How to Fix Elementor Conflict With Plugins

You’ve poured your creativity into building a stunning website with Elementor, only to hit a frustrating roadblock: sudden glitches, unresponsive features, or even a full-blown site crash. More often than not, these mysterious issues stem from an Elementor conflict with plugins. It’s a common scenario in the dynamic WordPress ecosystem, where thousands of plugins interact on a single platform.

Don’t fret! While an Elementor conflict with plugins can be a headache, it’s usually fixable. As experts from Hostinger and Elementor, we’ve guided countless users through these challenges. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through a series of proven methods to identify, diagnose, and resolve any Elementor conflict with plugins, getting your website back to its peak performance.

By the end of this post, you’ll have a clear understanding of why these conflicts occur and equipped with a robust toolkit to tackle them head-on, ensuring your creative vision for your website remains uninterrupted. Let’s dive in!

Understanding Elementor Plugin Conflicts

Before we jump into solutions, it’s crucial to understand why an Elementor conflict with plugins happens in the first place. WordPress thrives on its open-source nature and the vast array of plugins available. However, this flexibility also introduces potential for clashes.

Why Does Elementor Conflict With Plugins?

• Conflicting Code: Plugins are essentially coded instructions that extend WordPress functionality. When two or more plugins try to perform similar actions or manipulate the same core WordPress files, JavaScript libraries, or CSS elements, they can interfere with each other. This is especially true for page builders like Elementor, which heavily rely on front-end rendering and JavaScript.
• Outdated Software: An Elementor conflict with plugins often arises from outdated versions of WordPress, Elementor, or the conflicting plugin itself. Developers frequently release updates to fix bugs, improve compatibility, and introduce new features. Ignoring these can leave vulnerabilities and introduce unexpected behavior.
• Resource Heavy Plugins: Some plugins, particularly those that add significant functionality like e-commerce (e.g., WooCommerce), security, or complex caching, can be resource-intensive. If not coded efficiently or if they interact poorly with Elementor’s processes, they can cause slowdowns or errors.
• Theme Incompatibilities: While this guide focuses on Elementor conflict with plugins, it’s worth noting that your active theme can also be a source of conflict. Non-standard themes or those not explicitly built to be compatible with Elementor can introduce issues.
• Poorly Coded Plugins: Unfortunately, not all plugins are created equal. Some may have bugs, security vulnerabilities, or simply follow poor coding practices, making them prone to causing an Elementor conflict with plugins.

Initial Steps to Troubleshoot an Elementor Conflict With Plugins

When you suspect an Elementor conflict with plugins, approaching the problem systematically is key. Before diving into advanced solutions, start with these fundamental checks.

1. Clear Caches (Browser, Plugin, Server)

Caching is a fantastic way to speed up your website, but it can also hide recent changes or perpetuate old errors. A cache-related Elementor conflict with plugins is surprisingly common.

1. Browser Cache: Hard refresh your browser (Ctrl+F5 or Cmd+Shift+R). You might also need to clear your browser’s cache and cookies entirely.
2. Elementor Cache: Navigate to your WordPress Dashboard > Elementor > Tools > General. Click Regenerate Files & Data and then Sync Library.
3. WordPress Caching Plugins: If you use a caching plugin like WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, or W3 Total Cache, clear its cache entirely. Most caching plugins have a “Clear All Cache” button in their settings or an admin bar shortcut.
4. Server-side Cache: If your hosting provider (like Hostinger!) offers server-level caching (e.g., LiteSpeed Cache at the server level), clear it through your hosting control panel.

2. Update Everything (WordPress, Elementor, Themes, Plugins)

An outdated component is a prime candidate for an Elementor conflict with plugins. Keeping your software current is crucial for security, performance, and compatibility.

1. Backup Your Site: Crucial Step! Before any updates, always create a full backup of your website. Many hosting providers offer one-click backup solutions (Hostinger does!), or you can use a plugin like UpdraftPlus. See WordPress Documentation on Backups.
2. Deactivate Caching Plugins: Temporarily deactivate any caching or optimization plugins before starting updates, as they can sometimes interfere with the update process.
3. Update WordPress: Go to Dashboard > Updates.
4. Update Elementor and Elementor Pro: Ensure both are updated to their latest versions.
5. Update Themes: Update your active theme to its latest version.
6. Update All Other Plugins: Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and update any plugins with pending updates.

3. Check Server Requirements

Elementor and many modern WordPress plugins require specific server resources to function correctly. If your server environment is not up to par, it can manifest as an Elementor conflict with plugins or general site sluggishness.

