Why Your Code Snippets Show as Text or Don't Appear on Local WordPress Sites

If you're developing a WordPress site on localhost and finding that your code snippets either display as plain text on the page or don't appear in the source code at all, you're not alone. This is a common frustration that can halt development. Based on community reports, here's a breakdown of why this happens and the most effective solutions.

Understanding the Problem

This issue typically manifests in two ways:

1. Code Renders as Text: HTML or other code is visible on the public-facing page instead of being executed or hidden.
2. Changes Don't Appear: Edits to theme files (like header.php) do not show up in the page's source code, even after saving and refreshing.

Why This Happens on Localhost

Local development environments (like Local by Flywheel, XAMPP, or MAMP) can behave differently than live servers. Common causes for these issues include:

• Editor Mode: Accidentally adding code in the Visual tab of the WordPress editor, which will escape it and render it as text.
• Caching Mechanisms: Even without a caching plugin, some local server setups or themes may have built-in caching that serves old files.
• File Permissions: Incorrect file permissions can prevent your edits from being saved or read properly by the local server.
• Child Theme Complications: If using a child theme, edits must be made to the child theme's files, not the parent theme's.

Common Solutions to Try

1. For Code Showing as Text in Page Content

Verify the Editor Tab: This is the most common fix. Always ensure you are pasting code into the Text tab (also known as the HTML or Code editor) and not the Visual tab. The Visual tab will convert characters like < and > into HTML entities (< and >), causing them to display as text.

2. For Theme File Edits Not Appearing

Force a Hard Refresh: While developing locally, aggressively bypass your browser's cache. Use Ctrl + F5 (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac).

Restart Your Local Server: Sometimes, the local web server (Apache, Nginx) needs to be completely restarted to recognize changes to PHP files. Fully quit your MAMP/XAMPP/Local application and start it again.

Confirm the Correct Theme and File: Double-check that you are editing the active theme's files. If you use a child theme, you must edit the files within the child theme directory. Editing the parent theme will have no effect once the child theme is active.

Check File Permissions: Ensure the theme files have the correct read/write permissions for your local server to access them. This is a common issue on certain local setups.

Disable Caching (Even If You Think It's Off): If you recently had a caching plugin like WP-Optimize, traces might remain. Check your wp-config.php file for any advanced caching constants (e.g., WP_CACHE) and set them to false.

Conclusion

When code acts up on a local install, the solution is almost always related to editor settings, caching, or file management. The 'Localhost Installs' team suggests methodically working through these steps, starting with the simplest solution—confirming you're using the Text editor—before moving on to server restarts and permission checks. This approach will resolve the vast majority of these local development quirks.