When updating plugins on a WordPress site, especially those involving form builders like Everest Forms, it’s not uncommon for default templates to be overwritten—leading to unintended visual or functional changes in email templates. In this case, a plugin update broke a previously customized email template, prompting a need for a sustainable solution.
Issue background
The Freshy team was prompted to update the Everest Forms plugin on a staging WordPress site due to a security vulnerability. As anticipated, the update overwrote the existing customized email template. The client had previously approved the styling of this template, so maintaining consistency was critical.
Diagnosis
The team quickly discovered that the root cause of the styling issues was the use of the plugin’s default email template, which is overwritten during plugin updates. Because this default template controls styling outside the containers, any direct edits to it were lost with each update.
Additionally, a minor visual discrepancy was identified post-update: the staging site showed a message stating “You can upload up to 1 files,” which was not present on the live site. However, functionality remained unaffected, confirming the issue was purely cosmetic.
Resolution steps
- Custom template creation: A new email template was created manually, replicating the structure and style of the default one, but saved as a custom template. This ensures updates to the plugin won’t overwrite the styling.
- Use of inline CSS and HTML: By hardcoding the styling within the email content using inline CSS, the appearance remains stable regardless of template changes.
- Plugin testing: All plugins—including Everest Forms, Everest Forms Pro, and Everest Forms – Repeater Fields—were updated and tested on staging. Once confirmed stable, the changes were applied to the live site.
- Verification: The team verified that the custom template remained intact post-update and that all padding, margins, and visual elements matched the client-approved version.
Final outcome
The update process was successfully completed without affecting the functionality or approved design of the Everest Forms email template. Future plugin updates will no longer disrupt styling, thanks to the move to a custom template. This ensures long-term stability and minimizes the need for repeated manual adjustments.
If you’re dealing with broken email templates or plugin-related disruptions in your WordPress site, contact Freshy—we can help you implement robust, update-safe solutions.
