WordPress plugin not working? Check these 5 things
You’ve installed a WordPress plugin, and you’re waiting for the magic to happen. But what if what you see doesn’t match your expectations? What could be wrong if the plugin doesn’t seem to work? Here’s a checklist to get to the root of the problem and determine the appropriate action!
Key takeaways
- Ensure you activated the plugin after installing it, as that’s a common oversight.
- Check for conflicts with other plugins or themes that might prevent proper functionality.
- Review the changelog for updates or changes that could affect how the plugin works.
- Align your expectations with the plugin’s capabilities, as immediate results are unlikely.
- Explore known bugs and consider reaching out to support if issues persist.
Checklist to find why your WordPress plugin isn’t working
1. Did you activate it?
At the risk of stating the obvious: Did you activate the plugin? After installing a plugin, you’re not done yet. You have to click on ‘Plugins’ in your WordPress dashboard and hit ‘Activate’ to turn it on. If you’re not sure how to do this, you might want to check out how to install a plugin or perhaps take a look at our free WordPress training.
If you’ve purchased one of our premium products, e.g., Yoast SEO Premium or Yoast SEO AI+, it’s good to know you should install it separately and then activate it in MyYoast to get it working on your site. Check out how to connect a premium plugin to your site in MyYoast here.
2. Check for conflicts with other plugins/themes
Some plugins and themes don’t play well together. The code of the theme and/or plugin might be interfering with each other, causing a so-called conflict. This might prevent a plugin from working well. Here’s a guide to check for conflicts with Yoast SEO and other plugins.
3. Check the changelog or release notes
Do you know if a feature looks different from how it used to? Don’t fret, it could be an update; a new version of the plugin might show a reworked or enhanced feature. Most plugins keep a changelog on the development tab of their WordPress.org plugin page. Using Yoast SEO (Premium)? You can also check out the latest enhancements in the release posts on our SEO blog.
4. Do your expectations match reality?
Do you have the right expectations of the plugin? For instance, by installing and configuring the Yoast SEO plugin, your site won’t start ranking immediately; there are a few more steps you need to take first. Also, all green traffic lights won’t send a post to the top of the search results right away; there are more factors at play, as you can read here. So make sure to read up on what a plugin does exactly before buying or installing it.
5. Check if it’s a known bug
Did you check if it’s a known bug? Most plugins have GitHub repositories where you’ll find known issues and their statuses. Here’s Yoast SEO’s GitHub repository. If you’re an advanced WordPress user, you might even have a GitHub account. This allows you to create a bug report in the plugin’s repository. Read how to create a good bug report here.
A support team on your side
Would you like one of our friendly, helpful support engineers to take a look when our plugin doesn’t seem to be working? If you get Yoast SEO Premium, our support team will be there to help you out. Our support engineers are located all around the globe, so we’re always on to provide support for Premium users.
You can just check out the other reasons to upgrade to Yoast SEO Premium.
Yoast’s help center
Are you feeling a bit lost in one of our plugins? We have an extensive help center that addresses many common questions you might have when you start using one of our plugins. You’ll find the answers to questions like: “How do I noindex a URL?”, “How do I implement breadcrumbs?” or “Why doesn’t Google display my meta description?” Find the answer to your question here.
The Yoast SEO for WordPress training
If you really want to master Yoast SEO (Premium), the FREE Yoast SEO for WordPress training is there for you. You can learn all about our plugin, its settings, and functionalities, and get tips and tricks to use it best for your type of site. These training videos and quizzes are at your disposal, for free! Get all the details of this online training here.
