Shortcodes do not work

The most common reasons for inoperativeness of the plugin are listed in this article. Follow all recommendations to solve the problem.

Table of contents

  1. JavaScript errors
  2. 3rd-party themes and plugins
  3. A wrong prefix of shortcodes
  4. Missing wp_head and wp_footer template tags
    1. wp_head
    2. wp_footer
  5. Custom formatting

JavaScript errors

JavaScript errors are the most common problem. These errors often lead to incorrect operation of plugins or themes. If shortcodes like spoilertabsexpandcarousel or slider (this is not the full list) do not work, then most likely there are JavaScript errors.

Read the following Codex article to diagnose JavaScript errors:

Using Your Browser to Diagnose JavaScript Errors

3rd-party themes and plugins

If something is not working, a likely cause is an outdated or non-compatible plugin or theme. The best thing to do is to narrow down the cause. To do this you can temporarily:

A wrong prefix of shortcodes

Please note that all shortcodes of Shortcodes Ultimate plugin have a special prefix in the name. By default this prefix is su_. If for some reason, you’ve added shortcodes to the editor without this prefix, they may not work. Ensure that all shortcodes are written with the necessary prefix, for example:

You can see the right prefix on the plugin settings page at: Dashboard – Shortcodes – Settings – Settings tab. On this page, you will see “Shortcodes prefix” text field. The meaning of this field should match the prefix used in the editor.

Ensure your active theme contains wp_head and wp_footer template tags. With the help of these tags (PHP-functions), WordPress knows where to connect style and script files. If the theme does not contain one of these tags, then Shortcodes Ultimate plugin (as well as many other plugins) will work incorrectly.

Open header.php file of your active theme and find call of wp_head() function there to ensure your theme contains wp_head tag. If you don’t find it, then add the function call manually, before </head> closing tag. The code should look like:

<head>
  ...
  <?php wp_head(); ?>
</head>

Open footer.php file of your active theme and find call of wp_footer() function there to ensure your theme contains wp_footer  tag. If you don’t find it there, then add the function call manually, before </body> closing tag. The code should look like:

  ...
  <?php wp_footer(); ?>
</body>
</html>

Custom formatting

This tip may help you if you face any problems with operation of row and column shortcodes. Go to plugin settings page: Dashboard – Shortcodes – Settings – Settings tab. Find “Custom formatting” setting. Try to enable or disable “Custom formatting”. Press the “Save Changes” button after enabling/disabling.

More information on this setting can be found in the “Plugin settings” article.

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