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Troubleshooting Common SVG Support Plugin Issues: From Missing Images to Admin Notices

25 threads Sep 9, 2025 Plugin → Svg support

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The SVG Support plugin is a popular tool for adding SVG upload capability to WordPress. However, like any software, users can occasionally encounter issues. Based on community reports and solutions, this guide covers the most common problems and how to resolve them.

1. SVG Images Not Displaying After an Update

This is one of the most frequently reported issues. Images may stop displaying after a plugin update.

Why it happens: Code changes in new versions can sometimes conflict with other plugins, themes, or specific server configurations. For example, a change from jQuery to vanilla JavaScript in one update was identified as a potential cause for performance issues and display problems.

Solutions:

  • Roll back to a previous version: If a new update breaks your site, the immediate solution is to revert to a known stable version. You can often find older versions of the plugin on the WordPress.org plugin page under the "Advanced View" section.
  • Check for conflicts: Deactivate all other plugins and switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-One). If the SVGs display correctly, reactivate your plugins and theme one by one to identify the conflict.
  • Check your browser's console: Open your browser's developer tools (F12) and look for JavaScript errors that might point to the source of the problem.

2. Persistent and Annoying Admin Notice

Some users report a notice that says, "If you updated SVG Support from any version prior to 2.3 and you use the inline SVG features, please Enable Advanced Mode." This notice may not have a visible dismiss button or may keep reappearing.

Why it happens: This is a standard WordPress dismissible notice. If the "x" button to close it is missing or doesn't work, it is almost always due to a conflict with another plugin or your theme interfering with WordPress's JavaScript.

Solutions:

  • Look for the 'x': First, carefully check the top-right corner of the notice for a small "x" to dismiss it.
  • Conflict test: Deactivate other plugins and switch to a default theme. This often makes the dismiss button appear, allowing you to close the notice permanently.
  • Manual database dismissal: If the button is completely unavailable, you can manually dismiss the notice by editing your site's database. Search all tables for the option name bodhi_svgs_admin_notice_dismissed and set its value to 1. Warning: Only attempt this if you are comfortable working with databases and have a recent backup.

3. Settings or Advanced Mode Not Saving

You might find that you cannot enable "Advanced Mode" or other settings—the checkboxes won't stay checked after saving.

Why it happens: This is a classic symptom of a plugin or theme conflict that is disrupting the normal form handling process in the WordPress admin area.

Solutions:

  • Perform a conflict test: The most effective way to identify the culprit is to deactivate all other plugins and switch to a default theme. If you can save the settings successfully, reactivate your plugins and theme one by one until the problem returns.

4. Plugin Update Fails

Attempts to update the plugin via the WordPress admin dashboard may fail with an error.

Why it happens: Update failures are typically related to file permissions on your server, a lack of server resources (memory), or a temporary connectivity issue when trying to download the plugin files.

Solutions:

  • Manual update: Download the latest plugin ZIP file from WordPress.org and upload it manually via FTP or your hosting provider's file manager, replacing the old svg-support directory.
  • Check server error logs: Your hosting provider's error logs may contain more specific information about what caused the update to fail.

5. Element ID Attributes Not Preserved

After an update, inline SVGs might lose the ID attribute of the original image element they replaced, which can break CSS or JavaScript functionality.

Why it happens: This was a confirmed bug introduced in a specific update where the JavaScript responsible for swapping the image tag with the inline SVG code did not correctly transfer all attributes from the original element.

Solutions:

  • Update the plugin: The SVG Support team released a patch (version 2.4.2) to fix this specific issue. Ensure you are running the latest version of the plugin.
  • If you are on the latest version and still experience the issue, perform a conflict test to ensure another script isn't interfering.

General Troubleshooting Tips

  • Always use a staging site: Before applying any plugin updates to your live website, test them on a staging or development environment. This prevents your live site from going down due to an unexpected conflict.
  • Keep everything updated: Ensure your WordPress core, theme, and all other plugins are updated to their latest versions to ensure compatibility.
  • Check the support forums: Before posting a new question, search the WordPress support forums for SVG Support to see if others have encountered and solved your same issue.

Most issues with the SVG Support plugin can be resolved through systematic troubleshooting, primarily focused on identifying conflicts with other software on your site.

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