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How to Perform a Plugin Conflict Check in WordPress

If you’ve ever run into a strange issue on your WordPress site, like a broken layout, a button that stops working, or features that suddenly disappear, there’s a good chance a plugin conflict is to blame. With so many plugins out there, it’s not uncommon for two of them to butt heads. In this post, I’ll walk you through how to perform a simple plugin conflict check, so you can pinpoint the problem and get your site back to running smoothly.

To find out, follow these steps:

Make a Backup Before Proceeding

Before making any changes, it’s always a good idea to back up your website. This ensures you can restore your site if something goes wrong.

  • If your hosting provider offers automatic backups, check your hosting dashboard for a recent backup.
  • If you don’t have automatic backups, install a backup plugin like UpdraftPlus or BackWPup.
  • Create a full backup (including your database and files) before proceeding.
  • Download a copy of your backup to your computer for extra safety.

Once your backup is complete, you’re ready to start troubleshooting.

Install and Activate the Health Check & Troubleshooting Plugin

  1. Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
  2. Go to Plugins > Add New.
  3. In the Search Bar, type: Health Check & Troubleshooting.
  4. Click Install Now next to the plugin.
  5. Once installed, click Activate.

Now that the plugin is active, let’s use it to safely test for conflicts.

Use the Troubleshooting Mode to Find the Conflicting Plugin

This method only affects you (as the logged-in admin). Visitors will still see your website working as normal.

  1. Go to Tools > Site Health.
  2. Click the Troubleshooting tab at the top.
  3. Click the Enable Troubleshooting Mode button.

What Happens Now?

  • WordPress will temporarily disable all plugins but only for you (not your visitors).
  • Your site will look like a fresh WordPress install using a default theme.

Find the Plugin Causing the Conflict

Now, let’s turn the plugins back on one by one to see which one causes the issue.

  1. Once in Troubleshooting Mode, you’ll see a notice: Troubleshooting Mode Enabled.
  2. Click Plugins in the left menu.
  3. Click Enable while troubleshooting next to your theme (if your issue might be theme-related).
  4. Enable plugins one at a time:
    • Start with the main plugin that relates to your issue (e.g., if WooCommerce is involved, enable WooCommerce first).
    • After enabling a plugin, check if the issue returns.
    • If everything works fine, enable the next plugin.
    • Repeat until the issue comes back. The last plugin you enabled is likely the conflicting plugin.

Fix or Replace the Conflicting Plugin

Once you find the problem plugin:

  • Check for updates – Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and see if an update is available.
  • Look for known conflicts – Google “Plugin Name conflict with [other plugin]”.
  • Contact the plugin developer – Visit the plugin’s support page on WordPress.org.
  • Find an alternative plugin – If the issue persists and no fix is available, look for another plugin that does the same job.

Exit Troubleshooting Mode

Once you’ve found the conflicting plugin:

  1. Go back to Tools > Site Health > Troubleshooting.
  2. Click Disable Troubleshooting Mode.
  3. Your site will return to normal with all plugins active again.

Now you know which plugin is causing the issue! You can decide whether to replace it, report the issue to the developer, or look for a fix.

This method lets you safely test for plugin conflicts without breaking your site or affecting visitors. Perfect for beginners!

It’s just me and my dog, Bella, taking on the web world one website at a time. I’m a freelance web developer who builds websites with WordPress and Shopify, and I love helping people with troubleshooting, support, and training. Around here, there’s usually coffee brewing, chocolate nearby, and Bella keeping an eye on everything.

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