Like many WordPress users, we’ve encountered our fair share of plugin conflicts, ranging from broken layouts to unexpected error messages.
Recently, a friend shared a relatable experience. Her new newsletter popup plugin functioned flawlessly at first, but after a routine update, her entire website experienced major issues.
The most frustrating part? This situation could have been prevented with the right knowledge.
Through our experience assisting various WordPress users at CanadaCreate, we’ve discovered that plugin conflicts can be manageable if you have a dependable method to identify them.
In this guide, we will outline two effective methods for diagnosing WordPress plugin conflicts. These steps have successfully helped thousands of our readers maintain smooth-running websites. 🙌
What Is a WordPress Plugin Conflict?
A plugin conflict arises when one or more plugins disrupt each other, your website’s theme, or the core WordPress files.
This can occur for several reasons, including outdated plugins, incompatible software, poor coding practices, or resource competition when multiple plugins attempt to perform the same function.
When a plugin conflict happens, your WordPress site may exhibit various symptoms. Common indicators include a blank white screen, jumbled layouts, error messages, and overall instability of the site.
Now, let’s explore different methods to identify WordPress plugin conflicts on your website. You can manually check for conflicts by deactivating plugins or utilize a plugin to activate troubleshooting mode.
We will discuss both approaches and provide tips to prevent future conflicts, so feel free to click the links below to navigate to any section.
- Method 1: Deactivate All Plugins and Reactivate Them Individually
- Method 2: Use a Plugin to Identify Conflicts
- How to Resolve WordPress Plugin Conflicts
- How to Prevent Future WordPress Plugin Conflicts
- Bonus Resources 🔗: Guides for WordPress Management and Maintenance
🧑💻 Pro Tip:Before attempting to fix plugin conflicts, it’s advisable to create a backup of your website. This ensures you can easily restore your content and settings if something goes wrong.
Let’s get started.
Method 1: Deactivate All Plugins and Reactivate Them Individually
The simplest way to determine if there’s a plugin conflict is to deactivate all plugins on your site and then reactivate them one at a time.
Disabling plugins can help determine if the WordPress error you’re experiencing is related to a plugin. If it is, you can reactivate each plugin one by one to identify the specific plugin causing the issue.
To begin deactivating plugins, navigate toPlugins » Installed Pluginsin your WordPress dashboard. Then, simply click the ‘Deactivate’ option located beneath the plugin name.
Alternatively, you can deactivate multiple plugins at once on your site.
Just click the checkbox at the top to select all plugins.
Next, click on the ‘Bulk actions’ dropdown menu at the top.
From there, choose the ‘Deactivate’ option, and then click the ‘Apply’ button to deactivate all selected plugins.
You may also want to refer to our guide on how to deactivate plugins if you cannot access wp-admin.
Now that all plugins are disabled, check if the website error still persists.
If the error has been resolved, you can begin manually reactivating each plugin on your site to find out which one is causing the conflict.
If the error persists, it’s advisable to investigate whether your theme is the source of the problem. Deactivate your current theme and activate one of WordPress’ default themes, such as Twenty Twenty-Four, to determine if this resolves the issue.
For step-by-step instructions on changing WordPress themes, refer to our tutorial.
Method 2: Utilize a Plugin to Identify Conflicts
Another effective method for identifying plugin conflicts in WordPress is by using a plugin like Health Check & Troubleshooting.
This free WordPress plugin assists you in diagnosing errors by enabling a default theme and disabling all your plugins. You can use it to identify plugin conflicts and resolve issues without disrupting traffic on your live site.
First, install and activate the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin. If you require assistance, please consult our guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
After activation, navigate to Tools » Site Health in the WordPress dashboard. Here, switch to the ‘Troubleshooting’ tab.
Then, click the ‘Enable Troubleshooting Mode’ button.
This process will disable all plugins on your website and revert to a default theme. This allows you to identify any plugin conflicts that may be leading to various errors and issues.
How to Resolve WordPress Plugin Conflicts
After pinpointing the problematic plugin, it’s essential to address the issue. Here are some effective strategies to resolve it.
1. Update Your Website’s Plugins
Updating plugins frequently includes bug fixes and enhancements that can help eliminate plugin conflicts. Therefore, simply updating the relevant plugin may resolve your issue.
