How to Solve Elementor, Divi & Other Theme Builder Update Issues
By Rob on April 25, 2023 in Web Hosting & Support WordPress Tips
While theme builders and page builders can allow those who are inexperienced with web development to create functional and good looking websites, it can be incredibly difficult to keep them maintained, especially if you are a developer experienced with traditional web development. These builders will often cause conflicts with plugins, new PHP versions, and even new WordPress updates. Often the convenience for building a site with a theme or page builder comes at the cost of increased difficulty maintaining them, not to mention the cost of the builder itself which can often be expensive as well. In this quick guide, I’ll go over some tips on updating some of the most common page and theme builders I’ve come across while working on support and site maintenance.
Elementor
Elementor is one of the most commonly used page builders and having a basic knowledge of how to navigate its many, many menus should be on any support developer’s radar. Browser dev tools unfortunately are useless when it comes to identifying where CSS for particular elements are located on most page builders, Elementor included. You’ll need to launch Elementor’s editor and search for where the CSS for the element is set. While usually it can be found by selecting the element itself in the editor, other times it can be found within the site settings or the theme builder. As for keeping the plugin up-to-date, the most important thing is to update all addons for Elementor first before updating the main plugin. If you attempt to update the main plugin first, the site and potentially even the backend of the site will critically error and will require a backup restore. Lastly, make sure to keep your plugin license active if you utilize Elementor Pro as the plugin will not automatically update which can lead to potential issues.
Divi
Divi is another incredibly common page builder that utilizes the divi theme and often several add-on plugins to build pages. Unlike Elementor where the builder has its own UI outside of the wp-admin, Divi’s builder operates both inside and outside of the wp-admin. While possible to layout a page in the backend, it’s much clearer to use the ‘Frontend Editor’ to load the page visually and edit the layout there. As with Elementor, it’s best to update all of Divi’s dependencies and add-on plugins first before attempting to update the theme. To update the Divi theme itself, you must go to Appearance->Themes and click update there.
WP Bakery
Out of the most common page builders, WP Bakery is by far the least reliable and the most “buggy” to work with. On top of this, it is not often updated which can lead to compatibility concerns with other plugins and even WordPress updates. Unfortunately the only real tip I can give with WP Bakery updates is to backup your site before updating to the newest version of the plugin as most of the issues caused by this page builder are different on a case-by-case basis.
Be Sure to Have a Reliable Support System
Even with the possible headaches, you can still try and use a theme builder. If you do, however, be sure you have a strong web host who can assist with support issues in case things go wrong. PaperStreet offers several web hosting options, so contact us today and let us help.
