Faq (Problems & Solutions) | SP Page Builder (Pro) 3.x - Documentation | JoomShaper

SP Page Builder (Pro) 3.x

Updated Last: 24 March 2023

Faq (Problems & Solutions)

This section contains some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about SP Page Builder (Pro). You may find that many bugs/problems may already been fixed in our knowledge base.  Please use our Search Field option to look for any issues you may be experiencing prior to contacting the support team - thank you.

Invalid license key or email

Are you receiving an "Invalid License Key" or "Invalid email" error message in SP Page Builder Pro? And cannot use all SP Page Builder Pro features (Sections & Template List) here is a fix:

  1. The License key is 32-digit hexadecimal number, not shorter.
    You should get in the e-mail after an order of SP PB Pro subscription.
    Remember rewrite only numbers, no extra space cannot be put before or after numbers.
  2. Please use the same email you entered at the registration stage whilst signing up for JoomShaper.
  3. License key and e-mail must be entered in Options section*
  4. Please, check your JoomShaper Dashboard again and use correct used values.
    Otherwise, contact with our Sale department.
  5. Remember to clear browser cache after upgrade from Free version to Pro.
  6. If those steps, will not help. Please install the last stable PRO version again, it will re-install files and database.

Note! Please ensure you are entering the valid license key. Each product (SPPB and templates) require a different license key.
* Developers can update page builder using common license key.


No Pro features after upgrade

If you noticed that Pro features are not working after upgrade from Lite (Free) version, please:

  1. Re-install the current version with SP Page Builder Pro package.
    Also because in the Free version you cannot add a license key.
  2. Clear browser cache after an upgrade. You need to use a "force refresh" (!).
    You can achieve this by pressing the following key combination:
    On PC: Ctrl + F5
    On Apple MAC: SHIFT + CMD + R
    You can also clear browser cached files from your browser settings.
  3. Clear Joomla cached files (System > Clear Cache > Clear All).
  4. Please make sure you OpenSSL is enabled and updated.
  5. Also, your server must work with curl or url_fopen.

Those steps are important for updates from older version to current one. They help to get the latest JavaScript and CSS libraries from component. If you are not sure, check Joomla and SP Page Builder Pro from alternative browser: Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera.

Warning: Please do not update SP Page Builder Pro with Free/Lite version - because you will lose all Pro features !


No Phone & Check Box in Contact form

In some templates (quickstart packages too) contact addon has been overridden. That's why you may not have access to GDPR Checkbox / Phone option or/and you do not see them on front-end.
Solution:

  1. Update SP Page Builder Pro to last version
  2. Use FTP tool and manually delete (!) addon folder (ajax_contact) from template
    Typical path: templates\shaper_NAME\sppagebuilder\addons\ajax_contact
  3. In some cases after step 2 - you have to also change input fields size from addon settings, for example use 6 and 6, or 4,4,4 to get two or three columns.

It allows Joomla to use correct code from current version of SPPB component.


Blank Integration page

If you noticed in SP Page Builder Pro the Integration section with Article / k2 integration seems to be blank (no options).  You have to:

  1. Update used PHP version, we suggest using PHP 7.3 or 7.4.
  2. In WHM panel / cPanel > Multi PHP Manager and turn on PHP-FPM / PHP 7.x 
  3. Try also with Allow Url Fopen (allow_url_fopen) - ON
  4. You have to enable/unlock PHP file_get_contents() function
  5. If above tips cannot help then temporary disable mod_security and check again.

This should help. About 2, 3  or 4 ask hosting support if you cannot find place to change it. But in most cases can be changed in php.ini or .htaccess file.


Back-end design broken after update

If your SP Page Builder (Pro) admin dashboard is displaying without or with broken design, the toolbar and all the button are not arranged properly, after upgrade - please follow reading.

