How to Check WordPress Plugin Conflicts: A Step by Step Guide

WordPress is one of the most versatile and powerful content management systems, largely due to its extensive library of plugins.

However, adding too many plugins or using incompatible ones can sometimes lead to plugin conflicts, which can cause issues such as broken functionality, errors, or even the dreaded “white screen of death” on your website.

When you experience problems with your WordPress site, plugin conflicts are often one of the first things to check.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to identify and resolve plugin conflicts step by step.

What Causes WordPress Plugin Conflicts?

Plugin conflicts typically occur when:

Plugins aren’t compatible with each other: Two or more plugins may try to use the same resources, scripts, or functions, causing them to clash.
A plugin isn’t compatible with your WordPress theme: Some themes include built-in functions or scripts that may interfere with a plugin’s functionality.
A plugin isn’t compatible with the latest WordPress version: Outdated plugins may not work with newer versions of WordPress, especially after major updates.
Poorly coded plugins: Not all plugins are built with best practices, which can lead to conflicts with core WordPress files, other plugins, or your theme.

Symptoms of Plugin Conflicts

Common signs of plugin conflicts include:

Site crashes or errors: Your website suddenly stops working, displays errors, or shows the “white screen of death.”
Slow site performance: Plugins may be competing for resources, causing slow load times.
Broken features: Certain functionalities on your site stop working, such as forms, navigation, or media uploads.
Inability to access the WordPress admin area: Sometimes, a plugin conflict can prevent you from logging into or accessing your dashboard.

Step by Step Guide to Identifying Plugin Conflicts

Before starting, it’s important to back up your site. This ensures that if anything goes wrong during troubleshooting, you can easily restore your website to its previous state.

Step 1: Deactivate All Plugins

The first and easiest way to check for plugin conflicts is to deactivate all your plugins at once and see if the issue persists.

Log into your WordPress dashboard.
Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
Select all the plugins by clicking the checkbox at the top of the list.
From the Bulk Actions dropdown, select Deactivate and click Apply.

Once all plugins are deactivated:

Check your site: If the issue is resolved, you’ve confirmed that one or more plugins were causing the conflict.
If the problem persists, the conflict may be with your theme or core WordPress files, not the plugins.

Step 2: Reactivate Plugins One by One

Now that you’ve deactivated all plugins and identified that the issue is plugin-related, the next step is to find the specific plugin causing the conflict.

Reactivate plugins one by one: Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and start reactivating each plugin individually. After activating each plugin, check your site to see if the problem reappears.
Identify the conflict: When you reactivate the plugin that causes the issue to resurface, you’ve found the conflicting plugin.

Step 3: Switch to a Default Theme

Sometimes, plugin conflicts arise due to incompatibilities with your current theme. To check if your theme is causing the issue:

Go to Appearance > Themes in your WordPress dashboard.
Activate one of the default themes, such as Twenty Twenty-Three or Twenty Twenty-One.
Test your site: If the problem is fixed after switching themes, your theme is conflicting with one of your plugins.

If the issue is resolved when using the default theme but not when using your usual theme, the conflict may lie between your theme and the plugin.

Step 4: Debugging via FTP or File Manager (When Locked Out of Admin)

Sometimes, plugin conflicts can completely lock you out of your WordPress admin area. If you’re unable to access your dashboard, you can deactivate plugins via FTP or your hosting provider’s file manager.

Access your WordPress files: Use an FTP client like FileZilla or go to your hosting control panel (such as cPanel) and open the File Manager.
Navigate to the plugins folder: Go to wp-content/plugins in your WordPress directory.
Rename the plugins folder: Rename the plugins folder to something like plugins-deactivated. This will deactivate all your plugins.
Check your site: If your site starts working again, you’ve confirmed that a plugin conflict was the issue.
Restore plugins one by one: To find the problematic plugin, rename the plugins folder back to its original name, then rename individual plugin folders to deactivate them one at a time.

Step 5: Check for Plugin Compatibility

Once you’ve identified the plugin causing the issue, the next step is to determine whether it’s due to incompatibility or an outdated version.

Check for updates: Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and see if there’s an available update for the conflicting plugin. Updating the plugin to the latest version may fix the issue.
Look for compatibility information: On the plugin’s WordPress repository page, check the “Tested up to” field to see if it’s compatible with your current WordPress version. If it hasn’t been tested with recent versions, the plugin may no longer be supported.
Check the support forum: Plugin developers and users often discuss known conflicts and fixes in the plugin’s support forum on WordPress.org. It’s a good place to see if others are facing similar issues and if there are workarounds.

Step 6: Alternative Solutions

If you’ve found that a particular plugin is causing a conflict and there is no available fix, you have a few options:

Find a replacement plugin: There are often multiple plugins that serve the same function. Search the WordPress repository for a similar plugin that doesn’t cause conflicts.
Contact the plugin developer: If the plugin is essential to your site and there’s no alternative, reach out to the plugin’s developer. Many developers are responsive and may provide a fix or update if they’re aware of a conflict.
Hire a developer: If you’re using a custom-built plugin or theme and can’t resolve the conflict, you may need to hire a developer to fix the code or resolve the conflict between the two.

Best Practices to Avoid Plugin Conflicts

While plugin conflicts can happen at any time, there are ways to minimize the risk of running into these issues:

Keep plugins updated: Always use the latest version of your plugins. Developers regularly release updates to fix bugs and compatibility issues.
Limit the number of plugins: Only install the plugins you really need. The more plugins you use, the higher the chance of running into conflicts.
Use reliable plugins: Stick to plugins from reputable developers with good reviews and regular updates. Plugins that are poorly coded or no longer maintained are more likely to cause issues.
Test new plugins: Before installing a new plugin on your live site, consider testing it in a staging environment or on a local version of your site. This way, you can check for conflicts before affecting your live website.
Use staging environments: Many hosting providers offer a staging environment, where you can test updates and plugin installations without affecting your live site.

Conclusion

Plugin conflicts can be a frustrating part of managing a WordPress site, but identifying and resolving them doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

By systematically deactivating and reactivating plugins, testing theme compatibility, and using your hosting’s file manager or FTP if necessary, you can quickly pinpoint and fix the issue.

Following best practices like regularly updating your plugins and using only those you truly need can help minimize future conflicts.

By staying proactive and using the right troubleshooting techniques, you can keep your WordPress site running smoothly, even with multiple plugins.