Plugin Problems and Conflicts
Bundled plugin updates, double lightboxes, caching plugins, and finding which two plugins don't get along.
Kalium bundles four premium plugins: ACF Pro, WPBakery Page Builder, Slider Revolution and LayerSlider. They're licensed through your Kalium license, so you install and update them from Kalium -> Plugins, not the usual WordPress plugin screen.
Two things follow from that, and between them they explain most plugin problems: the theme supplies the download, and an inactive license means no downloads at all.
Bundled plugin problems
"Update package not available"
By far the most common, usually on ACF Pro or Slider Revolution.
The plugin author has released a new version, but WordPress has nowhere to download it from, because a bundled premium plugin has no public download. Kalium supplies the file, and it can only supply a version it actually carries.
Check first:
Kalium -> Status, is your license active? An inactive license means no plugin downloads.
Kalium -> Status, is the theme itself up to date? A newer bundled plugin usually arrives with a theme update.
The fix:
Update Kalium first
Then open Kalium -> Plugins and update the plugin from there
If it still won't update, the plugin author has released a version newer than the one your Kalium version carries. Wait for the next Kalium release, which will bundle it.
Don't download the plugin from anywhere else. A copy from elsewhere won't match your license and will be overwritten.
WPBakery is asking for a license key
The bundled copy is licensed through Kalium and should never need its own key. Being asked for one means it was installed from somewhere else, or your Kalium license is inactive.
Check Kalium -> Status for an active license, then reinstall WPBakery from Kalium -> Plugins.
Portfolio pages show a critical error
Almost always ACF Pro being inactive. The portfolio's per-project fields are ACF fields, so without it the project template has nothing to render.
Plugins -> Installed Plugins, check Advanced Custom Fields PRO is active
If it isn't installed, get it from Kalium -> Plugins
Reload a project page
My widgets disappeared
WordPress replaced the classic widget screen with a block-based one. Your sidebars still exist, the new screen just may not show them as you expect.
Install and activate the Classic Widgets plugin
Open Appearance -> Widgets, your sidebars and their content are there
Finding a conflict
A conflict is when two things work on their own but not together. The method is always the same.
Note exactly what's broken and how to reproduce it
Deactivate all plugins except the ones Kalium requires
Test. If the problem is gone, reactivate plugins one at a time, testing after each
The plugin that brings the problem back is one half of the pair
Do this on a staging copy if you have one.
Caching and optimization plugins
The most frequent conflict of all. Combining or deferring the theme's JavaScript breaks menus, sliders and galleries.
Switch off minify JS, combine JS and delay JavaScript execution
Clear all caches and test
Re-enable them one at a time, testing after each
If you need those settings on, exclude Kalium's own scripts from optimization. Most plugins accept a path pattern, exclude anything under the theme's assets/js directory.
Two lightboxes open at once
A gallery plugin is applying its own lightbox on top of Kalium's.
Either disable the other plugin's lightbox while keeping its linking behavior, or turn Kalium's off at Appearance -> Customize -> General -> Lightbox Settings and let the other plugin own it.
Either works, just don't have both.
LightboxMy header and footer disappeared after activating Elementor Pro
Elementor Pro's Theme Builder takes over headers and footers as soon as it's active, even if you haven't built one.
Either build a header and footer in Elementor's Theme Builder, or let Kalium handle them, Kalium restores its own when no Elementor header or footer matches the page. If both are missing, update Kalium.
An Elementor template replaced my portfolio archive
An Elementor template whose display conditions match the portfolio address replaces Kalium's archive entirely.
Narrow that template's conditions so it no longer matches, or accept it and build the listing in Elementor.
A page builder can't edit a portfolio or archive page
Archives are generated by the theme rather than stored as page content, so a builder has nothing to open.
To design that layout, create a Template Part of type Page with conditions targeting the archive. That gives the builder a real canvas to work on.
Replace a PageCustom CSS is being ignored
Usually specificity rather than a conflict.
Check Appearance -> Customize -> Additional CSS and your child theme's stylesheet for existing rules using !important on the same property.
The fix: remove the competing !important, or make your own selector more specific. Better still, set the value through the Customizer where one exists, it survives updates and avoids the fight entirely.
A slider doesn't appear
Is the slider plugin active?
Does the slider have at least one published slide?
Is a caching plugin combining or deferring JavaScript? Sliders are script-driven and are frequently broken by it.
A plugin update broke the site
Access your site by FTP and rename the plugin's folder in
wp-content/plugins/to disable itReload to confirm the site recovers
If it was one of the four bundled plugins, reinstall it through Kalium -> Plugins, that copy matches what the theme expects
Kalium's blocks are missing from the inserter
Portfolio Items appears only when the portfolio module is enabled, and Content Section only when Template Parts is enabled. Both are under Kalium -> Settings.
Theme SettingsLast updated
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