Back to Community
Home / Community / Plugin → Wp go maps (formerly wp google maps)

Troubleshooting the 'jQuery Must Be Installed' Error in WP Go Maps

19 threads Sep 9, 2025 Plugin → Wp go maps (formerly wp google maps)

Content

One of the most common support queries for the WP Go Maps (formerly WP Google Maps) plugin is the frustrating "jQuery must be installed" error. Users see the message, confirm that jQuery is indeed loading on their site, and are left scratching their heads. This guide will explain why this error occurs and walk you through the most effective solutions to get your maps displaying correctly.

What Does the Error Mean?

The error message: Error: In order for WP Go Maps to work, jQuery must be installed. A check was done and jQuery was not present... is a bit misleading. It doesn't necessarily mean jQuery is completely absent from your site. More often, it indicates a conflict that is preventing the plugin from properly detecting or using the jQuery library. This can be caused by other plugins, themes, or specific server configurations.

Common Causes and Their Solutions

1. Plugin or Theme Conflicts

Why it happens: Other scripts from your theme or plugins can sometimes load incorrectly, throw JavaScript errors, or deregister jQuery, which halts further script execution. This prevents WP Go Maps from running its check. A common culprit mentioned in support threads is WooCommerce throwing errors about cookies.

How to fix it: The fastest way to identify a conflict is to deactivate all other plugins and switch to a default WordPress theme (like Twenty Twenty-One).

  1. Clear your site and browser cache.
  2. Deactivate all plugins except for WP Go Maps.
  3. Switch your theme to a default WordPress theme.
  4. Check if the map now loads. If it does, reactivate your plugins and theme one by one, checking the map after each activation, to find the culprit.

2. JavaScript Optimization/Minification

Why it happens: Caching and optimization plugins (e.g., W3 Total Cache, WP Rocket) are designed to speed up your site by combining and minifying JavaScript files. If configured incorrectly, they can break the order in which scripts load or cause errors that stop WP Go Maps from working.

How to fix it: If you use a caching plugin, try the following:

  1. Temporarily disable JavaScript minification, combination, or async/defer settings in your optimization plugin.
  2. Clear all caches and check if the map appears.
  3. If it works, you can often re-enable optimization by adding the plugin's core scripts to an exclusion list. Common files to exclude are wp-google-maps.js, wpgmaps.min.js, and jquery.js. Alternatively, as one user found, switching from "asynchronous" to "deferred" loading in W3 Total Cache resolved the issue.

3. Outdated jQuery Version or Override Settings

Why it happens: Older themes and plugins might rely on outdated jQuery versions. WP Go Maps includes a setting to override the current jQuery version to prevent conflicts, but this setting itself can sometimes cause issues if it conflicts with other code.

How to fix it:

  1. Navigate to Maps -> Settings -> Advanced Settings in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Locate the setting labeled "Over-ride current jQuery with version 1.11.3".
  3. If it is checked, try unchecking it and saving your settings.
  4. If it is unchecked, try checking it and saving your settings.
  5. Clear your cache and test the map after changing this option.

4. Compressed Paths Setting

Why it happens: The plugin's "Compressed Paths" setting is another feature intended to improve performance, but it can interact poorly with some server environments or other scripts.

How to fix it: A specific solution provided by the WP Go Maps team in support forums is to disable this setting.

  1. Go to Maps -> Settings -> Advanced Settings.
  2. Find the "Compressed paths" option and disable it.
  3. Save your changes and clear your cache.

Need More Help?

If you've worked through these common solutions and are still encountering the error, the problem may be more specific to your site's configuration. When seeking further help, be prepared to provide a link to the page where the map should be displayed. This allows others to use the browser's developer console to inspect for JavaScript errors, which is the most effective way to diagnose complex issues.

Related Support Threads Support