Elementor Layout Broken After an Update? How to Fix It and Prevent It

On this page

1. 1. Regenerate CSS and clear caches
2. 2. Check add-on compatibility
3. 3. Make sure Elementor and Elementor Pro match
4. 4. Roll back if needed
5. 5. Look for feature changes
6. 6. Check the theme
7. 7. Restore a backup
8. Prevent it next time

You updated Elementor, Elementor Pro or an add-on, and now sections overlap, fonts changed, spacing is off or widgets have disappeared. Most of these problems can be fixed quickly. Here's the order I work in.

1. Regenerate CSS and clear caches

Elementor stores styles in generated CSS files. After updates, old files can cause broken layouts.

1. Go to Elementor → Tools and regenerate files and data
2. Clear your caching plugin, server cache and CDN
3. Hard refresh the browser

This alone fixes many "broken after update" issues; see changes not showing.

2. Check add-on compatibility

Third-party Elementor add-ons may lag behind Elementor updates. Check for updates to each add-on, and look at their changelogs or support forums for known issues.

3. Make sure Elementor and Elementor Pro match

Updating one without the other can cause problems. Keep both on compatible versions.

4. Roll back if needed

Elementor includes a version rollback tool (in Elementor → Tools) to return to a previous version while you investigate. For other plugins, restore from a backup or install the previous version. Treat rollback as temporary, since old versions miss security fixes.

5. Look for feature changes

Major updates sometimes change how things work, such as layout structures, default spacing or global styles and fonts. Check the release notes and adjust global settings or specific widgets.

6. Check the theme

A theme update at the same time can also change layouts. Compare by switching to Hello Elementor on a staging site.

7. Restore a backup

If the site is badly broken and important, restore the pre-update backup and fix things on staging instead; see backup and restore.

Prevent it next time

• Back up before updating
• Test major Elementor updates on a staging site first; see staging sites
• Wait a few days after a major release for bug-fix updates
• Keep add-ons to a minimum
• Use global colours, fonts and templates so fixes apply everywhere

Need your layout fixed? See Elementor development and fixes.