If DigiBlocks are not showing up in your WordPress block editor, this comprehensive guide will help you identify and resolve the issue. The most common causes range from simple plugin activation issues to more complex JavaScript conflicts.
Check Plugin Activation Status
The most basic reason blocks don’t appear is that the DigiBlocks plugin isn’t properly activated. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins in your WordPress dashboard and ensure DigiBlocks shows as “Active” with a blue background. If it shows “Activate” instead, click the link to activate the plugin.
After activation, refresh your page editor and check if the DigiBlocks category appears in the block inserter.
Verify Block Manager Settings
DigiBlocks includes a built-in block manager that allows you to enable or disable individual blocks. If specific blocks aren’t appearing, they may have been disabled in the settings.
Go to DigiBlocks > Dashboard in your WordPress admin area. You’ll see a Block Manager section with all available blocks listed. Each block has a toggle switch on the right side. Ensure the blocks you want to use are enabled (toggle switch should be blue/active).
If you’ve made changes, click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the Block Manager section.
WordPress and Gutenberg Version Requirements
DigiBlocks requires WordPress 5.8 or higher to function properly. The plugin relies on modern Gutenberg block editor features that aren’t available in older versions.
Check your WordPress version by going to Dashboard > Updates. If you’re running an older version, update WordPress first, then test if the blocks appear.
Clear Browser and Plugin Caches
Browser caching can sometimes prevent new blocks from appearing after plugin activation or updates. Clear your browser cache completely, including stored data and cookies for your site.
If you’re using a caching plugin like WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, or WP Super Cache, clear all caches through their respective admin panels. Many caching plugins also cache JavaScript files, which could prevent block registration.
Check for JavaScript Errors
JavaScript errors can prevent blocks from registering properly in the editor. Open your browser’s developer console while in the block editor:
- Chrome/Firefox: Press F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Cmd+Option+I on Mac)
- Safari: Press Cmd+Option+I
Look for any red error messages in the Console tab. Common JavaScript errors that affect block loading include:
- Syntax errors in the block registration code
- Dependency conflicts with other plugins
- Missing WordPress core scripts like wp-blocks or wp-element
If you see JavaScript errors mentioning “digiblocks” or related to block registration, note the specific error message for further troubleshooting.
Verify Theme Compatibility
Some themes, particularly older or heavily customized ones, may not fully support the Gutenberg block editor. This can prevent custom blocks from appearing.
Test block appearance by temporarily switching to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-Three or Twenty Twenty-Four:
- Go to Appearance > Themes
- Activate a default WordPress theme
- Create a new post or page and check if DigiBlocks appear
- If blocks appear with the default theme, the issue is theme-related
Plugin Conflict Detection
Other plugins can sometimes conflict with DigiBlocks, preventing blocks from loading. The most common culprits are:
- Other block plugins that modify the block editor
- JavaScript optimization plugins that combine or minify scripts incorrectly
- Security plugins with overly strict settings
- Page builder plugins that disable or modify Gutenberg
To test for plugin conflicts, deactivate all other plugins except DigiBlocks:
- Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
- Select all plugins except DigiBlocks using the checkboxes
- Choose “Deactivate” from the bulk actions dropdown
- Check if DigiBlocks appear in the editor
- If they do, reactivate plugins one by one to identify the conflicting plugin
User Role and Capability Issues
WordPress user roles and capabilities can affect block availability. DigiBlocks requires users to have appropriate editing capabilities to see and use blocks.
Ensure you’re logged in as an Administrator or a user role with sufficient editing permissions. If you’re testing with a limited user role, temporarily switch to an Administrator account to verify block availability.
WordPress Memory and Resource Limits
Insufficient server resources can prevent plugins from loading properly. If your site is running low on PHP memory or execution time, complex plugins like DigiBlocks may not initialize correctly.
Contact your hosting provider to verify your current PHP memory limit (should be at least 256MB) and maximum execution time (should be at least 30 seconds). Many shared hosting providers allow you to increase these limits through cPanel or similar control panels.
Block Registration Timing Issues
Sometimes blocks don’t appear due to timing issues during the WordPress initialization process. This can happen if other plugins interfere with the normal loading sequence.
Try deactivating and reactivating DigiBlocks:
- Go to Plugins > Installed Plugins
- Click “Deactivate” under DigiBlocks
- Wait a moment, then click “Activate”
- Clear any caches and refresh the editor
Server Configuration Issues
Certain server configurations can prevent JavaScript files from loading correctly. This is particularly common on shared hosting environments with aggressive security settings.
Check with your hosting provider if:
- JavaScript file serving is restricted
- There are mod_security rules blocking plugin files
- File permissions are correctly set (typically 644 for files, 755 for directories)
Browser-Specific Issues
Different browsers may handle block registration differently. Test the editor in multiple browsers:
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Safari
- Edge
If blocks appear in some browsers but not others, clear the browser data for the problematic browser or check for browser-specific JavaScript errors.
WordPress Multisite Considerations
If you’re running WordPress Multisite, ensure DigiBlocks is properly network-activated if you want it available across all sites, or activated individually on the specific site where you need it.
Network administrators may need to enable the plugin at the network level before individual site administrators can use it.
File Integrity Verification
Corrupted plugin files during upload or update can cause blocks not to appear. Try reinstalling DigiBlocks:
- Download a fresh copy of DigiBlocks from the WordPress repository
- Deactivate the current plugin
- Delete the plugin files via FTP or the WordPress admin
- Upload and activate the fresh copy
This ensures all plugin files are intact and properly uploaded to your server.