Elementor Instagram Feed Not Showing? Fix It

Is your Elementor Instagram feed playing hide-and-seek? You’ve meticulously designed your page, added an Instagram feed widget, but instead of a beautiful display of your latest posts, you’re greeted with an error message, a blank space, or an outdated feed. Frustrating, right?

You’re not alone. The Elementor Instagram feed not showing issue is a common one, often stemming from connection problems, plugin conflicts, or expired access tokens. But don’t worry! As an expert in WordPress and Elementor, I’m here to provide you with a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to diagnose and fix this problem. We’ll explore multiple solutions, ensuring you get your captivating Instagram content back on your website.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a clear understanding of why your Elementor Instagram feed isn’t showing and, more importantly, how to fix it, keeping your website fresh and engaging. Let’s dive in!

Why is Your Elementor Instagram Feed Not Showing? Common Culprits

Before we jump into the solutions, understanding the root cause can save you a lot of time. The Elementor Instagram feed often relies on external APIs, meaning there are several potential points of failure. Here are the most common reasons:

• Expired Instagram Access Token: This is by far the most frequent reason. Instagram (now part of Meta) access tokens expire periodically for security reasons.
• Plugin/Theme Conflicts: Another plugin or your active theme might be clashing with your Elementor or Instagram feed plugin.
• Incorrect API Key/App ID Configuration: If you’re using a third-party plugin that requires specific API keys or App IDs from the Facebook/Meta Developer console, incorrect configurations will prevent the feed from loading.
• Caching Issues: Your website or browser cache might be serving an outdated version of your page, not reflecting the latest feed data.
• Instagram API Changes: Instagram frequently updates its API. If your plugin isn’t updated to match these changes, the feed can break.
• Server-Side Issues: Less common, but sometimes server-side restrictions or PHP versions can interfere.
• Plugin Not Updated: An outdated Instagram feed plugin (or Elementor itself) might have bugs or incompatible code.
• Instagram Account Privacy Settings: If your Instagram account is private, most feed plugins won’t be able to display your posts without specific authentication.

Step-by-Step Solutions: How to Fix Elementor Instagram Feed Not Showing

Let’s systematically tackle the issue. We recommend trying these solutions in the order presented, as they progress from the most common and easiest fixes to more advanced troubleshooting.

Solution 1: Renew Your Instagram Access Token – The Most Common Fix

This is the prime suspect! Instagram access tokens are temporary credentials that grant your website permission to access your Instagram data. They expire, usually every 60 days, sometimes less. When they expire, your feed breaks.

How to Renew Your Access Token:

The exact steps depend on the specific Elementor Instagram feed plugin you are using (e.g., Smash Balloon Social Photo Feed, Essential Addons for Elementor, Premium Addons, etc.). However, the general process is similar:

1. Navigate to Your Plugin Settings:
   • Log into your WordPress dashboard.
   • Go to the settings page for your specific Instagram feed plugin. This might be under a dedicated menu item (e.g., “Instagram Feed” or “Social Feeds”) or within “Elementor > Tools” or “Elementor > Settings” if it’s a native Elementor widget or official addon.
2. Disconnect and Reconnect Your Instagram Account:
   • Look for an option like “Disconnect Account,” “Refresh Token,” “Manage Sources,” or “Add New Source.”
   • Click on it. You will usually be prompted to log into Instagram (or Facebook, as Meta manages Instagram logins).
   • Follow the on-screen instructions to grant the plugin the necessary permissions. Make sure to grant “all permissions” if prompted, as restricting them can cause display issues.
   • Once reconnected, save your changes.
3. Check Your Elementor Page:
   • Clear your website cache (see Solution 4).
   • Open the Elementor editor for the page where your feed is located.
   • Update the page and check the live site. Your feed should now be visible.

Pro Tip: Some robust Instagram feed plugins (like Smash Balloon) offer a “backup” token feature or automatically refresh tokens. Check your plugin’s documentation to see if this is an option for you. Smash Balloon’s Instagram Feed documentation is a good resource if you are using that particular plugin.

