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How to Fix Elementor Form Builder Not Working

It’s always frustrating when a crucial part of your website, like a contact form, suddenly stops working. If you’ve been grappling with your Elementor form builder not working as expected, you’re not alone. This is a common issue that many Elementor users encounter, but the good news is that most problems have straightforward solutions. This comprehensive guide will walk you through various troubleshooting steps, helping you diagnose and fix issues with your Elementor forms, from submission failures to display glitches.

Elementor’s form widget is incredibly powerful, allowing you to create beautiful and functional forms without touching a single line of code. However, like any complex tool, it can sometimes run into snags due to conflicts, incorrect settings, or server-side issues. Whether your form isn’t sending emails, failing to submit, or simply not appearing on your page, we’ve got you covered. Let’s dive in!

Initial Checks Before Deeper Troubleshooting

Before we delve into more technical solutions for your Elementor form builder not working, let’s start with some fundamental checks. These can often resolve issues quickly without much fuss.

1. Clear Caches

Caching is designed to speed up your website, but it can also prevent you from seeing recent changes or lead to outdated information being served. This is a frequent culprit when your Elementor form builder is not working correctly.

• Clear Elementor Cache: Navigate to your WordPress dashboard, go to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate Files & Data, and click Regenerate Files & Data. Then, go to Elementor > Tools > General and click Clear Cache.
• Clear Browser Cache: Sometimes, your browser holds onto old versions of your pages. Try clearing your browser’s cache or opening your website in an incognito/private window.
• Clear Plugin Cache: If you use a caching plugin (e.g., WP Super Cache, WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache), clear its cache from its settings panel.
• Clear Server Cache (if applicable): Some hosting providers offer server-level caching. Check your hosting control panel (like hPanel on Hostinger) for options to purge server cache.

2. Test Your Form on a Different Browser or Device

A simple check is to view your page with the Elementor form on a different web browser (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Edge) or device (e.g., mobile phone, tablet). This helps determine if the issue is browser-specific or more fundamental to your website.

3. Check Elementor Settings for Form Widget

Double-check the settings of your form within Elementor itself. Open the page with the form in Elementor editor:

• Click on the form widget to edit it.
• Review the Actions After Submit section under the Content tab. Ensure the correct actions (e.g., Email, Redirect, MailPoet, etc.) are selected and configured properly.
• If you expect an email, check the Email action settings: ensure the ‘To’, ‘From Email’, ‘From Name’, ‘Subject’, and ‘Message’ fields are correct.
• If you’re using a reCAPTCHA field, ensure your Site Key and Secret Key are correctly configured under Elementor > Settings > Integrations.

Comprehensive Solutions for Elementor Form Builder Not Working

If the initial checks didn’t resolve your problem, it’s time to dig a little deeper. Many issues with the Elementor form builder not working stem from common culprits like plugin conflicts, server-side configurations, or outdated software.

1. Investigate Plugin & Theme Conflicts

Plugin and theme conflicts are among the most common causes of WordPress and Elementor issues. They can break functionalities, including forms.

Step-by-step Conflict Test:

1. Deactivate All Plugins: Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins in your WordPress dashboard. Select all active plugins (except for Elementor and Elementor Pro) and choose Deactivate from the Bulk Actions dropdown, then click Apply.
2. Test the Form: Check if your Elementor form now works.
3. Reactivate Plugins One by One: If the form works, reactivate your plugins one by one, testing the form after each activation.
4. Identify the Culprit: The plugin that breaks the form after reactivation is likely the source of the conflict. Once identified, you can look for an alternative plugin, contact the plugin developer for support, or check their documentation for known conflicts or settings that might cause issues.
5. Switch to a Default Theme: If deactivating plugins doesn’t solve the issue, switch your theme to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four (Appearance > Themes). Test the form again. If it works, your theme is causing the conflict. Contact your theme developer for assistance.

2. Verify SMTP Settings for Email Delivery Issues

A very common scenario when your Elementor form builder is not working is that forms submit but emails aren’t received. WordPress, by default, uses PHP’s wp_mail() function, which can be unreliable for email delivery, often landing emails in spam folders or failing to send them entirely. Using an SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) plugin is crucial for reliable email delivery.

Recommended SMTP Plugin: WP Mail SMTP by WPForms

1. Install and Activate: Go to Plugins > Add New, search for “WP Mail SMTP”, install, and activate it.
2. Configure SMTP: Navigate to WP Mail SMTP > Settings.
3. Choose Your Mailer: Select your preferred mailer like SendGrid, Mailgun, SMTP.com, Google/Gmail, Outlook, or “Other SMTP.” Using a dedicated SMTP service is highly recommended for deliverability over direct Gmail/Outlook integrations due to API limits and security (e.g., using App Passwords for Gmail).
4. Enter SMTP Credentials: Fill in the required details (host, port, encryption, username, password). You can usually get these from your web host or email service provider. Hostinger has tutorials on setting up various SMTP services.
5. Send a Test Email: Use the “Email Test” tab in WP Mail SMTP to send a test email and confirm it’s working.

