Back to Community
Home / Community / Plugin → Woocommerce

Troubleshooting Common WooCommerce Cart and Checkout Display Issues

38 threads Sep 7, 2025 Plugin → Woocommerce

Content

Display problems on your WooCommerce cart and checkout pages are a common frustration for store owners. These issues can range from images not loading and buttons overlapping to layouts breaking on mobile devices. This guide will help you diagnose and resolve the most frequent display-related problems, based on community reports and solutions.

Why Do These Display Issues Happen?

Display glitches on the cart and checkout are rarely caused by a flaw in WooCommerce's core code. More often, they stem from conflicts between various components of your WordPress site. The most common culprits are:

  • Theme Conflicts: Your active theme's CSS or template overrides can interfere with how WooCommerce displays elements.
  • Plugin Conflicts: Another plugin, even if unrelated to e-commerce, can inject code or styles that break the layout.
  • Custom Code: CSS or PHP snippets added to your site (e.g., in the functions.php file or a custom plugin) may become outdated after a WooCommerce update.
  • Browser or Caching: Sometimes, the issue is local to a browser due to cached files or extensions.

How to Troubleshoot and Fix Display Problems

Step 1: Perform a Basic Conflict Test

This is the most critical first step. It helps you isolate the source of the problem.

  1. Switch to a Default Theme: Temporarily change your theme to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Four or Storefront. If the problem disappears, the issue is with your original theme. You will need to contact your theme's support for specific guidance.
  2. Deactivate All Plugins: Except for WooCommerce, temporarily deactivate every other plugin on your site. If this fixes the issue, reactivate your plugins one by one to identify which one is causing the conflict.

Step 2: Address Common Specific Issues

Images Not Showing (Grey Boxes)

If product images appear as grey boxes on the cart/checkout pages, try the following:

  • Clear your site's cache and any server-level caching (e.g., from your hosting provider).
  • Clear your browser's cache and try accessing the site in an incognito/private window.
  • Go to WooCommerce > Status > Tools and click "Regenerate shop thumbnails."

Overlapping Buttons or Form Fields

When elements like the coupon button and update cart button overlap, it's often a CSS width issue.

  • If using a page builder like Elementor, check the container block settings. Ensure the containing group or section is set to "Full Width" instead of a constrained width.
  • Inspect the element using your browser's developer tools (right-click > Inspect) to see what CSS rules are being applied.

Layout Broken on Mobile Devices

If your cart or checkout looks fine on desktop but breaks on mobile, the problem is typically unresponsive CSS from your theme or a plugin.

  • The conflict test (Step 1) is essential here.
  • Contact your theme's support team, as mobile styling is primarily their responsibility.

Dropdown Menus Not Working

If country or state dropdowns fail to open, especially after an update:

  • Perform the full conflict test described in Step 1. This problem is almost always caused by a plugin or theme conflict.
  • Check for any custom code that modifies checkout fields and ensure it's compatible with the latest WooCommerce version.

Step 3: Check for Custom CSS

Custom CSS is a frequent cause of display issues after updates. WooCommerce updates can change HTML classes, breaking your old CSS rules.

  • Review any custom CSS you've added (e.g., in Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS).
  • Use your browser's inspector tool to identify the new correct CSS classes and update your code accordingly.

When to Seek Further Help

If the conflict test reveals the problem is with your theme or a specific plugin, you will need to contact the respective support team for that product. The WooCommerce support team on WordPress.org can only assist with issues that persist when only the WooCommerce plugin and a default theme are active.

For complex issues, be prepared to provide:

  • Your site's System Status Report (found under WooCommerce > Status).
  • Clear screenshots or a screen recording (using a tool like Loom) of the problem.
  • A direct link to the page where the issue is occurring.

By methodically working through these steps, you can identify the root cause of most display issues and get your store's most important pages looking and working perfectly again.

Related Support Threads Support