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Troubleshooting Common LiteSpeed Cache Conflicts with Elementor and WPML

28 threads Sep 16, 2025 Plugin → Litespeed cache

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Why LiteSpeed Cache and Page Builders Sometimes Clash

LiteSpeed Cache is a powerful optimization plugin, but its aggressive caching and optimization features can sometimes conflict with dynamic page builders like Elementor and multilingual plugins like WPML. These conflicts often manifest as broken styling, missing page elements, or dysfunctional interactive features like forms and popups. Based on community reports, the root cause is typically one of the following:

  • Aggressive Optimization: CSS/JS minification, combination, or delay can break scripts that Elementor and its add-ons rely on.
  • Cache Serving Wrong Content: Cached pages may serve non-HTTPS content, show incorrect user data, or fail to respect language variations from WPML.
  • Nonce and Dynamic Content Caching: Caching security tokens (nonces) or user-specific content can lead to errors or security concerns.

Common Problems and Their Solutions

1. Elementor Styling or Widgets Not Loading on Cached Pages

Problem: Margins, slideshows, sections, or other Elementor-designed elements appear correctly in the editor or on an uncached page (?LSCWP_CTRL=before_optm) but break or disappear on the cached version.

Solution: This is frequently caused by CSS/JS optimization. Follow these steps:

  1. Go to LiteSpeed Cache > Page Optimization.
  2. In the CSS Settings, try disabling CSS Minify and CSS Combine.
  3. In the JS Settings, try disabling JS Minify, JS Combine, and JS Delay.
  4. Purge All caches after each change to test the result.

If the issue is resolved, you can try to selectively re-enable optimizations or use the JS Exclude and CSS Exclude fields to target only the problematic files. Common excludes for Elementor include files like /wp-content/plugins/elementor/.

2. Elementor Popups, Menus, or Forms Not Working

Problem: Interactive features require two clicks to work, fail to submit on the first try, or don't open at all when LiteSpeed Cache is active.

Solution: JavaScript processing is almost always the culprit.

  1. As a first step, go to Page Optimization > JS Settings and disable JS Combine. This is the most common fix for broken JavaScript functionality.
  2. If the problem persists, also disable JS Delay and JS Minify.
  3. For a more targeted approach, you can exclude specific Elementor JavaScript files in the JS Exclude field. Files often responsible include:
    • /wp-content/plugins/elementor/assets/js/frontend.min.js
    • /wp-content/plugins/elementor/assets/js/webpack.runtime.min.js
    • /wp-content/plugins/elementor-pro/assets/js/frontend.min.js
  4. Always Purge All after making changes.

3. WPML Language Issues or Pages Not Caching

Problem: Only the default language homepage is cached, language redirects loop infinitely, or translated content does not appear correctly.

Solution: WPML uses cookies and dynamic content that can interfere with caching.

  1. Ensure Cache for Logged-in Users is off unless absolutely necessary.
  2. Navigate to LiteSpeed Cache > Cache > Excludes. In the Do Not Cache Cookies field, add: wp-wpml_current_language
  3. For the crawler to index all languages, go to Toolbox > Crawler > Cookie Simulation and add the same cookie: wp-wpml_current_language
  4. If specific WPML JavaScript is blocked (e.g., for string translation), exclude the file in Page Optimization > Tuning > JS Excludes/Defer Excludes: wp-content/plugins/wpml-string-translation/dist/js/strings-cleanup/app.js

4. HTTPS/SSL Errors on First Visit

Problem: The first visit to the site in a new browser session shows an HTTPS error or insecure content, but a refresh fixes it.

Solution: The cache is likely serving a page with hardcoded HTTP resources.

  1. Verify your WordPress Address and Site Address are both set to https:// in Settings > General.
  2. In your .htaccess file, ensure you have rules to force HTTPS. Your hosting provider can often assist with this.
  3. Purge all caches after confirming your SSL settings are correct site-wide.

5. Logged-in Users Seeing Wrong Content

Problem: Users see other users' account pages or cached versions of pages they should be able to interact with.

Solution: Caching is being applied to pages that should be private.

  1. Double-check that Cache for Logged-in Users is disabled.
  2. Go to Cache > Excludes and add the URLs of any sensitive pages (e.g., /my-account/, /checkout/) to the Do Not Cache URIs field.
  3. In the Do Not Cache Cookies field, add: wordpress_logged_in_

General Troubleshooting Workflow

  1. Identify: Use the ?LSCWP_CTRL=before_optm parameter on your URL to confirm the issue is cache-related.
  2. Isolate: In LiteSpeed Cache settings, use the Disable All feature in the Toolbox. If this fixes the issue, you know a specific optimization feature is causing the conflict.
  3. Test: Re-enable features one by one (Page Optimization features are the most common culprits), purging the cache each time, to identify the exact setting causing the problem.
  4. Exclude: Instead of leaving a feature completely disabled, use exclusion fields to target only the conflicting CSS/JS files, URLs, or cookies.
  5. Report: If you cannot resolve the issue, generate a report from Toolbox > Report and include the report number when seeking help from the community.

By methodically testing these settings, you can often resolve conflicts and enjoy the performance benefits of LiteSpeed Cache without sacrificing the functionality of your page builder or multilingual site.

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