To fix design please:

  1. Clear Joomla! cached files: System -> Clear cache -> Clear All
  2. Clear your default browser cache (all cached files must be removed).
    You need to use a "force refresh". You can achieve this by pressing the following key combination:
    On PC: Ctrl + F5
    On Apple Mac: SHIFT + CMD + R
    Those steps are important and it will help CMS to get the latest javascript and CSS libraries from component.
    If addons in back-end aren’t displaying correctly, you can try using your browser’s incognito or “private browsing” mode to see if the problem is caused by something other than cache or cookies.
  3. Check now, if this is not OK - please re-install SP Page Builder (Pro).
    In most cases that's all. The simplest solution is the best solution.

Suggestion! If you have installed JCE editor, make sure that you updated to last/current version of it (v2.6.26+).
It's very important to fix possible issues with Text addons.


I can't edit content after upgrade

If you upgraded SP Page Builder from 1.x or 2.x to last 3.x version and now you cannot edit content in addons: Text Addon, Image Content addon, etc. Try to fix it yourself using following steps:

  1. Update JCE editor to last stable version (v2.9.16+).
    If you cannot afford to renew subscription for Pro version, please upgrade using JCE Free one.
    Note: All JCE versions below 2.6.22 are buggy.
  2. Then clear browser and CMS cache after update.
  3. Check if in used by you template, addons were not overridden inside the template folder. 
    If you are not sure, ask your template developer for advice.
  4. Disable all cookies plugins or module, they can also prevent/stop editor.

If you have problem with Tabs or Accordion addon probably you have to delete old addons folder from your template folder.  In old version of addon you could add only text.


In Page editor no addons to edit

There are generally three reasons for this:

  • Extensions/Template Conflict
    It can be module or old version of plugin. You have to disable one by one to check.
  • Cloudflare service
    In that case exclude engine.js file from cloudeflare. You need to disable Rocket Loader in the /administrator/* directory by using a Page Rule.
  • Enabled Mod_Security on your server
    Disable for short period to check if it was it.

Error: 0 Call to undefined method JAdminCssMenu::addChild()

If after Joomla update you do not have access to Joomla administrator area, and all you see is only toolbar with error message "Error: 0 Call to undefined method JAdminCssMenu::addChild()" in title. You have to do two simple steps:

  1. Use FTP tool and delete folder: administrator\modules\mod_sppagebuilder_admin_menu
  2. Update SP Page Builder to last version (if you cannot, copy this folder from last version of quickstart)

Catchable fatal error: Object of class stdClass = I cannot edit Page

If you cannot edit (selected) Page(s) from front-end and you would see message : "Catchable fatal error: Object of class stdClass could not be converted to string in /public_html/components/com_sppagebuilder/layouts/addon/css.php on line 171"  it means that on that page there is conflict. It can be caused by:

  1. Custom JavaScript code used inside Custom module used in Module addon.
  2. Installed extra module (not joomla core) used insided Module addon.
  3. Old addon from your template override.

The best way to find it, is DELETE all module addons one by one, and check which one cause the problem.


Error 403 on front-end editor

If you noticed error message "403. This request is blocked by Admin Tools" and have Akeeba Tools Pro installed you have to make small configuration change:

Go to Admin Tools: Web Application Firewall > Configure WAF > Cloaking and set "Allow site templates" to "Yes" - then it will be fixed!


I cannot Save page settings on front-end

 If you can not save Page settings on front-end editor (Save button doesn't respond) check the status of mod_security in Apache. For some reasons, certain functions are blocked by this software. If possible disable mod_security and check the behavior of SPPB again. You can use Comodo WAF rules instead.
If above tip will not help, and if your hosting PHP is running in FastCGI mode. Switching to CGI mode solves the problem.

Ask hosting support for more details / help.


If you noticed appear - disappear slides in Carosel or Testimonials slides - first thing you should know that it's not addon issue (!). This is JavaScript conflict with other extension. In most cases is caused by extra module you have installed and published, which load OLD/LEGACY mootools libraries. It's easy to check -  show source code of front-end and search for mootools phrase in head section. If you would find two lines with mootools-more.js and mootools-core.js files - this is the source of problem.
Solutions:
a) Check which module or component load mootools. You have to disable extra modules one by one, and check page again. If you want to keep that "bad"  module ask its developer for honest/real update. Mootools library is not recommended by Joomla anymore. All modules have to use only JQuery, not Mootools.
OR
b) Install plugin Mootools Enabler-Disabler and enable it. It will disable it (cut off)  mootools > temporary remove problem.
------
Note! Joomla 4.0 will not use/load mootools anymore. That's why use modules based on JQuery only.

If mootools are not used but you still have problems, you have to disable extra modules or plugin one by one - to check which one cause problems. Sorry, but we cannot guarantee full compatibility with all extensions available on JED.


Jumping Images in Helix based templates

If you noticed weird disappear/jumping effect for Slideshow, Carousel or Testimonial addon - it means that you are using an extra module which loads (old, legacy) MooTools libraries. You can use this same tips "A" and "B" from the above section, or use below fix code to solve this problem if you have Helix3 based template :

 template/shaper_template_name/js/main.js

if (typeof jQuery != 'undefined' && typeof MooTools != 'undefined' ) {
  (function($) {
   $(document).ready(function(){
    $('.sppb-carousel').each(function(index, element) {
      $(this)[index].slide = null;
    });
  });
 })(jQuery);
}

or

var carousel = jQuery('.carousel');
if(carousel){
 window.addEvent('domready', function(){
  if (typeof jQuery != 'undefined' && typeof MooTools != 'undefined' ) {
   Element.implement({
    slide: function(how, mode){
     return this;
    }
   });
  }
 });
}

 


How to override addon in my template

Tips you will find in HOW TO.. section.


Google maps is grayed - For development purposes only

You have watermarked google map in SP Page Builder addon, but why? Sorry, it's beyond us this time. Since June 2018 Google changed regulations for access to API keys, Google Maps service is no longer "free"  as it was before. If You do not have a valid Google Maps license you get the watermarked maps. All google maps projects must be associated with a billing account. Starting in June 2018, you’ll need a valid API key and a Google Cloud Platform billing account to access the core Google Maps APIs. The billing requirement is now being enforced. You have to associate a credit card so that you can get billed if your site has requests that exceed the $200 credit Google gives you monthly for free.

More official information & price list you will find here: https://cloud.google.com/maps-platform/pricing/

Instead of Google Maps, we have alternative map addon based on OpenStreets. If you have SPPB Pro you can find it in the list of addons.


Addon settings or design problems

If you noticed addon settings or front-end addon design problems in many cases this problem is caused by template addons override. Many templates from external developers does not update regularly addons included inside template folder. Used old code of addons (prepared mostly for SPPB 2.x) may not work properly  with the latest version of SP Page Builder Pro 3.x.
In that case you have two alternative solutions:

  1. Ask the template developer for template update, he has to increase code compatibility with SP Page Builder 3.x.
    We all feel that this is the best solution for everybody involved.
  2. Manually (via FTP tool or Template File Manager) remove buggy addon(s).
    This solution will help only for those addons which are built-in SP Page Builder (Pro):
    • Check here:
      templates/your_template/sppagebuilder/addons/ADDON-NAME
    • If there is admin.php file inside - please DELETE it.
    • Then clear browser cache in meantime.
    • Try addon admin settings again.
    • You can do this same with site.php file.
    • Note! Addon after all should work, but it may have a little bit different design.

No full width - No fluid row effect

The fluid row feature doesn't exist inside Joomla content nor K2 items content. It's because of default width defined for Bootstrap container.

This feature works properly only in pages created directly inside SP Page Builder (Pro). If you want to use full width (max wide) container, spanning the entire width of your article or K2 item view you have two alternative options:

  1. Use Page(s) only - where you can decide about fluid for each row separately.
  2. Use below custom CSS code for selected menu items only:
    #sp-main-body .container {width: 100%;}
    It will make whole (article) container full width (maximum wide).

Images used inside Image Content addon are too big/resized

Quality and size of image displayed on the left or right from Image Content depends on:

  • Resolution of uploaded original picture (photo)
  • Top & Bottom padding setting used inside addon, by default values are big, over 100px each. 
  • Default styles from SP Page Builder.

You can keep original image height by extra CSS lines:

.sppb-addon-image-content.aligment-left .sppb-image-holder,
 .sppb-addon-image-content.aligment-right .sppb-image-holder {
    background-size: auto;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
}

 To reduce height of addon (including text area) reduce default padding setting located under content field.


Warning copy file failed and error installing component

Make sure that the max_upload_size is bigger than 2MB (4MB for example) because the component is 2,5MB and many PHP configurations have this value by default set to 2MB only. Please check also Joomla folders permissions (System > System information > Folder Permissions), they should be Writable (755).

Note: If you have noticed any server issues, please contact your server host provider for support so they can fix these for you. JoomShaper cannot assist with individual servers. In some extreme cases, you will have to disable your firewall component during installing our component.


Fatal error: WFModelEditor

The warning message "Fatal error: 0 Call to undefined method WFModelEditor::render" or broken JCE editor in SP Page Builder is caused by old JCE editor version installed. Remember that all JCE versions below 2.6.29 are buggy. You have to update regularly all extensions which can be used inside SPPB. Always compare used version with this one published on developer site, if you are not sure.

To fix problem please :

  1. Download the last stable version of JCE editor from the developer website.
    It can be FREE or PRO version - it doesn't matter.
  2. Re-install / install in Joomla.
  3. Clear browser cache after JCE update.
  4. Clear Joomla cached files (System > Clear Cache > Delete All).

I cannot edit Pages from front-end

Please check and follow all steps to fix/solve the problem:

  1. Update template framework to the last version. If you have Helix II, please download the last version of the raw Helix II template and install it, it will update the framework. In the case of a template based on Helix3, please download Helix3 template and install it. This step is very important to update the framework used by the template. If your template was based on a different template framework, ask its template developer for an update package. 
  2. Update JCE Editor to last available version, above 2.6.19+.
  3. After installation clear browser cache.
  4. Update SP Page Builder Pro to the last available version (3.1+).
  5. Clear Joomla cached files (System > Clear Cache > Clear All).
  6. Enable GZip compression in Joomla! Global Configuration.
  7. PHP version should be at least 5.6. We suggest using PHP 7.1 or 7.2 or PHP 7.3.
    If you have problems with PHP 7.2, please use the lower version.
  8. Disable all additional plugins which uses JQuery on front-end, for example, for Cookies plugins.
  9. Login on the front-end as administrator and check again.
  10. Check also from the different template set as default to find a source of problems.
  11. Disable protection from the Firewall component (Akeeba Tools Pro).

Note: If you are still encountering issues, this may be due to you using a non-standard browser.  To ensure the interactive editor works, we would suggest using the major browsers, i.e.  Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Opera. Sorry, but support for Internet Explorer/Edge is limited.


SP Page Builder on a Virtual Server

Can SP Page Builder Pro be installed on a Virtual Server (Local)? Yes, even if you have only have a Basic subscription. Remember to keep a connection to your internet enabled/on if you want to use all PRO features. Section library and Page Template List require a connection to the JoomShaper.com website API to load is required to use those resources. All others may work without internet (WiFi) connection.
SP Page Builder Basic/Pro can be used on XAMPP, but first, in your OS, you will need to set the function of "User Account Control (UAC)" to a minimum without disabling it on Windows/MAC. We know about some problems on Wamp, so we advise you use this  at your own risk. Note: Execution time in PHP should be set to 3000.