Solution 2: Clear Caches – Website, Browser, and CDN

Caches are fantastic for speeding up your website, but they can sometimes serve outdated content. If you’ve just updated your token or made other changes, the cache might be preventing the fresh data from showing.

How to Clear Caches:

1. Clear WordPress Caching Plugin:
   • If you use a caching plugin like WP Super Cache, WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, or Elementor’s built-in cache, go to its settings in your WordPress dashboard.
   • Look for a “Clear Cache,” “Purge All Cache,” or “Delete Cache Files” button. Click it.

   Example: For Elementor’s built-in cache, navigate to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data. Click “Regenerate Files” and then “Clear Cache.”

2. Clear Browser Cache:
   • Hard refresh your browser:
     • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + F5
     • Mac: Cmd + Shift + R
   • Alternatively, manually clear your browser’s cache for a more thorough refresh. Go to your browser settings (e.g., Chrome > Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data) and clear cached images and files.
3. Clear CDN Cache (If Applicable):
   • If you’re using a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Cloudflare, Sucuri, or StackPath, log into your CDN dashboard.
   • Locate the option to “Purge Cache” or “Clear Cache” for your specific domain.

Solution 3: Update Everything – Elementor, WordPress, Theme, and Plugins

Outdated software is a common source of bugs and compatibility issues. Ensuring everything is up-to-date can resolve many unexpected problems, including your Elementor Instagram feed not showing.

How to Update Your Components:

1. Backup Your Website: Before undertaking any major updates, always create a full backup of your website. See Hostinger’s guide on backing up WordPress.
2. Update WordPress Core:
   • Go to Dashboard > Updates.
   • If an update is available, click “Update now.”
3. Update Elementor and Elementor Pro:
   • Go to Dashboard > Plugins.
   • Look for “Elementor” and “Elementor Pro.” If an update is available, click “Update now” next to each.
4. Update Your Active Theme:
   • Go to Dashboard > Appearance > Themes.
   • If your theme has an update available, you’ll see a notification. Click “Update now” or follow your theme’s specific update instructions.
5. Update Your Instagram Feed Plugin (and other relevant plugins):
   • Go to Dashboard > Plugins.
   • Ensure your Instagram feed plugin (e.g., Smash Balloon, Essential Addons for Elementor, Premium Addons, etc.) is fully updated.
   • While you’re there, update any other plugins that have pending updates to prevent future conflicts.
6. Retest: After all updates, clear your caches (Solution 2) and check if the Elementor Instagram feed problem is resolved.

Solution 4: Check for Plugin and Theme Conflicts

A newly installed plugin or a recent theme update can sometimes introduce conflicts that prevent other functionalities from working correctly. This is particularly true for plugins that interact with external APIs or modify the front-end display.

How to Identify Conflicts:

This process requires deactivating and reactivating components. Remember to work in a staging environment if possible to avoid impacting your live site. If not, inform your visitors about temporary maintenance.

1. Deactivate Your Instagram Feed Plugin:
   • Go to Dashboard > Plugins.
   • Deactivate the plugin responsible for your Instagram feed.
2. Test with a Default WordPress Theme:
   • Go to Dashboard > Appearance > Themes.
   • Activate a default WordPress theme (e.g., Twenty Twenty-Four).
   • Re-activate your Instagram feed plugin.
   • Check if the feed appears. If it does, your original theme is likely causing the conflict. Contact your theme developer for support.
3. Isolate Conflicting Plugins (if the theme wasn’t the issue):
   • Revert to your original theme.
   • Deactivate ALL other plugins except Elementor, Elementor Pro, and your Instagram feed plugin.
   • Clear your caches (Solution 2).
   • Check if the feed now works.
   • If it does, reactivate your plugins one by one, checking the Instagram feed after each activation, until you find the culprit.
   • Once identified, consider finding an alternative plugin or contacting the developer of the conflicting plugin for a fix.

This process is tedious but effective in pinpointing conflicts that lead to the Elementor Instagram feed not showing.

