Webflow Troubleshooting Overview | Blue Frog Docs

Webflow Troubleshooting Overview

Common issues and solutions for Webflow websites, including performance, tracking, and technical problems.

Webflow Troubleshooting Overview

This guide provides solutions to common issues encountered when building, optimizing, and tracking Webflow websites. Whether you're experiencing performance problems, tracking failures, or technical glitches, you'll find diagnostic steps and solutions here.

Common Problem Categories

Performance Issues

Webflow sites can experience performance problems that affect user experience and search rankings:

Tracking and Analytics Issues

Problems with analytics and marketing pixels:

  • Events Not Firing: GA4, Meta Pixel, or GTM events not tracking
  • Duplicate events: Same event firing multiple times
  • Missing data: Incomplete tracking data
  • Tag conflicts: Multiple tags interfering with each other

Webflow-Specific Issues

Issues unique to the Webflow platform:

  • Designer vs. published site differences: Features working in Designer but not live
  • CMS data not displaying: Collection items not appearing correctly
  • Form submission failures: Webflow forms not submitting
  • Ecommerce checkout problems: Cart and checkout issues
  • Interaction and animation glitches: Webflow interactions not working

Hosting and Deployment

Problems related to publishing and hosting:

  • Custom domain not working: DNS and domain connection issues
  • SSL certificate errors: HTTPS and security certificate problems
  • CDN caching issues: Content not updating after publishing
  • Staging vs. production differences: Environment-specific problems

General Troubleshooting Approach

Step 1: Identify the Environment

Determine where the problem occurs:

  • Webflow Designer: Does not execute custom code, JavaScript, or tracking tags
  • Webflow Editor: Limited functionality, may not show all features
  • Staging site (yoursite.webflow.io): Full functionality, useful for testing
  • Production site (custom domain): Live environment

Key rule: Most tracking, custom code, and JavaScript only work on published sites (staging or production), NOT in the Designer or Editor.

Step 2: Reproduce the Issue

Create a systematic reproduction process:

  1. Clear browser cache and cookies
  2. Use an incognito/private browser window
  3. Disable browser extensions (especially ad blockers)
  4. Try a different browser
  5. Test on a different device
  6. Document exact steps to reproduce

Step 3: Check Browser Console

The browser console reveals JavaScript errors:

  1. Open your published site
  2. Press F12 (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Option+I (Mac)
  3. Go to Console tab
  4. Look for red error messages
  5. Check Network tab for failed requests

Step 4: Review Recent Changes

Identify what changed before the problem started:

  • Recent Webflow publishes
  • New custom code additions
  • Tag updates in GTM
  • Webflow plan changes
  • Domain or DNS changes
  • Third-party integration updates

Step 5: Isolate the Problem

Narrow down the source:

  • Disable custom code: Temporarily remove custom code sections
  • Remove interactions: Turn off Webflow interactions
  • Disable tags: Pause GTM tags one by one
  • Test on different pages: Determine if issue is site-wide or page-specific
  • Create a test page: Build a minimal page to reproduce the issue

Quick Diagnostic Checklist

Use this checklist for any Webflow issue:

  • Site published? Verify latest changes are published
  • Correct environment? Testing on published site, not Designer
  • Browser console clean? No JavaScript errors
  • Ad blockers disabled? Privacy extensions can block tracking
  • Custom code correct? Syntax errors in custom code
  • GTM published? If using GTM, ensure container is published
  • CMS data exists? For CMS issues, verify content is published
  • Form connected? For forms, ensure proper form settings
  • Cache cleared? Hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R) to bypass cache
  • Plan limits? Check if issue is related to Webflow plan limits

Performance Issues

Symptoms

  • Slow page load times
  • Poor Core Web Vitals scores
  • Long time to interactive
  • Laggy animations
  • Slow mobile performance

Common Causes

  1. Large images: Unoptimized images slowing page load
  2. Heavy custom code: Too much JavaScript in custom code
  3. Multiple tracking tags: Many marketing pixels causing slowdown
  4. Webflow interactions: Complex interactions affecting performance
  5. External embeds: Third-party widgets and embeds
  6. Fonts: Multiple custom fonts with many weights

Quick Fixes

  • Optimize images: Use Webflow's responsive images and lazy loading
  • Minimize custom code: Remove unnecessary JavaScript
  • Use GTM: Consolidate tags in Google Tag Manager
  • Defer non-critical scripts: Use async/defer attributes
  • Limit interactions: Simplify complex Webflow interactions
  • Reduce fonts: Use fewer font families and weights

Detailed guides:

Tracking Issues

Symptoms

  • GA4 not tracking page views
  • Meta Pixel not firing
  • GTM tags not executing
  • Events missing in analytics
  • Duplicate events appearing

Common Causes

  1. Not published: Tracking only works on published sites
  2. Ad blockers: Browser extensions blocking tracking
  3. JavaScript errors: Code errors preventing tag execution
  4. Incorrect IDs: Wrong measurement/pixel/container IDs
  5. Missing GTM publish: Changes in GTM not published
  6. Tag conflicts: Multiple installations of the same tag

