Troubleshooting Performance Drops and CSS Issues After Ultimate Addons Updates

Users of the Ultimate Addons for Elementor (UAE) plugin sometimes encounter performance issues or unexpected code appearing on their sites after a plugin update. This guide will help you understand why these problems occur and provide practical steps to resolve them.

Common Issues After an Update

Based on community reports, the most frequent problems include:

• A significant drop in Google PageSpeed Insights scores, particularly on mobile.
• Raw CSS code or other unexpected text appearing on the frontend of the site.
• Elementor editor failing to load or becoming unresponsive.

Why Do These Issues Happen?

New plugin versions can introduce more resource-intensive code or changes that conflict with specific server configurations or caching mechanisms. A feature called "Improved CSS Loading," intended to optimize performance, has been a known source of frontend code display issues in past updates.

How to Troubleshoot and Fix the Problems

Solution 1: Disable the "Improved CSS Loading" Feature

This is the most common fix for CSS code appearing on the frontend. Many users have confirmed that toggling this setting off resolves the issue immediately.

1. Navigate to WordPress Dashboard > Elementor > Settings.
2. Click on the Features tab.
3. Scroll down to find the Improved CSS Loading option.
4. Set it to Inactive.
5. Save your changes and clear your site and server cache (if applicable).

Solution 2: Disable Unused UAE Widgets

If you are experiencing performance lag, a good practice is to ensure only the widgets you actively use on your site are loaded. This can reduce the plugin's footprint.

1. Go to WordPress Dashboard > Ultimate Addons > Settings.
2. You will see a list of all available widgets.
3. Deselect the checkboxes for any widgets you do not use on your site.
4. Save the changes.

Solution 3: Refresh Permalinks and Caches

Sometimes, a simple refresh of your site's permalinks and various caches can resolve loading and editing issues within Elementor.

1. Refresh Permalinks: Go to Settings > Permalinks and simply click "Save Changes" without making any modifications.
2. Clear Caches: Clear your WordPress caching plugin (if used), your browser cache, and any server-level cache (e.g., CDN, Object Cache). Don't forget to also clear Elementor's own cache by going to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate CSS & Data.

Solution 4: Perform a Plugin Rollback (Last Resort)

If the problems persist and are severely impacting your site, rolling back to the previous stable version of the plugin is a reliable temporary solution while waiting for a patch.

Warning: Always create a full backup of your site before proceeding.

1. Deactivate and delete the current problematic version of the plugin from your Plugins page. (Deleting it will not remove your settings).
2. Visit the plugin's Advanced View page on WordPress.org.
3. Scroll down to the "Previous Versions" section.
4. Select and download an earlier stable version (e.g., 1.6.17 was noted as stable in many reports).
5. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin and install the downloaded .zip file.
6. Activate the plugin.

Conclusion

Update-related issues, while frustrating, are often quickly resolved. The most effective first step is to disable the "Improved CSS Loading" feature in Elementor. For performance concerns, disabling unused widgets is recommended. If problems are critical, a rollback to a previous version is a safe and common practice within the community. Always remember to clear your caches after making any changes.