Troubleshooting Website Builder editor issues

Every once in a while, the Website Builder editor might hiccup: a page won't load, something looks a little off, or a button you need is greyed out. It happens, and it's almost never anything serious. This guide walks through the most common issues and the quick fixes that get you back to building in no time.

If the Website Builder editor fails to load, appears blank, or displays incorrectly, try the following steps in order:

1. Clear your browser cache and cookies: Cached data can interfere with how the editor loads. After clearing, refresh the page and reopen the builder.
2. Disable browser extensions temporarily: Ad blockers, privacy tools, or content filters can interfere with page loading. Disable extensions one at a time and test the editor after each to identify the culprit.
3. Try a different browser: The Website Builder works best in browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge. If you're experiencing issues, switch browsers to see if the problem persists.
4. Check your internet connection: A slow or unstable connection can prevent the editor from loading properly. Test your connection speed or switch networks if possible.
5. Try an incognito or private browsing window: This eliminates conflicts with extensions or cached settings. If the editor loads correctly in incognito mode, the issue is likely related to your browser profile.
6. Check the browser console for errors: Right-click anywhere on the page, select Inspect, then open the Console tab. Error messages there can point to what's blocking the page from loading. If you see errors, please use the chatbot to help you reach out to beehiiv support, or access the Help page in your account.

If buttons like Publish, Save, or element controls appear greyed out and cannot be clicked:

1. Ensure all required fields are completed:  Some actions require specific settings to be configured first. For example, publishing requires at least one page to be enabled and changes to be saved.
2. Check page or element status: If editing a page, confirm it's enabled (not disabled). On the Pages tab in the left icons menu, enabled pages appear in black text, while disabled pages appear in grey text.
3. Wait for autosave to complete: The editor autosaves as you work. If a save is in progress, some buttons may be temporarily disabled. Look for the Saved indicator in the top navbar.
4. Refresh the editor:  Sometimes the editor state needs a reset. Click on the beehiiv icon in the top left corner, select Exit website builder, then reopen the builder from your dashboard (Website > Builder).
5. Check if another team member is editing: If someone else on your team is currently editing a page, you won't be able to edit that page until they finish. 

View and restore previous versions of your entire site or individual pages using the Website Builder's version history feature.

To undo recent changes quickly:

Undo a previous action by clicking the Undo button in the top navbar. This is especially useful if you need to revert smaller changes that don't warrant using the version history tool.

To restore to an earlier version:

1. Click on the version history icon in the top navbar.
2. Choose Site-wide version history or Current page's version history.
3. Review the list of saved versions by timestamp. The center canvas shows a read-only preview of the selected version.
4. Select the version you want to restore, confirm the preview looks good, then click on Restore.
5. Click on Preview draft site to review your changes before going live. When everything looks good, click Publish to live site, then visit your website URL to confirm the updates.

For detailed instructions, see How to view and restore your website version history.

If you're encountering a 404 error or an unexpected redirect on your website, it's best to first confirm that the page has been both enabled and published. Disabled pages appear greyed out in the Pages list.

1. Open the Pages tab from the left icons menu.

Enabled pages are shown in black text, whereas disabled pages appear in gray text. Pages with unpublished updates that are still in a draft state will show a yellow indicator next to the name. To enable or disable a page, click the 3 dots menu next to the page name and select Enable or Disable from the dropdown menu.

3. After enabling a page, you must publish it for the change to take effect. Click on Publish in the top navbar, select the pages you want to publish, and click on Publish to live site.

If a specific page type isn't showing the content you expect, rather than the editor itself failing to load, the issue is usually with how that page or block is configured, not a general editor problem.

Dynamic pages (Post, Tag, Author, Survey, and Product pages) pull content automatically from your publication. If one appears empty, see the ‘Understanding dynamic pages’ section of Customizing your site in the Website Builder to confirm the underlying content (published posts, assigned tags or authors, and so on) exists, and Replacing placeholder content and template text on your website if you're seeing template placeholder text instead of your own.

Custom HTML blocks that don't render as expected, especially interactive or script-based embeds, are covered in Using HTML in the Website Builder, including what's supported, structural requirements, and a troubleshooting FAQ.