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Troubleshooting jQuery Issues After Hello Elementor Theme Updates

17 threads Sep 10, 2025 Theme → Hello elementor

Content

Many users of the Hello Elementor theme have reported a specific issue after updating: custom jQuery code and some plugins that rely on it suddenly stop working. This problem is often most noticeable on Apple devices and in the Safari browser. The root cause is not a bug in the theme, but a significant, intentional change in how it handles scripts.

Why This Happens

Starting with version 3.0.0, the Hello Elementor theme stopped automatically loading the jQuery library. This was a performance-focused decision by the Hello Elementor team. Since the theme itself does not use jQuery, loading it for millions of websites where it isn't needed would be inefficient. The responsibility for loading jQuery was shifted to the plugins or custom code that actually require it to function.

Common Solutions

If your site experiences broken animations, non-functional plugins, or other erratic behavior after a theme update, follow these steps to resolve the jQuery dependency issue.

1. Identify the Culprit

First, you need to determine what is breaking. The most reliable way to do this is by conducting a conflict test:

  • Temporarily deactivate all plugins except Elementor.
  • Switch to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-One.
  • Reactivate your plugins one by one, checking your site each time, to identify which one causes the issue.
  • Finally, switch back to the Hello Elementor theme to confirm it is the combination of the theme and a specific plugin or custom code that is causing the problem.

2. Fix Plugin Dependencies

If a specific plugin breaks, it is because that plugin's code is not correctly declaring jQuery as a dependency. The best course of action is to contact the plugin's support team and inform them that their scripts need to properly define jQuery as a requirement. A properly coded plugin will handle this itself and should not rely on the theme to load jQuery.

3. Fix Custom Code Dependencies

If you have added custom jQuery code to your site (e.g., in a custom plugin, your child theme's functions.php, or a code snippet plugin), you must ensure it explicitly tells WordPress it needs jQuery. You cannot simply enqueue a script that uses jQuery without declaring this dependency.

Here is an example of the correct way to enqueue a custom script that requires jQuery:

function my_custom_scripts() {
    wp_enqueue_script(
        'my-custom-script',
        get_stylesheet_directory_uri() . '/js/custom-script.js',
        array('jquery'), // This array declares jQuery as a dependency
        '1.0.0',
        true
    );
}
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'my_custom_scripts' );

The key part is array('jquery') as the third parameter. This ensures your script will only load after jQuery has been loaded by WordPress.

4. Manually Load jQuery (Last Resort)

As a temporary workaround, you can force the theme to load jQuery. However, this is not the recommended solution as it negates the performance benefits of the theme update. It should only be used if you cannot wait for a plugin update or fix your custom code immediately.

You can add the following code to your child theme's functions.php file:

function readd_jquery_support() {
    wp_enqueue_script( 'jquery' );
}
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', 'readd_jquery_support', 100 );

Important Note: The change in Hello Elementor 3.0.0 is a modern best practice for theme development. The long-term, correct solution is to ensure all plugins and custom code properly manage their own dependencies.

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