What Happened
After updating plugins on a staging site, the homepage content—powered by Slider Revolution—vanished. While the live website looked fine, the staging version (with the updated plugin) lost all slider visuals. The culprit? A version mismatch in Slider Revolution. Using a staging environment first can prevent downtime and allow you to troubleshoot issues before they affect your live website.
What We Found
- The live site was running v6.7.14
- The staging site was updated to v6.7.34
- The issue was introduced in v6.7.33, which added ARIA accessibility changes
- These updates clashed with existing slider configurations, breaking the display Checking error logs and debug tools in the WordPress dashboard confirmed the plugin conflict.
How We Fixed It
⬅️ Reverted the update
We rolled back to version 6.7.14 on staging to restore the slider content, using FTP client access to replace the plugin folder.
Paused live updates
To avoid broken functionality, we held off updating Slider Revolution on the live site until the issue was patched by the plugin author.
✅ Updated everything else
Other plugins like WPBakery were updated safely in staging, tested thoroughly, and then rolled out live. Updating plugins one by one helps prevent site break issues.
Reviewed theme dependencies
We checked whether a theme update was needed and confirmed the latest version and theme files were available directly from the vendor. Switching to a default theme temporarily helped rule out theme conflicts.
Final Outcome
The homepage slider and homepage content were restored with zero downtime. By isolating the issue to a specific plugin version and using a smart rollback strategy, we ensured the site functionality remained intact while waiting for an official fix. Creating a new working version in the staging environment first proved crucial.
Dealing with a similar plugin issue?
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Frequently Asked Questions (Preventing Homepage Content Disappearances After Plugin Updates in WordPress)
How to update WordPress without losing content?
To update WordPress safely without losing content, first back up your entire site, including the database and files. Deactivate caching and security plugins temporarily. Update WordPress core, themes, and plugins one by one. Finally, clear caches and test your site thoroughly to ensure everything works correctly.
When a WordPress website experiences issues after updating a plugin, what initial troubleshooting step should be taken?
The first troubleshooting step after a plugin update issue is to deactivate the recently updated plugin to see if the problem resolves. If it does, check for plugin conflicts, review error messages, and consider restoring a recent backup or updating the plugin to a compatible version.
How do I update my homepage in WordPress?
To update your WordPress homepage, go to the Dashboard → Pages, and select your homepage. Edit content using the Block Editor or a page builder like Elementor. After making changes, click Update. For dynamic content, check Settings → Reading to ensure the correct page is set as the homepage.
How to update a WordPress plugin without losing customization?
To update a WordPress plugin without losing customization, first back up your site. Check if custom changes are in child themes or custom files. Avoid editing core plugin files directly. Use hooks, filters, or custom CSS. Then safely update the plugin and verify your customizations remain intact.