Solution 5: Verify Instagram Account Privacy and Business Status

For most Elementor Instagram feed plugins to display content, your Instagram account needs to be public. Additionally, many plugins recommend or require your account to be a Business or Creator account linked to a Facebook Page.

How to Check and Adjust:

1. Check Instagram Account Privacy:
   • Open your Instagram app.
   • Go to your Profile > Menu (three lines) > Settings and privacy > Account privacy.
   • Ensure “Private Account” is toggled OFF.
2. Convert to Business/Creator Account (Recommended):
   • Open your Instagram app.
   • Go to your Profile > Menu (three lines) > Settings and privacy > Account type and tools.
   • Select “Switch to Professional Account” if you haven’t already. Follow the prompts to set up as a Business or Creator account.
3. Link to Facebook Page:
   • During the professional account setup, you’ll be prompted to link to a Facebook Page. Make sure this is done. This is crucial for many API connections.
   • If already a professional account, go to your Instagram Profile > Edit Profile > Page (under Public Business Information) and ensure it’s linked to the correct Facebook Page.
4. Reconnect and Test: After making any changes, go back to your WordPress dashboard, disconnect and reconnect your Instagram account in your feed plugin settings (Solution 1), clear caches (Solution 2), and retest.

Solution 6: Debug Elementor and WordPress

If the above solutions haven’t worked, it’s time to dig deeper using debugging tools. This can reveal errors that are otherwise hidden.

How to Debug:

1. Enable WordPress Debug Mode:
   • Access your website’s files via FTP or your hosting’s file manager.
   • Locate the wp-config.php file in the root directory of your WordPress installation.
   • Open wp-config.php and find the line:

     define( 'WP_DEBUG', false );

   • Change false to true and add the following lines (if not already present) just below it:

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

   • Save the file.
   • Now, revisit the page where your Elementor Instagram feed is not showing. This will generate a debug.log file in your wp-content directory.
   • Open wp-content/debug.log via FTP/file manager. Look for any Instagram-related errors or warnings. These can provide clues.
2. Browser Developer Console:
   • Open the page with the broken feed in your browser.
   • Right-click anywhere on the page and select “Inspect” or “Inspect Element.”
   • Go to the “Console” tab. Look for red error messages. These often point to JavaScript errors or issues with loading external resources, which could be Instagram’s API.
   • Go to the “Network” tab. Reload the page and look for any requests that failed to load (usually marked in red). Filter by “XHR” or “Fetch” to see API calls.

Interpret any error messages carefully. They might point to specific problems like “API limit exceeded,” “invalid access token,” or “CORS errors.”

Solution 7: Reinstall the Instagram Feed Plugin

Sometimes, plugin files can become corrupted during updates or during transfer. A fresh installation can resolve these deeper issues.

How to Reinstall:

1. Backup Your Website: Crucial before this step!
2. Deactivate and Delete:
   • Go to Dashboard > Plugins.
   • Deactivate your Instagram feed plugin.
   • Click “Delete” to remove it completely. This will erase its custom settings, so make sure you note them down if they are complex.
3. Reinstall:
   • Go to Dashboard > Plugins > Add New.
   • Search for your Instagram feed plugin, install it, and activate it.
4. Reconfigure: Go to the plugin’s settings, reconnect your Instagram account (Solution 1), and reconfigure any specific display options you had.
5. Test: Clear caches (Solution 2) and check your Elementor page.

Solution 8: Check Server Environment and PHP Version

While less common, your hosting environment can influence plugin functionality. Ensure your PHP version meets Elementor and your Instagram plugin’s requirements.

How to Check Your Server Environment:

1. Check PHP Version:
   • Go to Elementor > System Info in your WordPress dashboard.
   • Find “PHP Version.” Most modern WordPress setups and plugins require PHP 7.4 or higher, with 8.0 or 8.1 being recommended.
   • If your PHP version is outdated, contact your hosting provider to upgrade it. <a href="https://www.hostinger.com/tutorials/how-to-change-php-