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How to Fix Common Sydney Theme Header and Layout Issues

34 threads Sep 9, 2025 Theme → Sydney

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Header and layout problems are among the most frequently reported issues by users of the Sydney WordPress theme. These can range from transparent headers not displaying correctly, logos misaligning, to content overlapping. Based on community support threads, this guide outlines the most common problems and their proven solutions.

Common Sydney Header Issues and Solutions

1. Transparent Header Not Displaying Correctly

A frequent issue is the transparent header working in the customizer but not on the live site, particularly on the front page. This often occurs due to incorrect conditional display settings.

Solution: Navigate to Appearance > Customize > Header > Main Header > General > Transparent header. Click the "Add/Edit Conditions" button and ensure you've selected the appropriate pages (e.g., Entire Site, Front Page) for the transparent effect to appear.

2. Logo Alignment and Sizing Problems

Users often find their logo is not vertically centered or is misaligned with menu items, especially on mobile devices. Custom CSS intended to resize the logo can sometimes break its alignment.

Solution: Use targeted CSS to fix alignment. For vertical centering on mobile, try code like:

.site-logo {
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
}

If custom CSS has broken the centering, ensure your rules are not conflicting with the theme's built-in styles. Using the browser's inspector tool can help identify the conflicting CSS.

3. Content Overlapping the Header

Page content, particularly sliders or sections with negative margins, can sometimes appear over the header, obscuring the menu. This is often a z-index issue.

Solution: Assign a higher z-index value to the header to ensure it stays on top.

.main-header {
  z-index: 9999 !important;
  position: relative;
}

If a slider is appearing behind content, a lower z-index can help:

.header-slider .slide-item {
  z-index: -1 !important;
}

4. Unwanted Padding, Margin, or Gaps

Unexpected white space can appear between the header and other elements, or a gap might show on the right side on mobile views.

Solution: To remove a gap on mobile, hide horizontal overflow:

html, body {
  overflow-x: hidden;
}

If padding settings in the customizer are not applying live, clear all caching (browser, plugin, and server) and check for conflicts with plugins or a child theme.

5. Mobile Menu Dropdown Appearing Behind Content

When using page builders like Elementor to create a custom header, the mobile menu dropdown might render behind subsequent page content.

Solution: This is almost always a z-index issue. The dropdown needs a higher z-index than the page content.

.your-mobile-menu-class {
  z-index: 100000 !important;
}

General Troubleshooting Steps

If you encounter a header issue not listed above, follow these steps:

  1. Clear All Caches: The most common fix is to clear your browser cache, any WordPress caching plugins, and server-side cache (if applicable).
  2. Conflict Test: Disable all plugins temporarily. If the issue resolves, reactivate them one by one to find the culprit. Use a plugin like Health Check to do this safely on a live site.
  3. Check for Child Theme Conflicts: If you use a child theme, temporarily switch to the parent Sydney theme to see if the problem persists.
  4. Inspect with Browser Tools: Use your browser's right-click "Inspect" tool to examine the header elements and test CSS fixes in real-time before adding them to your site's Additional CSS panel.

Most Sydney header issues can be resolved by carefully configuring the built-in customizer options or with small snippets of custom CSS. Always remember to clear your cache after making changes to see the results.

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