When a WordPress plugin “is not working,” the symptom can be almost anything: a missing button, a blank settings screen, a form that will not submit, a feature that vanished after an update, or an Admin notice that names the plugin. The cause is often a conflict, a failed update, a PHP error, or a cache still serving the old behavior.
Work through these checks in order. Once the feature works again, check other important features and restore any settings or plugins changed only for testing. If one covered WordPress issue is clearly to blame and you want help, use the $99 one-time fix after you can authorize access.
Define what “not working” means
- Write down the exact feature that fails (checkout button, form submit, login redirect, shortcode output, Admin screen).
- Note when it last worked and what changed: plugin update, WordPress update, PHP version change, new plugin, theme switch, or host migration.
- Check whether the failure is on the public site, in Admin, or both.
- If the whole site is offline with a maintenance message, clear any leftover
.maintenance file in the WordPress root only after you confirm no update is still running, then return here.
- If the screen says there has been a critical error, use the critical error checklist.
Check for a recent update or install
- In Plugins, confirm the plugin is installed and activated.
- Open its changelog or update notes for the version you installed. Look for required WordPress or PHP versions.
- If the problem started right after an update, take a current backup and test recovery on staging when possible. Ask the plugin vendor or your host whether restoring the previous plugin files is compatible with any database changes made by the update. Retest after an agreed recovery step; do not leave a version with a known security flaw in place.
- Before restoring a database backup, check what newer orders, form submissions, or edits would be lost.
If a plugin update broke a site that was fine minutes earlier, see also plugin update broke WordPress site.
Read the error log before guessing
- Start with the PHP error log in your hosting dashboard for the same minute the feature failed. Keep errors hidden from visitors. Do not share logs publicly; they may contain sensitive information.
- Look for a file path under
wp-content/plugins that names a plugin folder. That plugin is the first suspect.
- If Admin shows a plugin-specific notice or email, treat that name as the lead, then confirm it in the log.
Isolate conflicts safely
Use a staging copy when possible. Before changing the live site, take a backup and record which plugins are active. Disabling plugins can stop checkout, forms, bookings, and other features. Keep the plugin you are testing and its required dependencies active when testing for conflicts.
- If the log names the plugin whose feature is broken, send the error to its vendor or your host. Disabling that plugin may restore the rest of the site, but it cannot prove its own feature works. If the log points to another plugin, test disabling that other plugin on staging first.
- On staging, deactivate other regular plugins while keeping the plugin under test and its required dependencies active. Retest the feature, then reactivate the other previously active plugins one at a time and check after each. If Admin will not load, use the critical error checklist to restore access before testing the feature. Must-use plugins and some caching components need separate checks.
- To test the theme, first confirm a default WordPress theme is installed. Then temporarily switch to that default theme, or rename the active theme’s folder under
wp-content/themes and retest. If you are unsure how to restore it, ask your host for help.
Rule out cache, CDN, and optimization layers
- After a change, clear the affected page or CDN cache if it may be serving an old response, then reload the page. Clear object cache only when your host or plugin vendor recommends it for this issue.
- Ask your host or cache provider to check whether private Admin or AJAX responses are being served from public cache. Correct any unsuitable cache rule, then clear the affected cache.
- On staging, test changing one JavaScript optimization setting at a time, such as defer or combine, and retest the feature. Record the original setting and restore it if the change does not help.
When a $99 one-time fix fits
Request the $99 one-time WordPress fix if you want help with one clearly defined issue on one WordPress site. Name the plugin, the broken feature, and the last change you made. We confirm the scope before work begins. Send credentials only through the private access link provided after your request is accepted.
Full rebuilds, new custom features, full migrations, and multiple unrelated issues are outside this offer.
Related checks
If the checks do not identify the cause, send your host the plugin name, the broken feature, and the time it started. Suspected compromise needs a security investigation as well as restoring the feature.