a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Three or Twenty Twenty-Four.
2. Check the Elementor Star Rating: Visit your page with the star rating. If it works, your original theme is causing the issue.
3. Action:
   • Contact your theme developer’s support.
   • Consider switching to a well-supported theme.
   • If you have custom code in your theme’s functions.php or customizer, review it for potential conflicts.
4. Reactivate Your Original Theme: Don’t forget to switch back to your preferred theme once you’ve diagnosed the issue.

Solution 5: Check for JavaScript Errors

JavaScript errors can prevent interactive elements like star ratings from loading or functioning correctly. The good news is that browsers have built-in tools to help diagnose these.

5.1 Using Your Browser’s Developer Console

1. Open the Page: Go to the page where your Elementor star rating is not working.
2. Open Developer Tools:
   • Chrome/Firefox/Edge: Right-click anywhere on the page and select “Inspect” or press F12 (Windows/Linux) / Cmd + Opt + I (Mac).
   • Safari: Go to Safari > Preferences > Advanced and check “Show Develop menu in menu bar.” Then, from the Develop menu, select “Show Web Inspector” or press Cmd + Opt + I.
3. Navigate to the Console Tab: In the developer tools window, click on the “Console” tab.
4. Look for Errors: Examine the console for any red-colored error messages. These usually indicate JavaScript problems.
   • Common errors might involve “Uncaught TypeError,” “ReferenceError,” or messages related to missing or conflicting scripts.
   • Pay attention to the file paths mentioned in the errors, as they can point to the plugin or theme causing the issue.
5. Action:
   • If you find errors, try to relate them to a recently installed plugin or theme.
   • Search for the error message online, often leading to solutions or similar issues faced by others.
   • If you’re comfortable, you might be able to debug it yourself or pass the information to a developer or support.

Solution 6: Increase PHP Memory Limit

Elementor, especially with many widgets and complex pages, can be resource-intensive. If your server’s PHP memory limit is too low, it can lead to various issues, including widgets not loading correctly.

6.1 How to Increase PHP Memory Limit

There are a few ways to increase your PHP memory limit:

Option A: Edit wp-config.php (Recommended)

1. Access Your Files: Connect to your website via FTP (using a client like FileZilla) or through your hosting provider’s file manager (e.g., cPanel).
2. Locate wp-config.php: Your wp-config.php file is usually in the root directory of your WordPress installation.
3. Edit the File: Download the file to your computer, open it with a plain text editor, or use the file manager’s editor.
4. Add the Following Line: Just before the line that says /* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */, add this code:
   define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' );

   We recommend starting with 256MB. If issues persist, you can try 512MB.

5. Save and Upload: Save the modified wp-config.php file and upload it back to your server, overwriting the old one.
6. Check Elementor Star Rating: Clear all caches