Once SMTP is correctly configured, your Elementor forms should reliably send emails.

3. Update Elementor, WordPress, and Other Software

Outdated software can lead to bugs, security vulnerabilities, and compatibility issues that prevent your Elementor form builder from working. Always keep your site updated.

• WordPress Core: Go to Dashboard > Updates.
• Elementor & Elementor Pro: Check Plugins > Installed Plugins for update notifications.
• Themes & Other Plugins: Update any other themes and plugins.

4. Review PHP Version and WordPress Memory Limit

Elementor, especially Elementor Pro with its advanced form features, can be resourced-intensive. Insufficient server resources or an outdated PHP version can cause the Elementor form builder not to work correctly or to exhibit erratic behavior.

• PHP Version: Elementor recommends PHP 7.4 or higher (ideally 8.0+). You can check your PHP version via your hosting control panel (e.g., Hostinger’s hPanel under “PHP Configuration”) or by installing a plugin like PHP Compatibility Checker. Upgrade if necessary.
• WordPress Memory Limit: Elementor recommends a minimum of 128MB. You can increase this by adding the following line to your wp-config.php file, just before the line that says /* That's all, stop editing! Happy blogging. */:

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

  You might also need to edit your php.ini file (often accessible via your hosting control panel) to increase memory_limit.

5. Check For JavaScript Errors in the Console

Client-side JavaScript errors can prevent forms from submitting or displaying interactive elements correctly. This is a common yet often overlooked cause for the Elementor form builder not working.

1. Open your browser’s developer tools (usually by pressing F12 or right-clicking and selecting “Inspect”).
2. Go to the “Console” tab.
3. Load the page with your Elementor form.
4. Look for any red error messages. These often point to a specific file (e.g., a plugin or theme’s script) that is causing the problem. Google the error message for potential solutions or use it when contacting support.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting Elementor Form Builder Not Working

Here, we’ll address specific scenarios users often face when their Elementor form builder is not working.

Form Submits But No Email Received

This is almost always an email delivery issue, not an Elementor issue. Refer to Solution 2: Verify SMTP Settings. Ensure your SMTP configuration is correct and that the “From Email” in Elementor’s form settings matches an email address allowed by your SMTP provider.

Form Doesn’t Submit (Spinning Wheel or Error Message)

• JavaScript Errors: As mentioned, check your browser console for errors (refer to Solution 5).
• reCAPTCHA Issues: If you’re using reCAPTCHA, ensure your Site Key and Secret Key are correctly entered in Elementor > Settings > Integrations. Also, check that the domain registered with Google reCAPTCHA matches your website’s domain. Try temporarily disabling reCAPTCHA to see if the form submits without it.
• Plugin/Theme Conflict: A conflicting plugin or theme might be blocking the form’s submission script. Perform a conflict test (Solution 1).
• Server-side Security (e.g., Mod_Security): Some web hosts have strict security rules (like Mod_Security) that can block form submissions, particularly if they contain certain characters or patterns. Check your server error logs (via your hosting control panel) for 403 Forbidden errors related to your form submission. You might need to contact your host to whitelist specific rules.
• Form Field Names with Special Characters: Avoid using special characters or spaces in form field ‘Name’ attributes as they can sometimes interfere with submission. Stick to alphanumeric characters and underscores.

Form Not Displaying Correctly or at All

• Caching: Clear all caches (refer to Solution 1 under Initial Checks).
• Plugin Conflict: Especially with optimization plugins (minification, concatenation), try deactivating them one by one.
• CSS Conflicts: Your theme or another plugin might have CSS that’s overriding Elementor’s styling, making the form invisible or broken. Use your browser’s inspector tool to check the form’s CSS properties.
• Elementor Safe Mode: Elementor has a Safe Mode that disables all plugins and the theme, allowing you to check if the issue persists. Go to Elementor > Tools > Safe Mode and enable it. If the form works, a plugin or theme is indeed the culprit.

Conditional Logic Not Working

If your form’s conditional logic isn’t functioning, it often points to:

• JavaScript Errors: Check the browser console.
• Caching: Ensure caches are cleared globally.
• Plugin Conflicts: Particularly with plugins that manipulate JavaScript or AJAX requests.
• Incorrect Logic Setup: