Theme and plugin conflicts occur when compatibility issues between a WordPress theme and a plugin result in errors, broken functionality, missing content, or website crashes. A theme conflict occurs when a WordPress theme’s code conflicts with the code of a plugin, causing errors or unexpected behavior. A plugin conflict, on the other hand, occurs if the plugins use the same functions or resources, or if one plugin modifies a core WordPress feature that another plugin relies on.
Conflict test
Performing a conflict test is an important step in troubleshooting WordPress website issues caused by plugin or theme conflicts. Here are the steps that you need to follow to do a conflict test:
- Update all your plugins and themes: Using the most recent versions of your website software can sometimes resolve conflicts as the updated releases often contain bug fixes.
- Create a staging site: A staging site is an exact copy of the live website created for testing purposes or to make changes without affecting the live site. It allows developers to experiment and test changes without risking errors on the live website.
- Disable caching: If your website uses caching, disable it to ensure that you are testing the actual site and not a cached version.
- Deactivate all plugins: Deactivate all plugins on your WordPress site. You can do this by going to the Plugins page and selecting all plugins, then choosing to Deactivate from the Bulk Actions drop-down menu.
- Switch to a default theme: Change your theme to a default WordPress theme, such as Twenty Twenty-Two, to eliminate any conflicts caused by the theme.
- Test the site: Check your website to see if the issue is resolved. If the issue is gone, it was caused by a plugin or theme conflict.
- Activate plugins: Activate each plugin one by one, and after each activation, check the website to see if the issue occurs. If the issue reappears after activating a specific plugin, that plugin is causing the conflict.
- Reactivate the theme: Once you have identified the problematic plugin, reactivate all the other plugins and switch back to your original theme. Then, deactivate the problematic plugin and check if the issue is resolved.
By following these steps, you can identify the source of the conflict and take the necessary steps to resolve the issue. Remember to keep all plugins and themes up-to-date to prevent conflicts from occurring in the future.