What's an Instagram Access Token?

If you want to use Instagram addon you need to have the Access Token. It is a long string of characters unique to your account that grants other applications access to your Instagram feed. Without the token, your Joomla website will be unable to cooperate with the Instagram servers. The token provides a secure way for a website to ask Instagram's permission to access your profile and display its images.

Before getting your Access Token you have to register as a developer in Instagram and to receive  Client ID. Please visit https://www.instagram.com/developer and register a new app. You can get Instagram Access Token using Client ID. Copy your new Instagram Client ID then go to this page and paste your Client ID there. The last step is, go to the Instagram addon settings (SP Page Builder Pro) and copy the Access Token to the input box provided. Then you are ready to display your Instagram Feed on your website!

Note! Access tokens may expire at any time in the future. 


Padding between Rows after upgrade from v2 to v3

Yes, in SP Page Builder 2 there was default top (50px) and bottom padding (50px) value of space set for all Rows (Sections). In new SP Page Builder 3, we have removed this pre-set padding and there is no longer a set default padding for rows and sections. You can set custom values during the editing process. We understand that if you have lots of pages already built – this maybe time-consuming to change site wide.

That's why we have prepared a short CSS fix which can solve Row (Section) padding issues which you may encounter:

#sp-page-builder .page-content .sppb-section  { padding: 40px 0;} 

Note: First check in Code Inspector console (inside your browser) what padding value is the best choice for your purpose.


Pro version with expired membership

If your SP Page Builder Pro subscription ends, this will be due to:

  • Your subscription has expired,
  • You have canceled your subscription.

You can still use and install SP Page Builder Pro, but you will not have access to the following:

  1. SP Page Builder Pro updates.
  2. Support System (Forum)
  3. Two features: Section library and Page Template list (Layout bundles).

Free community support may be available on our Facebook group ( https://www.facebook.com/groups/sppagebuilder/ ).

All pages (addons, columns, and rows) you've built with the SP Page Builder Pro will work after the subscription expires. You can still use the free features. Plus, once the subscription expires, the Pro license key becomes invalid. 
Remember: You can renew your membership anytime!


Oops! One of your commercial extensions couldn't be updated.

As a first step, please check if you inserted valid license key and e-mail in SP Page Builder Pro options. Quick fix:

  1. If you have access please Download SP Page Builder Pro package from JoomShaper site.
  2. Then create a full backup of website.
  3. Reinstall with new version.
  4. Clear browser cache (all cached files!)

Google Maps Addon doesn't work

Since 2016, all Google Maps requires a Maps API browser key. Without it, you cannot display Google Maps on your Joomla! website. If you are using the Google Maps API on localhost or your domain was not active prior to June 2016, it will require a key going forward.

If you you noticed Google Map message or error in Browser JavaScript console:

  • MissingKeyMapError – An API key is not being used
  • RefererNotAllowedMapError – Key doesn’t allow your URL
  • ApiNotActivatedMapError – API is not enabled
  • InvalidKeyMapError – The API key used is incorrect or this site is not authorized to use it
  • Oops! Something went wrong. This page didn’t load Google Maps correctly. 
    or maybe
  • Empty area where Google Maps should be or was before upgrade from older version of SPPB

To fix common problems, please follow those steps:

  1. You have to create a new app and get the  Google Maps JavaScript API key from that application and use it in SP PB tool.
  2. Create a API key from this site (login before): https://developers.google.com/maps/documentation/javascript/get-api-key
  3. Enable an API (more)
    You may need to enable the Google Maps JavaScript API under APIs in the Google API Console.
  4. Then copy generated and enabled API key and go to SP Page Builder back-end and there click on  "Options" (top right button) -> Options tab , where you have to put your Google Map API Key.
    Your API key should be up and running within 5 minutes.