Quick Fixes

  • Publish site: Ensure site is published, not just saved
  • Disable ad blockers: Test with extensions disabled
  • Check console: Look for JavaScript errors
  • Verify IDs: Confirm tracking IDs are correct
  • Publish GTM: If using GTM, publish container changes
  • Remove duplicates: Check for multiple tag installations

Detailed guide: Events Not Firing

Webflow Designer vs. Published Site

What Doesn't Work in Designer

The Webflow Designer is a visual editing tool. These features do NOT work in Designer preview:

  • ✗ Custom code (head/footer code)
  • ✗ JavaScript execution
  • ✗ Analytics tags (GA4, Meta Pixel, GTM)
  • ✗ Form submissions
  • ✗ Ecommerce checkout
  • ✗ External API calls
  • ✗ Third-party embeds (some)
  • ✗ Dynamic CMS data (limited)

What DOES Work on Published Sites

These features work on published staging and production sites:

  • ✓ All custom code
  • ✓ JavaScript and tracking tags
  • ✓ Form submissions
  • ✓ Ecommerce functionality
  • ✓ All integrations
  • ✓ CMS dynamic data
  • ✓ Interactions and animations

Solution: Always test functionality on your published staging site (yoursite.webflow.io), not in the Designer.

Webflow Plan Limitations

Common issues related to Webflow plan limits:

Issue Cause Solution
Form submissions not arriving Over submission limit Upgrade plan or wait for reset
CMS items not publishing CMS item limit reached Upgrade plan or remove old items
Site not connecting to domain Staging plan limitation Upgrade to Site plan
Ecommerce features unavailable Not on Ecommerce plan Upgrade to Ecommerce plan
Team members can't access Collaborator limit reached Upgrade plan or remove collaborators

Check your limits: Webflow Dashboard > Project Settings > Billing & Plans

CDN and Caching Issues

Problem: Changes Not Appearing After Publishing

Webflow uses a global CDN that caches your site for performance.

Solutions:

  1. Wait 5-10 minutes: CDN propagation takes time globally
  2. Hard refresh: Press Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)
  3. Clear browser cache: Clear cache and cookies
  4. Incognito mode: Test in incognito/private window
  5. Different device: Check on phone or different computer
  6. Check staging first: Verify changes on webflow.io subdomain

Problem: Old Content Still Showing

Solutions:

  • Republish site: Publish again from Webflow
  • Clear CDN cache: Contact Webflow support for manual CDN purge
  • Check DNS: Ensure DNS points to correct Webflow servers
  • Verify publish time: Check when site was last published

Form Submission Issues

Problem: Forms Not Submitting

Causes:

  • Form not connected to email notifications
  • Exceeded form submission limits
  • Required fields not filled
  • Spam filter blocking submissions
  • JavaScript errors on page

Solutions:

  1. Check form settings: Ensure form has email notifications configured
  2. Verify plan limits: Check if you've exceeded monthly submission limit
  3. Test required fields: Ensure all required fields are completing
  4. Check spam folder: Submissions may be in spam
  5. Review browser console: Check for JavaScript errors

Problem: Form Success Message Not Showing

Solutions:

  • Ensure success state is designed in Webflow
  • Check for CSS hiding success message
  • Verify form has success redirect configured
  • Check browser console for errors

CMS Issues

Problem: CMS Items Not Displaying

Causes:

  • Items not published
  • Collection List settings incorrect
  • Filters excluding items
  • Reached CMS item limits

Solutions:

  1. Publish CMS items: Ensure items are set to "Published" status
  2. Check Collection List settings: Verify filter and sort settings
  3. Remove filters: Temporarily remove filters to see all items
  4. Check plan limits: Verify you haven't exceeded CMS item limits

Problem: CMS Field Data Not Appearing

Solutions:

  • Ensure field is connected to correct CMS collection
  • Check field is not empty in CMS
  • Verify field type matches element (e.g., image field to image element)
  • Republish after CMS changes

Ecommerce Issues

Problem: Add to Cart Not Working

Solutions:

  • Ensure product is published and in stock
  • Check inventory settings
  • Verify variant is selected (if product has variants)
  • Review browser console for errors
  • Test on published site, not Designer

Problem: Checkout Failing

Solutions:

  • Verify Stripe connection
  • Ensure shipping zones configured
  • Check tax settings
  • Test with different payment method
  • Review Webflow Ecommerce status page

Problem: Order Not Tracking

Solutions:

  • Verify ecommerce tracking code is correct
  • Ensure code is on order confirmation page
  • Check for JavaScript errors
  • Implement deduplication (prevent duplicate tracking on refresh)

Getting Help

Webflow Support

Community Resources

  • Webflow Discord: Active community support
  • YouTube: Webflow University channel
  • Twitter: @webflow for updates and tips

Professional Help

  • Webflow Experts: experts.webflow.com
  • Agencies: Certified Webflow partners
  • Freelancers: Hire on platforms like Upwork

Diagnostic Tools

Essential Browser Tools

Performance Tools

Webflow Tools

  • Webflow Designer: Built-in accessibility and SEO checks
  • Webflow Editor: Preview mode for content editors
  • Webflow Analytics: Basic site analytics

Next Steps

Explore specific troubleshooting guides:

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