To find out if a plugin has an update available, navigate to Plugins » Installed Plugins and look for an ‘update now’ link beneath it:
Alternatively, you can visit Dashboard » Updates to view your available updates.
For comprehensive guidance, refer to our tutorial on how to effectively update WordPress plugins.
2. Verify Plugin and WordPress Compatibility
At times, the versions of your WordPress and plugins may not align, leading to conflicts.
Whenever you install a new plugin, ensure it is compatible with your current version of WordPress. You can verify this information at the bottom of the plugin description:
If both the plugin and your website are updated, you should see a message stating, ‘Compatible with your version of WordPress.’
If not, you will see ‘Untested with your version of WordPress.’ In this case, you may need to update the plugin or consider using an alternative.
3. Update or Change Your WordPress Theme
As previously mentioned, sometimes the conflict arises between a plugin and your WordPress theme.
Once you identify that the theme is causing the issue, you can reactivate it. Then, deactivate plugins on your site one by one until the problem is resolved. This process will help you pinpoint which plugin is conflicting with your theme.
To resolve the issue, start by updating your WordPress theme to the latest version. This should address any bugs or compatibility problems that may be affecting a plugin.
In cases where the problem persists, it may be advisable to switch your website theme.
For further information, please refer to our guide on how to properly change a WordPress theme.
4. Contact the Plugin Developers
If updating does not fix the plugin issue, it is wise to get in touch with the developers of the tool.
To find support options or contact details, visit the plugin’s page on WordPress.org or the developer’s official website.
When reporting an issue in a forum or to the plugin’s support team, provide detailed information such as error messages, your WordPress version, and steps to replicate the problem.
This information helps plugin developers understand the issue better and increases the chances of a quick resolution.
For additional guidance, check out our comprehensive guide on how to request WordPress support effectively.
5. Explore Alternative Plugins
If you cannot resolve the plugin conflict using the methods mentioned, consider replacing the problematic plugin with a compatible alternative.
Utilize the WordPress plugin repository to discover plugins that offer similar features. Before making a switch, review the plugin ratings, reviews, installation numbers, compatibility with the latest WordPress versions, and the responsiveness of support.
For instance, if you are searching for an alternative to a WordPress form plugin, visit the WordPress.org website and navigate to the plugins section.
From there, enter ‘forms’ in the search bar to explore a variety of options.
Explore our CanadaCreate Solution Center for expert plugin recommendations and genuine reviews from real users.
How to Prevent Future WordPress Plugin Conflicts
Plugin conflicts can create significant issues for your website and are often difficult to identify. Therefore, it’s important to find ways to prevent them.
Here are some effective strategies to reduce the likelihood of plugin conflicts:
- Perform Regular Updates – Ensure that your plugins, themes, and WordPress core are always updated to avoid compatibility issues and bugs that may lead to conflicts.
- Limit Your Plugins to Essentials – Only use the WordPress plugins that are absolutely necessary for your site to minimize the risk of conflicts. The more plugins you install, the greater the chance of encountering issues.
- Choose High-Quality Plugins – Opt for plugins developed by reputable creators with positive reviews. Consider testing a plugin on a staging site to ensure it meets your requirements before using it on your live site.
If you frequently experience conflicts, it may be beneficial to hire a WordPress agency for your website maintenance.
CanadaCreate offers top-notch WordPress Maintenance & Support services at an affordable price. Our team of experts will monitor your website for conflicts and resolve them promptly.
We also help prevent conflicts by ensuring that your plugins, themes, and WordPress core are always updated. Additionally, CanadaCreate’s maintenance specialists conduct regular backups, malware scans, and more.
Helpful Resources 🔗: Comprehensive Guides for WordPress Management and Maintenance
We hope this article has guided you in identifying WordPress plugin conflicts. You may also find our guides on the following topics helpful:
- How to Resolve Plugins Missing from the WordPress Dashboard
- How to Preview Your WordPress Site Before Launching
- How to Enable Maintenance Mode on Your WordPress Site
- How to Redirect Users to a Maintenance Page in WordPress
- Understanding the Difference Between Coming Soon and Maintenance Mode
- The Complete Guide to WordPress Maintenance
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