Still troubles with Google maps on your site

  1. Verify that the Google Maps JavaScript API is enabled in the Google Maps API Manager.
  2. Check if your installed template is the last available version, if not please re-install.
  3. Check template folder for that (bold) folder : templates\ThemeName\sppagebuilder\addons\gmap
    -
    because in some cases there can be gmap addon from the previous version of SP Page Builder.
    In that case delete site.php and admin.php file inside.
    So Joomla will be able to use the last version of addon directly from component folder.

It’s Still Not Working

  1. Check the browser JavaScript console again. It is quite possible that you had two errors to begin with but only solved one or that the one error remains because you did not tweak the settings correctly.
  2. Clear your cache. If you’re using a caching plugin, purge Joomla cache. Otherwise, your key might not be used right away. Clear your browser cache either.
  3. Wait. Google Manual says it can take up to five minutes for the changes to take effect.

Note: If you have a lot of traffic, you might want to consider getting the premium plan license because this only allows 25k map loads per day.


I cannot save changes

Have you noticed that changes in Pages, Rows, Columns and Addons are taking a long time to save. Or you have save icon spinning and nothing happens. If yes, in most cases problems are related with:

  1. Old version of PHP (we suggest to use 7.0.x)
  2. Not enabled GZip compression (in Global Configuration)
  3. Problems with SSL/HTTS certificate *
  4. Extra plugins: KL Admin Skin, AceSearch or JSN PowerAdmin
    - or any similar which can change the appearance/behavior of your Joomla Admin**.
  5. Low PHP memory limit (we suggest 128M or 256M)***

* SP PB request has been blocked by CORS policy - check several tips below.
** Disable all extra extensions (for test period) to check which make conflict.
*** Ask hosting support how to increase memory value. More is better.


What is Perfect Dashboard and how to remove it

Over 3/4 websites are susceptible to hacking as they are not updated. We implemented integration with Perfect Dashboard service to manage updates of Joomla websites. During SP Page Builder Pro installation Perfect Dashboard component is installed as well. If, at anytime, you decide you do not want use this services, you can easily uninstall it. Without it, everything still works correctly.

To uninstall Perfect Dashboard, follow these steps:

  1. Go to: Extensions > Manage and find "Perfect Dashboard" component.
  2. Disable Perfect Dashboard component.
  3. Then use uninstall button for "Perfect Dashboard".

I cannot upload video mp4 file

If you have problems with mp4 file(s) upload please check:

  1. In Contnet > Media: Options > Legal MIME Types, add video/mp4 if missing
  2. In Contnet > Media: Options > Legal Extensions (File Types), add mp4 and MP4 if missing
  3. Verify php.ini configuration: post_max_size and upload_max_filesize larger than the video you need to upload.
    If video size = 12MB then post_max_size=16MB or larger and upload_max_filesize= 16MB or larger.
    If you cannot edit those values from there, ask hosting support for help.
  4. Try to upload test mp4 file from here: http://techslides.com/sample-webm-ogg-and-mp4-video-files-for-html5

Install: Error SQL Duplicate column name

If during SP Page Builder Pro update/upgrade you noticed error "Install: Error SQL Duplicate column name 'asset_id' ..." please:

  1. Make backup of Joomla database (use Akeeba Backup or hosting panel)
  2. Uninstall SP Page Builder component
  3. Download the last version of SP Page Builder from our site and
  4. Install component from Joomla admin installer

  It should help to update database tables and fix problem for future updates too.


Error: mysql_real_escape_string()

If after update of SP Page Builder you got the warning message: "Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to undefined function mysql_real_escape_string()"  - to solve this problem please:

  1. Change used PHP version. We suggest using one of them: PHP 5.6, PHP 7.0.x or 7.1. All others are not supported.
  2. In Global Configuration of Joomla! change database type. In most cases: MySQLi. If you had PostgreSQL - do not touch this option.
  3. Disable all old (not core) plugins, probably one of them use old/deprecated code.

