How To Fix Elementor Sticky Option Not Working

The Elementor sticky option is a powerful feature that allows you to make any widget, column, or section stick to the top (or bottom) of the viewport as a user scrolls down your page. It’s fantastic for creating engaging navigation menus, call-to-action banners, or even important informational sections that remain visible. However, few things are as frustrating as setting up your sticky element, only to find that your Elementor sticky not working as intended.

If you’re facing this common conundrum, you’re in the right place! This comprehensive guide will walk you through various solutions, from basic checks to more advanced troubleshooting, ensuring you can get your Elementor sticky elements functioning flawlessly. We’ll cover everything from potential conflicts to incorrect settings, providing actionable steps to resolve the issue.

Let’s dive in and fix your Elementor sticky problems!

Understanding Why Your Elementor Sticky Not Working

Before we jump into the solutions, it’s helpful to understand why your Elementor sticky element might not be working. The sticky feature relies on JavaScript and CSS properties that can be influenced by various factors within your WordPress environment. Common culprits include:

Incorrect Elementor settings: Misconfigurations within the Elementor editor itself.
CSS conflicts: Other themes or plugins adding conflicting CSS rules.
JavaScript errors: Script conflicts or errors preventing the sticky effect from initializing.
Z-index issues: Overlapping elements with higher z-index values covering your sticky element.
Container overflow: The parent container’s overflow settings preventing the sticky behavior.
Caching problems: Outdated cached versions of your page preventing changes from appearing.
Plugin/Theme compatibility: Conflicts between Elementor and your active theme or other plugins.
Outdated software: Using an old version of Elementor, WordPress, or your active theme.

By systematically addressing these potential issues, we can pinpoint and resolve why your Elementor sticky not working.

Step-by-Step Solutions to Fix Elementor Sticky Not Working

Solution 1: Double-Check Elementor Sticky Settings

This might seem obvious, but often the simplest solution is the correct one. A small misconfiguration can be the sole reason for your Elementor sticky not working.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Open the Elementor Editor: Navigate to the page where your sticky element is located and open it with Elementor.
Select the Element: Click on the Section, Column, or Widget you want to make sticky.
Go to Advanced Settings: In the left-hand panel, click on the “Advanced” tab.
Access Motion Effects: Expand the “Motion Effects” section.
Configure Sticky Settings:
- Ensure “Sticky” is set to “Top” or “Bottom.”
- Offset: Adjust the “Offset” value. This determines how many pixels from the top/bottom of the viewport the element will stick. If it’s too high or too low, it might not appear sticky or might overlap.
- Effects Offset: While not directly related to sticky, this can influence when other motion effects kick in.
- Sticky On: Make sure the element is set to sticky on the correct devices (Desktop, Tablet, Mobile). If it’s disabled for the device you’re testing on, it won’t work.
- Stay In Column/Section: This crucial setting ensures your sticky element doesn’t just stick indefinitely but rather stays within its parent column or section. If this is enabled and the parent container isn’t tall enough, the sticky effect might seem to “disappear” quickly. Try toggling this on and off to see if it makes a difference, especially for elements inside a very short section.
Update and Test: Click “Update” to save your changes and then preview the page in an incognito window to see if the Elementor sticky not working issue is resolved.

Solution 2: Clear Caches (Server, Plugin, Browser)

Caching is designed to speed up your website, but it can often hide recent changes, leading you to believe your Elementor sticky not working. This is a very common fix for many WordPress issues.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Clear Elementor Cache:
- From your WordPress Dashboard, go to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data.
- Click “Regenerate Files & Data” and then “Sync Library” (if applicable).
Clear WordPress Caching Plugin Cache:
- If you use a caching plugin like WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, W3 Total Cache, or SG Optimizer (Hostinger users), clear its cache. Look for a “Clear Cache” or “Purge All Caching” option, usually found in your WordPress admin bar or the plugin’s settings page.
Clear Server/CDN Cache:
- If you use a CDN (like Cloudflare) or your hosting provider has server-side caching (like Hostinger’s LiteSpeed Cache), clear those caches as well. For Hostinger, you can often clear the cache directly from your hPanel.
Clear Browser Cache:
- Open your website in an Incognito/Private browsing window. This bypasses your browser’s cache completely.
- Alternatively, manually clear your browser’s cache (usually found in browser settings under “Privacy and security” or “History”).
Re-test: After clearing all caches, check your page again. This often resolves cases where Elementor sticky not working was due to an outdated cached version.

Solution 3: Check for Plugin and Theme Conflicts

Conflicts between Elementor and other plugins or your theme are a frequent cause of unexpected behavior, including your Elementor sticky not working. This requires a systematic approach.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Backup Your Website: Before performing any conflict test, always create a full backup of your website. This is crucial for easy restoration if anything goes wrong. Hostinger users can leverage the automatic backups feature or create one manually via hPanel.
Switch to a Default Theme:
- Navigate to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard.
- Activate a default WordPress theme like “Twenty Twenty-Four” or “Twenty Twenty-Three.”
- Check if the Elementor sticky feature now works. If it does, your theme is likely causing the conflict. Contact your theme developer for support or consider using a different theme.
Deactivate Plugins One by One:
- If the issue persists with a default theme, or if you found your theme was the culprit but want to use it regardless, deactivate all plugins except Elementor and Elementor Pro (if you have it).
- Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
- Select all plugins except Elementor and Elementor Pro, then choose “Deactivate” from the “Bulk Actions” dropdown and click “Apply.”
- Test your sticky element. If it works, one of the deactivated plugins was the cause.
- Now, reactivate your plugins one by one, testing the sticky element after each activation, until you find the conflicting plugin. Once identified, you can look for alternatives or contact the plugin developer.

