> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.kaliumtheme.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.kaliumtheme.com/troubleshooting/troubleshooting.md).

# Where to Start

Where to start when something isn't working.

Most problems with a WordPress site come from a small number of causes, and they're the same causes over and over. Working through them in order will resolve the majority of issues before you need to contact anyone.

***

### Start here: the four checks

Do these first, in this order. They fix more problems than everything else on this page combined.

#### 1. Clear every cache

Your caching plugin, your host's own cache, and any CDN such as Cloudflare. Then reload the page with a hard refresh (**Ctrl+Shift+R**, or **Cmd+Shift+R** on a Mac).

A surprising number of "the theme is broken" reports are a browser or a CDN showing yesterday's files.

#### 2. Update your plugins

Open **Kalium -> Plugins** and update anything with a newer version available. A theme update often expects newer plugins than you have installed.

#### 3. Check Kalium -> Status

This screen tells you your PHP version, your memory limit, whether your license is active, and whether your server can reach the internet.

Kalium needs **PHP 7.4 or newer** and **at least 128 MB of memory**. Many problems are a server below those numbers.

<figure><img src="https://2905187046-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F1O25QgF7NUwiK2Ek4ro8%2Fuploads%2FRixuPALUMEd0ggTCMsHI%2Fstatus.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=09624077-e5b2-4bf1-b176-c46fb193a340" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### 4. Turn off CSS and JavaScript optimization

In WP Rocket, Autoptimize, LiteSpeed Cache or similar, temporarily switch off **minify**, **combine** and **delay JavaScript**, then reload.

If the problem disappears, turn the settings back on one at a time until it returns. You've found the cause.

{% hint style="info" %}
These optimization features work by rewriting your site's code, and sometimes they rewrite it wrongly. They're the most common cause of "it worked yesterday" problems that aren't caching.
{% endhint %}

***

### Find your problem

{% content-ref url="/pages/lDMfJlgCOZZMCqh1juzM" %}
[Problems After Updating](/troubleshooting/after-an-update.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/xMbDUHAYA9YhEtl23fVF" %}
[Critical Errors and Blank Pages](/troubleshooting/critical-errors.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/GJyqkrQkYZEDmjDgjM9t" %}
[Starter Site Import Problems](/troubleshooting/starter-site-imports.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/QkFZH73qNco9qLPQYpFk" %}
[A Setting Isn't Working](/troubleshooting/settings-not-applying.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/vSi8E6lfXpanzK2RjTMW" %}
[Header and Menu Problems](/troubleshooting/header-and-menus.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/E1sPw43Anc24RTbiYpFi" %}
[Mobile and Responsive Problems](/troubleshooting/mobile-problems.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/SeoPRETQMqgqGb7sedbj" %}
[Image Problems](/troubleshooting/image-problems.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/m9yA753lgpJiRuIbQ2jk" %}
[Shop Problems](/troubleshooting/shop-problems.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/XZ8hgZ0JQIKXuw3hCcEA" %}
[Plugin Problems and Conflicts](/troubleshooting/plugin-conflicts.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/IPFCDzhvawSw2I9Nl6zv" %}
[License and Activation Problems](/troubleshooting/license-and-activation.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/gNk6poUNQxRT5wlIS5qs" %}
[Child Theme Problems](/troubleshooting/child-theme-problems.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/OKeDxhDx7hv96DJuu2az" %}
[Manage Options in Customizer](/troubleshooting/manage-options-in-customizer.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/TFi9WMgT0PbTeucNRq6q" %}
[Bad Hosting Environment](/troubleshooting/bad-hosting-environment.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

***

### The two-minute conflict test

When you can't tell what's causing something, this finds it quickly:

1. **Switch off all plugins** except the ones Kalium needs. Does the problem stop?
2. If yes, turn them back on **one at a time**, checking after each. The one that brings the problem back is your answer.
3. If no, switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four. If the problem persists there too, it isn't the theme.

Do this on a staging copy if you have one. If you don't, do it at a quiet time, visitors will see the site change while you work.

***

### Before contacting support

Having these ready will get you a useful answer much faster:

* **What you see**, and on which page, a link helps
* **What you expected instead**
* **When it started**, and what changed around then, an update, a new plugin, a migration
* **A screenshot of Kalium -> Status**
* **Whether the four checks above changed anything**

{% hint style="info" %}
If your site is completely down and you can't reach your admin at all, go straight to [Critical Errors](/troubleshooting/critical-errors.md), it covers getting back in.
{% endhint %}