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected

If after upgrade or fresh installation of SP Page Builder you saw error a message: Parse error: syntax error, unexpected '[' in /administrator/components/com_sppagebuilder/builder/classes/addon.php on line 124  - all you have to do is : change used PHP version to higher: PHP 5.6 or PHP 7.0.x.

In most cases, hosting companies offer many different versions of PHP. You are able to choose which version you want to use from your cPanel or .htaccess file. You should be able to create a ticket in your hosting support center (please visit your hosting providers website) and they'll should make this change for you. 


Warning: file_get_contents():

If you have noticed Warning: file_get_contents (integrations.json): failed to open stream  and you do not have access to integrations tab  - in that case chnage PHP setting : allow_url_fopen - must be ON , not OFF like you probably have now. Now it's time to call/write to Hosting support ! 


Warning: htmlspecialchars() .... parser/addon-parser.php

If you noticed issue message : Warning: htmlspecialchars (...) expect parameter  com_sppagebuilder/parser/addon-parser.php  or similar - please do all those steps:

  1. Increase your PHP version to   7.3 or 7.4 (suggested).
  2. Update Helix template framework to the last available version.
  3. Update JCE editor to the last version. It should be at least 2.9.15+.
  4. You have delete all php files from folder:
    templates/your_template/html/sp_pagebuilder
  5. Check addons located (overridden) inside the template directory:
    templates/your_template/sppagebuilder/addons
    - maybe one of them use old version of code (from SPPB 1 or SPPB 2), which is not supported by SPPB 3 anymore.
    In that case, you should:
    ask your template developer for an update
    or
    delete the broken addon folder manually.


Error:500 PHP regular expression limit reached

If during work with Joomla you noticed message: "Error: 500 PHP regular expression limit reached (pcre.backtrack_limit)" - to fix it, please follow these steps:

  1. Inside your php.ini file put below code with suggested value*:
    pcre.backtrack_limit=250000
  2. Check Joomla site again.
  3. If won't help, then inside configuration.php file just add after last "}" add:
    ini_set('pcre.backtrack_limit', 250000);
  4. Check Joomla site again.
  5. Increase the PHP memory limit or change PHP version.
  6. If still no progress please contact with your hosting company.

* In some cases this line in php.ini file is commented, please delete comment mark.


Error 500: Internal Server Error

If you saw error page with message: The 500 (Internal Server Error) - it is a very general HTTP status code which is given when no more specific message is suitable.Typically this is not a problem with the server itself, and can be most often resolved by modifying something in your site's configuration. 

Internal Server Error can be caused by many things, those are most common reasons :

  • A temporary server problem - In that case so you have to wait few minutes and clear browser cache after all.
  • A Permissions Error - an incorrect permission on one or more files or folders. In most of those cases, an incorrect permission on a PHP and CGI script is to blame. These should usually be set at 0775 (-rwxr-xr-x).
  • A PHP Timeout. If your script connects to external resources and those resources timeout, an HTTP 500 error can occur. Timeout rules, or better error handling in your script, should help if this is the cause of the 500 error.
  • Bad lines in your php.ini or .htaccess file - while not as common, be sure to check that your site's .htaccess file is properly structured.
  • Invalid requests in the script - for example from old module or addon, missing or incorrect value in code.
  • Old version of PHP compare and change, read more.
  • Problem with old version of JCE editor - please download and install the last one, JCE 2.6.31 or above.
  • Problem with module used inside Page layout - please disable or delete one by one, Module addons.

Error 503:  Service Temporarily Unavailable

This kind of HTTP errors are most often caused by your site having met its maximum concurrent connection (simultaneous visitors) limit.  However, you might also experience 503 errors if your hosting account consumes all of its available resources. In some cases error occurs when your web server is unable to get a proper response from a PHP script. This PHP script could be a Joomla plugin, module, a template, or a misbehaving custom code added in head. 

