Nimble Builder troubleshooting guide

This is a simple troubleshooting guide for websites using the  Nimble Builder plugin.

The most common sources of problem are : 

1. outdated software : make sure Nimble Builder, your theme and WordPress are up to date.
2. server loading cached content : when you customize your site, make sure you deactivate your cache plugin, and always clear your plugin cache. Otherwise you might not see your changes when closing the customizer.
3. plugin in conflict with the Nimble Builder plugin.

❗️ Before doing anything else

1. Use the latest software versions : this is obvious but make sure WordPress, your theme and plugins are updated to their latest versions.
2. Install WordPress official Health check plugin. Activate the troubleshooting mode.
3. Cache plugin : if you use a server cache or cache plugin, please clear it’s cache content and disable caching via it’s settings.
4. Browser :
   • clear your browser’s cache / history,
   • try to switch to another browser,
   • make sure you do not use any add-ons or extensions for your browser that may conflict with your website.
5. Check for plugin conflict : deactivate all of your plugins. If it fixes the issue, re-activate your plugins one by one, until you isolate the plugin in conflict.
6. Child theme : activate the parent theme if you use a child theme
7. Theme problem : try to activate a WordPress default theme ( Twenty ... )
8. Javascript : make sure you did not insert custom javascript code ( like analytics, subscription popup... ), for example in a widget, that could break your site.

Clearing cache content ( Cache plugin or Server cache )

1. Check with your web hosting company whether your hosting account has a server cache.
2. If you are using a cache plugin ( like Total Cache ) or server cache. Please clear your cache content and disable your caching via it's settings.
3. Deactivating a cache plugin will not stop it from working, you need to disable it via it's settings.
4. Clear your browser history and re-visit your issue, check if it's resolved.
5. NOTE: if your issue is not resolved, Please keep your caching disabled and proceed with next troubleshooting steps.

Check for Plugin Conflict

A plugin or plugins could be using code that conflicts with the Nimble Builder. 
You can disable all plugins, clear cache,  browser history and check if your problem is resolved.

You can isolate the plugin by using the following troubleshooting steps.

1. If you are using a server cache or cache plugin, please clear it’s cache content and disable caching via it’s settings.
2. Proceed to disable one plugin at a time, clear browser history and re-visit your issue. 
   Check if it’s working properly now. If it's working properly, this means the plugin that you had just disabled is causing your issue.

Do this until you find the plugin that’s causing your issue.

WordPress address and site address are different

1. Login to your WordPress dashboard
2. Go to Settings -> General
3. Your WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) have to be identical.

Blank page

A blank page happens when there is a PHP error on your website. 

1. It could be due to a child theme including custom code that is outdated.
2. Theme is not installed completely or Theme update failed without completing. 
   This will cause some Theme files to be missing and thus causing error.
3. Server not having enough memory to run all your software, thus resulting in PHP memory exhaust error.
4. A plugin not installed or updated properly, causing some files to be missing and thus causing error.

You'll find a detailed documentation about blank page issues in WordPress Parse error leading to blank page - How to fix ?

Turn on WP_DEBUG ( error reporting )

Please refer to this  documentation to turn on WP_DEBUG or get your web hosting company for help in turning on WP_DEBUG so that you can see the error message.

Troubleshoot according to error message

Contact your web hosting company to help get your website up and running, if you do not know how to use FTP or are not sure on which files to delete.

Deleting wrong files can cause further damage to your website. Please do not do it yourself, if you are unsure.

1. Take a look at your error message. 
2. Login to your server via FTP.
3. If you are sure that this error is cause by a custom code you added into a child theme or modification to theme, you can proceed to edit your file and remove the error code.
4. If it's about PHP memory exhaust error. You will have to ask your web hosting company to increase your memory.
5. If it's pointing to an error in a plugin file or theme file, because your installation or update stopped without completing.
   You can use FTP to delete the plugin or theme ( folder including all files in it ) and your website should be loading properly. 
   You will be able to access your WordPress admin to re-install your plugin or Theme.
6. if you are using a child theme. Use your FTP to access your server and backup a copy of your child theme onto your PC. Delete your child theme from your website and check if your website is loading properly. A plugin containing outdated codes can cause fatal error.

The normal content of my pages has disappeared

Make sure that you are not using a custom Nimble Builder template for the page.

Customizer breaks, I can't edit my Nimble Builder section : activate the Debug mode.

Nimble Builder includes a debug mode that you can activate in Nimble Builder settings.

1. Connect to your WordPress admin and open Nimble Builder settings
2. Click on the Options tab
3. Check the Debug Mode option

You'll find more details about the debug mode here : https://docs.presscustomizr.com/article/416-how-to-enable-nimble-builder-debug-mode

If your Appearance -> Customize page is still not loading or settings are not saved properly, please carry out the above mentioned troubleshooting steps on Clearing cache content, Updating the Nimble Builder and check for plugin conflict.

If your issue is still not resolved, please proceed with troubleshooting steps as listed in the following documentation :  Customizer Preview is not working ( Appearance - Customize )

When customizing, I can't edit content already created with Nimble Builder

If for some reasons a section or a module is not clickable directly in the preview frame ( z-index problem for example ), you can always access the edit interface of anything via Nimble Builder navigator.

Javascript problems even after deactivating all plugins ?

Make sure you don't have any "hidden" broken javascript code in a WordPress widget for example, or in a custom script option of the WordPress customizer.

Server configuration

It might occur that a wrong server configuration creates a problem. If none of the above steps helped, you might want to ask your server hosting company if your server settings are compliant with WordPress server requirements.