Elementor is a popular WordPress page builder that relies on third-party add-ons to extend its functionality. While powerful, this also means that deactivated or missing plugins can break key design elements. We recently helped resolve an issue where a homepage testimonial slider disappeared after a plugin was disabled.
Issue Background
The client reported that their homepage testimonials section was no longer displaying.
Initial troubleshooting steps included:
- Flushing WordPress and server-side caches.
- Restoring from a previous backup.
- Comparing the current site against archived versions via the Wayback Machine.
Although Elementor showed the testimonials section present in the editor, it was not rendering on the frontend.
Diagnosis
Our investigation revealed:
- Plugin dependency: The testimonial slider had been built using the Qi Addons for Elementor plugin. This plugin had been deactivated, which caused the slider element to disappear.
- Theme and builder consistency: The slider markup still existed within Elementor but could not render without the supporting plugin active.
- No structural errors: Unlike CSS or template conflicts, the issue was not tied to code errors but purely to the missing plugin dependency.
Resolution Steps
We took the following steps to restore functionality:
- Identified plugin source: Confirmed the slider element was tied to the Qi Addons for Elementor plugin.
- Re-enabled the plugin: Reactivated Qi Addons for Elementor, restoring the testimonial slider immediately.
- Validated functionality: Confirmed that testimonials displayed properly on both desktop and mobile views.
- Tested site stability: Verified that no conflicts or performance issues occurred after re-enabling the plugin.
Final Outcome
Once the plugin was reactivated:
- The homepage testimonial slider displayed correctly again.
- No further layout or styling issues were reported.
- The site retained its design consistency without requiring custom code rewrites.
This case demonstrates the importance of tracking plugin dependencies when using Elementor add-ons.
If your WordPress site is experiencing broken sliders, missing design elements, or Elementor display issues, contact Freshy for expert troubleshooting and support.
