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Resolving Common Zakra Theme and Elementor Integration Issues

30 threads Sep 17, 2025 Theme → Zakra

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Many WordPress users choose the Zakra theme for its flexibility and pair it with the Elementor page builder for advanced design control. However, this powerful combination can sometimes lead to unexpected conflicts and behavior. Based on community reports, here are the most common integration issues and how to resolve them.

Common Zakra & Elementor Issues

  • Template Override Problems: The most frequent issue is Zakra's single post or archive templates taking precedence over templates built with Elementor's Theme Builder. Users report that their custom Elementor designs do not appear, and the default Zakra layout is shown instead.
  • Editing & White Screen Problems: Some users experience the WordPress editor or Elementor editor failing to load, resulting in a white screen, particularly after theme or plugin updates.
  • Header/Footer Conflicts: Custom headers and footers built in Elementor can sometimes disappear and be replaced by Zakra's default header and footer.
  • Display & Styling Glitches: This includes problems like blog pages not being editable in Elementor, buttons widening on mobile, or content not appearing full-width on the homepage.
  • Plugin Code Conflicts: Code snippets added to theme files (like header.php for Google Tag Manager) may not work if Elementor is managing that part of the site.

Why These Conflicts Happen

These issues typically arise because both the theme and the page builder are trying to control the same parts of your website. Zakra has its own built-in templates and styling for posts, headers, and footers. When Elementor Pro's Theme Builder is active, it creates its own templates to override the theme's defaults. If the theme's structure is very specific or if there is a compatibility lag after an update, conflicts can occur, preventing the intended Elementor template from displaying.

How to Troubleshoot and Fix These Issues

1. For Elementor Templates Not Showing (Single Post/Archive)

This is a known issue that the Zakra team has acknowledged and assigned to their developers for a fix in a future update. While waiting for an official patch, you can try this workaround:

  1. In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Elementor > Theme Builder.
  2. Locate your Single Post template and click Edit.
  3. In the Elementor editor, click on the settings icon for the section containing your post content.
  4. Go to the Advanced tab and add the following CSS Class: tg-blog-section.
  5. Update the template and clear your site and browser cache.

This CSS class is specific to Zakra's structure and can help your template integrate properly.

2. For White Screens and Failed Editors

A white screen or a failed editor load is often caused by a PHP error or a conflict with another plugin.

  1. Enable Debugging: Temporarily enable WordPress debugging by adding these lines to your wp-config.php file. This might reveal a specific error message. 
    define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_LOG', true );
define( 'WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY', false );
  2. Conflict Test: Deactivate all plugins except Elementor. If the editor works, reactivate your plugins one by one to identify the culprit.
  3. Check for Failed Updates: The error in Thread 9 suggests a corrupted plugin update. Reinstall Elementor manually by deleting the /wp-content/plugins/elementor/ folder via FTP and installing a fresh copy.

3. For Missing Custom Headers/Footers

If your Elementor-built header and footer revert to Zakra's defaults:

  1. Ensure you have properly published and applied your header and footer templates in the Elementor Theme Builder section.
  2. Go to Appearance > Customize > Header > Header Layout in the WordPress Customizer. Set the Header Type to 'None'. This tells Zakra to step aside and lets Elementor take over.
  3. Perform a similar step for the footer in its respective Customizer section.

4. General Best Practices

  • Keep Everything Updated: Always ensure you are running the latest versions of WordPress, the Zakra theme, and the Elementor plugin. Compatibility fixes are often included in updates.
  • Use a Child Theme: Any custom code added to theme files should be placed in a child theme. This prevents your changes from being overwritten during theme updates. This is crucial for adding code to the header or functions.php file.
  • Check Known Issues: Before updating, check the Zakra and Elementor changelogs to see if any known conflicts have been documented for the new version.

If these steps do not resolve your issue, it is recommended to seek help from the wider community by providing specific details like your site URL, a list of active plugins, and screenshots of the problem.

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