800,000+ WordPress sites are already using MetaSlider!

How to Troubleshoot MetaSlider

MetaSlider is one of the most popular plugins in WordPress. We have hundreds of thousands of users who run MetaSlider without any problems. MetaSlider has been tested with many most popular free WordPress themes and the most common plugins.

If you’re one of the unlucky ones, most issues are a conflict with another theme, plugin, or caching / optimization tool.

To help troubleshoot MetaSlider, we have a series of Yes / No questions that can help you quickly resolve most issues.


Step #1. Is the issue with all the slides in your slideshow?

Normally a slideshow will have multiple slides. Check the display on the front of your site. Is the whole slideshow not displaying, or is it just a single slide?

  • If only one slide is not showing, the problem is with that image or video. Try replacing it.
  • If all the slides are not showing, the problem may be with the settings for that slideshow. Try changing the settings.

Step #2. Is the issue with all your slideshows?

If you try the previous step and confirm the problem is with the whole slideshow, try testing another slideshow.

  • Is the new slideshow OK? Great. Consider replacing your existing slideshow with this new version.
  • Does the new slideshow have the same problem? Move on to the steps below.

Step #3. Does it help to use “No Conflict Mode”?

MetaSlider has a “No Conflict Mode” that can resolve issues with other plugins and themes. Click here to see how to use the No Conflict Mode.


Step #4. Are you using a Legacy slideshow option?

In previous versions of MetaSlider, there are several slideshow libraries available. These included FlexSlider, Responsive Slides, Nivo Slider, and Coin Slider. We now only focus on FlexSlider.

If you are using a legacy option, it may be worth moving to FlexSlider. Click for more details on Legacy slideshows.


Step #5. Does it help to disable optimization or security plugins?

Plugins that add a Speed / Cache / Compression / Lazy Load features to your site can often cause problems. Does it help if you disable those features or plugins?

Another type of plugins that can cause issues are security plugins. If you have problems saving settings inside MetaSlider, check your security plugins. In particular, look for any plugins that disable the WordPress REST API because this is required for MetaSlider to work.


Step #6. Is your WordPress site up-to-date?

  • Go the “Updates” link in your WordPress admin menu.
  • Update any WordPress core files, themes, and plugins that are out-of-date. Look especially for MetaSlider plugins. Many technical problems are caused by out-of-date plugins.

Step #7. Does it help to use an earlier version of MetaSlider?

If the problem started after a recent update to MetaSlider, trying re-installing an earlier version using the WP Rollback plugin. Which version of the MetaSlider plugin does work for you?


Step #8. Is your server up-to-date?

  • Go to Tools > Site Health.
  • Click the “Info” tab and then the “Server” area.
  • What version of PHP are you running? Ideally your site uses PHP 8.1 or higher.

Step #9. Does it help to disable plugins or themes?

If you don’t see any changes after disabling the optimization plugins, try disabling all the plugins on your site one-by-one to see if you can identify a conflict.

Also try switching the theme your site. Does the slideshow starts working again? If it does, then there is a conflict with the theme.


Step #10. Are you running multiple copies of jQuery?

View the source code of your website. Do see multiple mentions of “jQuery”. You may have too many plugins and themes trying to load this important Javascript library. Installing the Version Control for jQuery plugin.


Step #11. Have you contacted us for help?

If something isn’t working, please do not post on social media or write a bad review. Our team is always here to help.

If you’re using the Free version of MetaSlider, visit our WordPress.org support forums. You can see that every question gets answered quickly and with care.

If you’re a MetaSlider Pro customer, you can contact us directly for premium support. Raise a new ticket and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours.