Why Does My WordPress Plugin CSS Style Sheet Work in Some Themes but Not Others?

Discover solutions for why your WordPress plugin's CSS might not display correctly across different themes. Learn how to adjust your enqueueing process for consistent styling.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/72061715/ asked by the user 'Rebecca' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/18991927/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/72064440/ provided by the user 'rank' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/12405298/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Wordpress Plugin CSS style sheet shows up correctly in some themes but not others

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/licensing
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Why Does My WordPress Plugin CSS Style Sheet Work in Some Themes but Not Others?

As a WordPress developer, you may encounter situations where the CSS styles from your plugin don’t behave as expected across various themes. This can be frustrating, especially when you're testing your custom plugin locally. In this guide, we'll explore why the CSS style sheet from your WordPress plugin may appear correctly in some themes but not in others, and how to resolve the issue.

Understanding the Problem

In the shared scenario, the user experienced inconsistent results when trying to enqueue a CSS style sheet for their custom WordPress plugin. Specifically:

Twenty Twenty Two Theme: The dashicons were visible, but the custom styles were not.

Twenty Twenty Theme: Both the dashicons and custom styles were missing.

Twenty Twenty One Theme: All elements displayed correctly.

This indicates that while the plugin itself might be coded correctly, the way it's integrated with various themes affects its functionality.

Why Are Styles Inconsistent Across Themes?

Potential Causes

Theme Conflicts: Some themes might have styles that override your plugin’s styles. For example, if a theme uses more specific selectors, it can lead to your plugin's styles being ignored.

Dashicons Disabled: Similar issues could arise from dashicons being disabled or improperly enqueued in certain themes.

Loading Order

Priority can play a crucial role in how styles are applied. If a theme's styles are loaded after your plugin styles, they could take precedence due to CSS specificity rules.

Solution: Adjusting the Enqueue Process

To remedy the styling issues you're experiencing, you can modify the priority in which your styles are loaded. By default, WordPress uses a priority of 10 when enqueuing scripts and styles. Increasing the priority of your comment_rating_styles function will ensure it executes later, thus allowing your styles to take precedence.

Revised Code Example

Here’s the modified version of the original code provided:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Key Changes Explained:

The parameter 999 specifies a higher priority. This ensures that your styles are loaded after most other styles, reducing the likelihood that they will be overridden by theme styles.

Testing Your Changes

After adjusting the priority, it's important to test your plugin in various themes again:

Check Dashicons: See if dashicons appear correctly across all themes.

Review Custom Styles: Observe whether the custom styles render as expected.

Conclusion

Inconsistent behavior of your WordPress plugin CSS styles across different themes can stem from conflicts with theme styles and loading order. By elevating your script’s enqueue priority, you can enhance the chances that your styles will render correctly across the board.

If you're still facing issues after applying these adjustments, consider reviewing your plugin’s CSS for any conflicts or reach out to community forums for additional support. Happy coding!

Видео Why Does My WordPress Plugin CSS Style Sheet Work in Some Themes but Not Others? канала vlogize