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Fixing the 'Your changes were not saved due to an error' Message in Checkout Field Editor

21 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Checkout field editor (checkout manager) for woocommerce

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If you're using the Checkout Field Editor (Checkout Manager) for WooCommerce plugin and keep seeing the frustrating error message "Your changes were not saved due to an error (or you made none!)," you're not alone. This is a common issue reported by many users. This guide will walk you through the most effective troubleshooting steps to resolve it, based on community reports and solutions.

Why This Error Occurs

This generic error message can appear for a few different reasons. The plugin's interface sends a large amount of data when saving field configurations. If your server environment can't process that data, or if there's a conflict, the save operation will fail. The two most common root causes are server configuration limits and plugin conflicts.

How to Fix It: Step-by-Step Troubleshooting

1. Increase the max_input_vars PHP Limit (Most Common Fix)

The vast majority of these errors are caused by a server-side PHP setting called max_input_vars. This setting limits how many form input variables PHP will accept. The plugin's management page often exceeds the default value of 1000.

  • What to do: Increase the value of max_input_vars in your server's php.ini file. A value of 3000 or 5000 is often sufficient, but some users have reported needing to set it as high as 10,000.
  • How to do it: You may need to contact your web hosting provider to change this value, or you might be able to adjust it yourself via your hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel) or by editing the php.ini or .user.ini file. You can find detailed instructions on how to change this value in this external guide.
  • Important: After changing this value, you must restart your web server (e.g., Apache or Nginx) for the change to take effect. Simply saving the file is not enough.

2. Check for Plugin or Theme Conflicts

If increasing max_input_vars does not work, the next step is to check for a conflict with another plugin or your theme.

  • What to do: Temporarily disable all other plugins except for WooCommerce and the Checkout Field Editor. Then, try to save your changes again.
  • If the error disappears, reactivate your plugins one by one, testing after each activation, to identify the conflicting one.
  • Also, try temporarily switching to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-One to rule out a theme conflict.

3. Ensure You Are Editing the Correct Section

WooCommerce has two different ways to build a checkout page: the classic shortcode and newer blocks.

  • Classic Checkout (Shortcode): If your checkout page uses the [woocommerce_checkout] shortcode, you must make all field changes in the Classic Checkout Fields section of the plugin.
  • Block-Based Checkout: If your checkout page is built using WooCommerce Blocks (like the Checkout Block), please note that the current version of the free Checkout Field Editor plugin is not compatible with blocks. The WooCommerce team has not yet provided the necessary hooks for third-party plugins to modify fields on block-based pages. You will need to use the classic shortcode method for the plugin to function.

4. Verify Field Name Validity

In some cases, trying to add a field with a specific name can cause the error. WooCommerce core fields have reserved names.

  • What to do: If you are trying to add a core field like billing_country or shipping_country, ensure you are using the correct, full name (e.g., _billing_country). Trying to create a field with an incomplete or incorrect name for a core address field can trigger this error.

5. Check User Permissions (For 403 Errors)

Some users report a 403 Forbidden error instead of the standard message. This is a permissions error from the web server (like mod_security on Apache) and is often still related to the max_input_vars limit or other server security rules. The first step is still to increase max_input_vars. If that doesn't work, you may need to contact your hosting provider to investigate server security logs.

What If Nothing Works?

If you have tried all the steps above and the problem persists, the issue may be more complex and require deeper debugging. The next step would be to enable WordPress debugging to see if a more specific PHP error or warning is being logged. This information is often crucial for identifying the root cause.

Disclaimer: This article is based on community support threads and user experiences. BugWP.com is an independent resource and is not affiliated with the 'Checkout Field Editor (Checkout Manager) for WooCommerce' plugin team.

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