If Ultimate Blocks blocks look right in the editor but appear unstyled, broken or missing on your live site, the cause is almost always a cache, a CSS optimization setting, a CDN or a theme conflict. Work through the checks below in order. Most sites are fixed by the first two.
What you need #
- An administrator account on your WordPress site.
- Access to your caching or optimization plugin settings, and to your CDN if you use one.
1. Clear every cache #
- Page cache: clear the cache in your caching plugin (for example WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, W3 Total Cache or WP Super Cache) or in your hosting control panel.
- Browser cache: do a hard refresh with Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac), or open the page in a private window.
- Check logged out: many caches serve different pages to logged-in and logged-out visitors. Always test in a private window.
Clear the cache again every time you change a setting below.
2. Check CSS and JavaScript optimization #
Optimization features can break block styles. Turn these off one at a time, clear the cache and check the page again:
- Minify CSS and Combine CSS (also called concatenate or aggregate).
- Remove unused CSS, Critical CSS or Optimize CSS delivery. These can strip styles for blocks lower on the page.
- Delay JavaScript or Defer JavaScript. Interactive blocks (tabs, accordions, sliders, countdowns) and the Animation (Pro) extension need their scripts to run.
When you find the setting that causes the problem, keep it on and exclude Ultimate Blocks files instead. Most optimization plugins let you exclude files that contain ultimate-blocks in their URL.
3. Purge your CDN #
If you use Cloudflare or another CDN, purge its cache after you clear your site cache. Also turn off CDN features that rewrite or minify CSS and JavaScript (for example Cloudflare Rocket Loader) to test whether they cause the problem.
4. Check the block and plugins are active #
- Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins and make sure Ultimate Blocks is active. For Pro blocks and Pro features, Ultimate Blocks Pro must be active too.
- Go to Ultimate Blocks > Blocks and make sure the block is turned on.
- Update Ultimate Blocks and Ultimate Blocks Pro to the latest versions.
5. Check Responsive Control and Visibility Control #
If a block is missing on the live site instead of unstyled, it may be hidden on purpose. Select the block and open the Settings tab:
- Responsive Control: make sure Hide On Desktop, Hide On Tablet or Hide On Mobile is not turned on for the device you are using.
- Visibility Control (Pro): check that Hide the block from everyone is off, that the User Role setting includes you (for example Logged Out hides the block while you are logged in), and that any schedule in Enable Schedule is set to the right dates.
- Animation (Pro): an animated block stays invisible until its script runs. If it never appears, see step 2.
6. Rule out a theme or plugin conflict #
- Your theme CSS can override block styles, for example list bullets, button colors or heading sizes. Use your browser’s Inspect tool to see which CSS wins.
- To test, switch to a default theme such as Twenty Twenty-Five on a staging site, or use the Health Check & Troubleshooting plugin, which lets you change theme and plugins only for your own session.
- If the block looks right with the default theme, add a fix with Custom CSS on the block, or ask your theme developer.
- If it still looks wrong, turn off other plugins one by one (in troubleshooting mode) to find the conflict.
7. Custom CSS not working? #
- Write
selectorin lowercase and check that every rule has its closing bracket. - Custom CSS loads for blocks in the post or page content. Blocks in widget areas, template parts or synced patterns may not get their Custom CSS.
- Make sure the Custom CSS extension is turned on in Ultimate Blocks > Extensions.
When to contact support #
If the styles are still missing after these checks, contact us through Ultimate Blocks > Contact Us. Include the page URL, the block name, your caching and optimization plugins, your theme, and any errors from the browser Console (press F12 and open the Console tab).
Frequently asked questions #
Why do Ultimate Blocks blocks look fine in the editor but not on my site?
The live site is usually served from a cache or changed by an optimization plugin. Clear all caches and turn off CSS minify, combine or remove unused CSS to test.
Which caching settings break block styles most often?
Remove unused CSS, critical CSS, combine CSS and delay JavaScript cause most problems. Exclude Ultimate Blocks files instead of turning these features off for the whole site.
Why is my block missing only on mobile?
Check the Responsive Control panel in the block Settings tab. Hide On Mobile may be turned on.
Why can visitors see a block that I cannot see?
Check Visibility Control (Pro). If the User Role setting is Logged Out, the block is hidden from you while you are logged in.
Can my theme override Ultimate Blocks styles?
Yes. Theme CSS can win over block styles. Test with a default theme, then fix it with Custom CSS on the block or ask your theme developer.