Solution 4: Review Z-Index and Container Overflow

Sometimes, your sticky element IS working, but it’s either hidden behind another element or prevented from sticking by its parent container’s properties.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Check Z-Index:
- Select your sticky element in Elementor.
- Go to its Advanced tab > Z-Index.
- Give it a high value (e.g., 9999 or higher). This ensures it appears above other elements.
- Also, inspect other surrounding elements or parent containers. If they have a higher z-index, they might overlap. You might need to adjust their z-index as well.
Check Parent Section/Column Overflow:
- Select the parent Section or Column of your sticky element.
- Go to Advanced > Custom CSS (if you have Elementor Pro) or Style > Custom CSS (if your theme provides it).
- Look for any overflow: hidden; or overflow: scroll; properties applied to the parent container. These can sometimes restrict the sticky behavior.
- If you can’t find direct CSS, try adding this to the parent container’s Custom CSS:
```
selector {
    overflow: visible !important;
}
```
- Ensure the parent section holding the sticky element is tall enough to allow scrolling. If the section is very short and the “Stay In Column/Section” option is enabled for the sticky element, it won’t appear to stick long.
Test: Update the page and check the sticky behavior.

Solution 5: Update Elementor, WordPress, and Theme

Outdated software is one of the most common reasons for bugs and unexpected behavior, including your Elementor sticky not working.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Backup Your Website: Always backup before any major updates.
Update Elementor and Elementor Pro:
- Go to Dashboard > Updates or Plugins > Installed Plugins.
- Update Elementor and Elementor Pro to their latest versions.
Update WordPress:
- Go to Dashboard > Updates.
- Update your WordPress core to the latest stable version.
Update Your Theme:
- Go to Appearance > Themes and check for updates to your active theme.
Clear Cache: After all updates, clear all caches (as described in Solution 2).
Test: Check if the sticky element now works correctly.

For official guidance on Elementor updates, refer to the Elementor Documentation on Updating Your Plugins.

Solution 6: Custom CSS – A More Advanced Approach

If all else fails, or if you need more granular control, custom CSS might be the answer. This is particularly useful if a specific layout issue is preventing the native sticky option from working.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

First, identify the CSS selector for the element you want to make sticky. You can do this by inspecting the element using your browser’s developer tools (right-click on the element > Inspect).

Add Custom CSS:
- In Elementor, select the section/column/widget you want to make sticky.
- Go to Advanced > Custom CSS (requires Elementor Pro or a theme that supports custom CSS within Elementor).
- Alternatively, go to Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS in your WordPress dashboard.

Implement Sticky CSS: Add the following CSS, replacing .your-element-class with the actual class or ID of your element.

.my-sticky-element { /* Replace with your element's class or ID */
    position: -webkit-sticky; /* For Safari */
    position: sticky;
    top: 0; /* Adjust this value to control sticky position from the top */
    z-index: 1000; /* Ensure it appears above other elements */
    width: 100%; /* Important for full-width elements */
}

Apply Class/ID in Elementor:
- If you used a custom class like .my-sticky-element, go back to your element in Elementor.
- Under the Advanced tab > CSS Classes, add my-sticky-element.
Consider Browser Compatibility: The position: sticky; property is widely supported but double-check if you’re targeting older browsers.
Test: Save and preview to see if the custom CSS successfully makes your Elementor sticky not working issue disappear.

For more details on the position: sticky CSS property, refer to MDN Web Docs.

Solution 7: Check HTML Structure and Parent Elements

The position: sticky; CSS property has specific requirements regarding its parent containers. If the HTML structure isn’t set up correctly, your Elementor sticky not working can often be attributed to this.

Key Considerations:

No Overflow on Parent: As mentioned in Solution 4, if any parent element (container, section, or even the body or html) has overflow: hidden;, overflow: scroll;, or overflow: auto; set, it can prevent the sticky behavior. You may need to use your browser’s developer tools to inspect all parent elements and identify any such properties.
Sufficient Parent Height: The sticky element needs “space” to scroll within its parent. If the parent container is not tall enough (i.e., its height is less than the element’s height + offset), the sticky effect might not activate or might immediately stop.
Transform Properties: Elements with transform, perspective, or filter CSS properties on one of their sticky ancestors can sometimes cancel out the sticky positioning.

Step-by-Step Instructions (requires developer tools):

Open Developer Tools: On your live page, right-click on the element that should be sticky and choose “Inspect” (or similar).
Inspect Parent Elements: In the Elements tab (or similar), navigate up the DOM tree to the parent elements of your sticky component.
Check Computed Styles: For each parent element, go to the “Computed” tab and look for overflow properties.
Look for Transform/Filter: Also, check for transform, perspective, or filter properties on ancestors. If found, you might need to adjust the CSS of those parent elements. This usually involves custom CSS.
Adjust or Add Custom CSS: If you identify conflicting CSS, you may need to add custom CSS to override it, setting overflow: visible !important; or removing conflicting transform properties from parent containers.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting Your Elementor Sticky Not Working

Issue 1: Elementor Sticky Not Working on Mobile Devices

This is a very common issue! Elementor’s sticky option allows you to set it per device. Double-check your sticky settings:

Solution: In Elementor, select your sticky element > Advanced > Motion Effects > Sticky On. Ensure “Mobile” and/or “Tablet” are selected if you want it to be sticky on those devices. Often, users only enable it for “Desktop.”
Consider Mobile Layouts: On mobile, sticky elements can take up a lot of screen space. You might need to adjust the “Offset” for mobile or use responsive settings to hide the sticky element on smaller screens if it’s too intrusive.

Issue 2: Sticky Element Disappears or Jumps

If your sticky element appears to lose its stickiness or jumps erratically, it’s often related to