Suggestions how to solve it:

  1. Install .htaccess rules to block unwanted traffic (mostly from spam-bots)*
    and block bad HTTP requests.
  2. Install firewall component and scan your website searching for any sign of malware.
  3. For test period deactivate (disable) all extra installed Joomla plugins
  4. Analyze server logs for site errors
    And switch showing error to Max to check which code (from installed scripts, extension)
    is causing the issue.
  5. Switch PHP version to 7.0.x or PHP 7.1

*Blocking robots has no effect on SEO. More than half of the web traffic comes from robots (web crawlers), not from real users. 
Useful resources: perishablepress.com/block-bad-bots/  and tab-studio.com/en/blocking-robots-on-your-page/

If you've done steps 1-5 and you're still consistently hitting your resource limits on your hosting account, you'll want to troubleshoot your account to see why that's happening or upgrade your resource level. A good place to start when troubleshooting memory/io usage is to check that your plugins aren't malfunctioning.

Note! If your site is popular, you may be targeted by a Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, which involves directing massive amounts of traffic towards it to make your site inaccessible. It’s usually not something you alone can solve. To fix the problem, you’ll need to contact your web host’s support team.


Call to undefined function curl_init()

If you get this error, then cURL module for PHP is not installed properly or is not enabled on your server. cURL is a library that lets you make HTTP requests in PHP.
To solve this problem:

  • Ask hosting tech support for help, they should be able to turn on cURL extension.
  • In case, if you use Localhost software (eg. Apache) remove ';' from extension=php_curl.dll in php.ini
    If this line does not exist in your php.ini file, add it. Make sure to restart your restart the web-server to see changes in configuration.

Note! Enabling cURL for your Joomla website is very important. Because all Joomla extensions from JoomShaper require enabling cURL to operate functionally.


Fatal error: Allowed memory size of bytes exhausted

The standard PHP memory requirements for Joomla core are a bare minimum. Sites that run many addons, or particularly memory-intensive ones, will need more.  If you have receive an error on your site indicating that the memory limit has been reached. It may appear like this: Fatal error: Allowed memory size of XXXX bytes exhausted (tried to allocate XXXX bytes). This error means your site needs more PHP memory than is currently available. If you see an error like this, try increasing your memory limit. Suggested PHP memory limit values are: 128MB or 256MB. Check hosting cPanel or helpdesk (FAQ) how to increase PHP memory value. If you cannot make the change yourself, please ask your hosting provider to adjust it for you, or look for a new host that allows more flexibility.

If you are using XAMPP/WAMP, there may be two PHP.ini files (one under the PHP directory and the other under Apache/bin). To change your memory limit, edit the file in the XAMPP/Apache/bin directory.


SP Page Builder Frontend editing on IE

Please be informed that the frontend editing feature of SP Page Builder is not supported on the Internet Explorer (IE) browser.  


Has been blocked by CORS policy

Warning message from browser console may look like this: "(...) has been blocked by CORS policy: No 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' header is present on the requested resource". If your site was working fine but after adding SSL (HTTPS) you cannot save changes or other issues appeared. It's problem with Access-Control-Allow-Origin (CORS origin) for your domain HTTPS enabled. CORS is industry standard for accessing web resources on different domains. It is very important security concept implemented by web browsers to prevent Javascript or CSS code from making requests against a different origin.

Popular symptoms are:

  • destroyed layout (not loaded CSS styles, JavaScript files),
  • missing font icons,
  • and/or broken features.

To fix it, you have to check domain settings  for which HTTPS was set OR ask domain/hosting technical support.
In most cases it's problem with:

  1. "non-www" domain settings, or
  2. blocked resources by .htaccess, where you can also unlock them.

In general it's not problem with JoomShaper software/products.

The JoomShaper is not responsible for maintaining and supporting third-party extensions nor templates (even based on helix3 framework). Please contact the developer directly if you need assistance with an plugin, module, component or template. We cannot fix also problems with HTTPS configuration.

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