1. Go to Elementor > System Info.
2. Review the PHP version, PHP memory limit, max execution time, and other critical values.
3. Compare these against Elementor’s official requirements (Elementor Documentation: Requirements).
4. If any values are too low, contact your hosting provider to increase them. For Hostinger users, you can often adjust PHP settings directly from hPanel.

memory_limit = 256M (or higher, e.g., 512M)
post_max_size = 64M
upload_max_filesize = 64M
max_execution_time = 300
max_input_vars = 5000
            

Identifying the Elementor Conflict With Plugins: The Deactivation Method

This is the most common and effective method for pinpointing the exact Elementor conflict with plugins. It involves a process of elimination.

1. Activate Maintenance Mode

To prevent visitors from seeing a broken site during troubleshooting, enable maintenance mode. Many plugins (like SeedProd or WP Maintenance Mode) offer this feature, or you can use your hosting provider’s tools.

2. Switch to a Default WordPress Theme

While we’re focusing on Elementor conflict with plugins, sometimes the theme can be the root cause. This step helps rule it out.

1. Go to Appearance > Themes.
2. Activate a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four, Twenty Twenty-Three, or Hello Elementor (Elementor’s own lightweight theme).

3. Deactivate All Plugins (Except Elementor and Elementor Pro)

This is the core of the diagnostic process for an Elementor conflict with plugins.

1. Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
2. Select all plugins except “Elementor” and “Elementor Pro” (if you’re using it).
3. From the “Bulk Actions” dropdown, select Deactivate and click Apply.
4. Clear all caches again (browser, plugin, server).
5. Now, test the functionality that was causing issues. Does Elementor work correctly? Can you edit pages without problems?

4. Reactivate Plugins One-by-One

If Elementor works fine with all other plugins deactivated, you’ve confirmed an Elementor conflict with plugins. Now, to find the culprit:

1. Go back to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
2. Activate the first plugin from your deactivated list.
3. Test your site thoroughly, focusing on the functionality that was breaking. Try editing an Elementor page that was problematic.
4. If the issue reappears, you’ve found the conflicting plugin!
5. If the issue does not reappear, deactivate that plugin again, then activate the next plugin in your list and repeat steps 2-3.
6. Continue this process until you identify the plugin that causes the Elementor conflict with plugins.

Advanced Troubleshooting for Elementor Conflict With Plugins

If the deactivation method doesn’t immediately pinpoint the issue or if you’re dealing with a more complex Elementor conflict with plugins, these advanced steps can help.

1. Check Browser Console for JavaScript Errors

Many Elementor conflict with plugins issues are JavaScript related. The browser’s developer console can reveal these errors.

1. Open the page where you’re experiencing the Elementor conflict.
2. Right-click anywhere on the page and select “Inspect” (or “Inspect Element”).
3. Go to the “Console” tab.
4. Look for red error messages. These often point to problematic JavaScript files, which can help you identify a conflicting plugin.

2. Review Server Error Logs

Your server logs can provide valuable insights into fatal errors or warnings generated by an Elementor conflict with plugins.

1. Access your hosting control panel (e.g., hPanel for Hostinger users, cPanel, Plesk).
2. Look for a section related to “Error Logs” or “File Manager” (then navigate to wp-content/debug.log if WordPress debugging is enabled).
3. Analyze recent entries for error messages, especially “fatal errors” or “warnings” that occurred around the time the Elementor conflict with plugins started.

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

3. Increase PHP Memory Limit

Sometimes, an Elementor conflict with plugins isn’t a direct code clash but simply a shortage of memory, especially in complex Elementor designs or with many active plugins.

1. Access your website’s files via FTP or your hosting’s file manager.
2. Locate the wp-config.php file in the root directory of your WordPress installation.
3. Add or modify the following line above the /* That's all, stop editing! Happy publishing. */ line:

   define( 'WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M' );

4. Save the file and re-upload it. You might even try 512M if 256M doesn’t resolve the issue, but consult your hosting provider first for higher values.
5. Clear all caches and test the Elementor functionality again.

4. Use Elementor’s Safe Mode

Elementor has a built-in “Safe Mode” designed specifically to help diagnose an Elementor conflict with plugins or themes.

1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Elementor > Tools > General > Safe Mode.
2. Click Enable Safe Mode.
3. When enabled, Elementor Safe Mode disables all plugins (except Elementor and Elementor Pro) and switches to an Elementor-compatible theme without affecting the live site for visitors.
4. Try to edit the problematic page in Elementor. If the issue disappears, it confirms an Elementor conflict with plugins or your theme.
5. If Elementor works in Safe Mode, you can then proceed with the manual deactivation method (as described above) to find the specific plugin (or theme incompatibility).
6. Don’t forget to disable Safe Mode once you’re done troubleshooting.

5. Deferring or Excluding JavaScript/CSS

Sometimes, an Elementor conflict with plugins stems from JavaScript or CSS files loading in the wrong order or being minified/combined incorrectly. This is more advanced and often involves optimization plugins.

1. If you use