A WordPress plugin is a software component that adds specific features or functionality to a WordPress website without requiring any coding. Plugins are essential to the WordPress ecosystem, allowing users to customize their sites easily. However, if two or more plugins perform the same task or use the same resources, it can cause conflicts that result in errors or performance problems.
Dealing with plugin conflicts in WordPress can be a source of frustration. However, with some simple guidelines, it is possible to identify and resolve these conflicts. By following these guidelines, the process of identifying and fixing plugin conflicts becomes easier. In this guide, you will find straightforward steps to help you resolve plugin conflicts on your WordPress website.
Using the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin #
We highly recommend using the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin to identify conflicts on your live WordPress site rather than deactivating plugins individually. This plugin is a useful tool that can help diagnose and troubleshoot problems without disrupting your site’s functionality.
To diagnose and resolve plugin conflicts using the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin, follow these steps:
- Install and activate the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin from your Dashboard > Plugins > Add New.
- Once you have installed and activated the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin on your WordPress site, you can access a Troubleshoot option for each individual plugin. However, you can enable the Troubleshooting Mode within the Site Health section rather than checking each plugin separately.
This mode will deactivate all plugins except for the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin and allow you to enable each plugin one by one to check for conflicts. You can access the Troubleshooting tab by navigating to Admin Panel > Tools > Site Health. - Navigate to the Site Health section by clicking Admin Panel > Tools > Site Health and selecting the Troubleshooting tab.
- Enable Troubleshooting Mode, which deactivates all plugins except for the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin.
- Enable each plugin one at a time and check for the issue using an incognito browser or private browsing mode.
- Once you have identified the conflicting plugin, please disable it and exit Troubleshooting Mode to restore your site’s normal functionality.
- Lastly, report the plugin conflict to the respective plugin author or support to get assistance in resolving the issue.
Note: Site visitors will continue to view your site normally while it is in troubleshooting mode.
Using the Activation/Deactivation Method #
You can use an alternative method if you prefer not to use a third-party conflict plugin to test for a plugin conflict. You can use the Activation/Deactivation technique, and below are the steps to guide you through the process.
- Upon accessing the Admin Panel, you can locate the list of all installed plugins by navigating to the Plugins section.
- To identify the specific plugin causing an issue, you can deactivate your plugins individually while checking your website for the problem after each deactivation.
- Once you have successfully identified the plugin causing the conflict, it is recommended that you report the issue to the respective plugin author or support team. Additionally, it is advisable to temporarily disable the plugin until the plugin developers have resolved the issue.
Note: It is strongly advised that you create a complete website backup before conducting a plugin conflict test on your live/production website. Alternatively, you can import your website to a local or staging environment to perform the test.