Troubleshooting

← Back to all Easy Critical CSS docs

This page covers common issues you may run into when using Easy Critical CSS and how to fix them.

Most problems are caused by missing selectors, caching, or security rules blocking the generator.

My page looks broken or styles are missing

This usually means a CSS rule was removed but is still needed.

How to find the missing CSS

  1. Open the affected page in a new tab.
  2. Add ?critical-css=skip to the end of the URL and reload the page.
  3. Using DevTools, inspect the element that looks wrong on the page.
  4. Find the CSS rule that fixes the issue when Critical CSS is skipped.

Now open the page again without the skip parameter and inspect the same element.

If the rule is missing, add the selector to:

  • Forced Critical CSS Selectors if the element appears above the fold
  • Forced Secondary CSS Selectors if the element appears later on the page

Save your changes and regenerate Critical CSS.

If you are unsure which list to use, start with Forced Secondary CSS. This is usually the safer option.

Avoid forcing large layout selectors like body, html, or entire containers unless absolutely necessary.

Styles look correct at first, then break later

This often happens when JavaScript adds classes or elements after the page loads.

To fix this:

  • Identify the selector that appears after the page loads
  • Add it to Forced Secondary CSS Selectors
  • Regenerate Critical CSS

This ensures the style is available when JavaScript runs.

CSS is not updating after changes

If you updated your theme, plugins, or content but styles did not change, try the following:

  • Click Regenerate for the affected page
  • Clear your site cache
  • Clear your CDN cache if you use one

If you use Cloudflare, make sure it is configured correctly.

Cloudflare Setup Guide

Automatic generation keeps failing

If automatic generation fails multiple times for the same page, Easy Critical CSS will show a warning in the admin.

This usually means caching or security rules are blocking the generator.

Learn more about automatic generation failures

Status is stuck on “Site Unreachable”

If a page is stuck showing Site Unreachable, it means the generator cannot connect to your site.

You may also see a message in the global settings status box saying Generator cannot reach the site.

Step 1: Refresh the status

Go to Settings → Easy Critical CSS and click Refresh in the status box.

If the status updates and the error clears, no further action is needed.

Step 2: Refresh the API key

If refreshing the status does not work, the API key may need to be refreshed.

  1. Go to Easy Critical CSS → Account in the admin menu.
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the page.
  3. Click Change license.
  4. Click Update API Key.

How to confirm it worked

Return to Settings → Easy Critical CSS and check the status box.

If the status shows Auto Mode Ready, the issue has been resolved.

If the status does not update, contact support by going to Easy Critical CSS → Support.

When to reach out for help

If you have tried the steps above and things still do not look right, it may be time to reach out for support.

Before contacting support, make sure you can explain:

  • Which page is affected
  • What looks wrong
  • What you have already tried

This helps resolve issues faster.

← Back to all Easy Critical CSS docs