Checklist for troubleshooting store issues
When you come across an issue in your store, there are several simple steps that you can take yourself to troubleshoot it. In many cases, these steps will help you find the cause and even fix the issue.
For example, if you change a store label but still see the default label in the storefront, clearing the browser cache can help. If the store doesn’t load for you but opens for other users, checking your internet connection or trying another network can help narrow down the cause.
This checklist covers general troubleshooting steps that apply to most store-related issues. As you go through them, we recommend taking notes on what you tried and what happened. You can use any text editor on your computer. If the issue persists and you contact Ecwid Customer Care, these notes will help us understand the issue faster and investigate it more effectively.
Step 1. Clear cache and cookies
Cache and cookies are pieces of information from websites you’ve visited that are stored in your browser. They help websites load faster and may also store things like logins, passwords, and website preferences.
Sometimes, outdated cached data can cause a website to display or work incorrectly.
To clear cache and cookies in a browser:
- Click on the three dots in the right upper corner of the Chrome browser.
- Click Settings → Privacy and security → Delete browsing data.
- Select the Time range.
- Tick "Cookies and other site data" and "Cached images and files".
- Click Clear data.
- Click on the three lines in the top-right corner of the Firefox browser.
- Click Settings → Privacy and security, scroll down to the Browsing data section and click Clear browsing data.
- Set the time range in the When dropdown.
- Click Clear Data in the Cookies and Site Data section.
- Tick “Cookies and site data” and “Temporary cached files and pages”.
- Click Clear.
- Click on the Safari menu → Settings → Privacy.
- Click “Manage Website Data”.
- Click Remove All.
- Click on the gear icon in the top-right corner of the IE browser → Safety → Delete browsing history.
- Uncheck the “Preserve Favorites website data” option and check Temporary Internet Files and Cookies.
- Click Delete.
- Click on the three dots in the top-right corner of the Edge browser.
- Click Settings → Privacy, search, and services → Clear browsing data.
- Select the Time range.
- Tick “Cookies and other site data” and “Cached images and files”.
- Click Clear now.
Next step: After you clear cache and cookies, refresh the storefront page. If the issue is gone, it was most likely caused by cached data or cookies in your browser. Once they are cleared, your store should work correctly.
Step 2. Disable browser extensions
Browser extensions add extra functionality to your browser and can interact with websites you visit. Sometimes, an extension can conflict with a website and cause it to display or work incorrectly.
You can find the conflicting extension by disabling extensions one by one and refreshing your storefront after each change.
To disable extensions in a browser:
- Click on the three dots in the right upper corner of the Chrome browser → Extensions → Manage Extensions.
- Click on the toggle to disable an extension.
- If you have several extensions, disable them one by one and refresh the storefront to see if the issue is gone after each disabled extension.
- After you’ve checked all the extensions, you can enable them back.
- Click on the three lines in the top-right corner of the Firefox browser → Extensions and Themes.
- Click Extensions in the left menu.
- Click on the toggle to disable an extension.
- If you have several extensions, disable them one by one and refresh the storefront to see if the issue is gone.
- After you’ve checked all the extensions, you can enable them back.
- Click on the gear icon in the right upper corner of the IE browser → Manage add-ons.
- Under the Show section, select All add-ons.
- Click on the add-on to disable it and click Disable.
- If you have several add-ons, disable them one by one and refresh the storefront to see if the issue is gone.
- After you’ve checked all the add-ons, you can enable them back.
- Click on the three dots in the top-right corner of the Edge browser → Extensions → Manage Extensions.
- Click on the toggle to disable an extension.
- If you have several extensions, disable them one by one and refresh the storefront to see if the issue is gone after each disabled extension.
- After you’ve checked all the extensions, you can enable them back.
Next step: If you notice that the issue is gone after you disable an extension:
- Remove the extension if you no longer use it. It may be outdated or no longer supported by the developer.
- If you want to keep using the extension, contact Ecwid Customer Care and include the extension name. We’ll check whether anything can be done on our side to prevent the conflict.
Step 3. Disable antivirus and/or VPN
Antivirus software and VPN applications may block some website resources. As a result, parts of your store may not load or work correctly.
To check if that is the cause of your issue, please temporarily disable your antivirus system and/or VPN applications and refresh the website page. You can usually find an option to temporarily disable antivirus/VPN in the settings. The instructions would depend on the software you use. If you can’t find it, please check the antivirus/VPN website for instructions.
Next step: If the issue disappears after you disable antivirus software or a VPN, please record a HAR file and send it to Ecwid Customer Care. Include the name of your antivirus software or VPN application. We’ll check what is causing the conflict and how it can be fixed.
Step 4. Use another internet connection
Sometimes, internet providers block certain resources. This can cause issues with opening a website or loading some of its parts.
To check whether your internet connection is causing the issue, try opening your store using another connection. For example, you can use mobile internet or Wi-Fi from another provider.
Next step: Next step: If the issue happens only with one internet provider, contact their support team for further help. If you find out that your provider blocks any Ecwid resources, please let us know. We’ll review the issue and take further action if needed.
Step 5. Report an issue to Ecwid
If you’ve tried all the above steps and the issue still happens, please report it to the Ecwid Customer Care team for further investigation.
To help us understand your issue and its cause, please email us the following details:
- Your device and browser info. You can copy it from this page: https://www.ecwid.com/internet.
- The results of the troubleshooting steps you tried.
- The steps you take before the issue appears.
- A screenshot or screencast of the issue
- A HAR file.
Getting a HAR file
A HAR file records what happens in the browser while a page is loading. It shows which resources load, which resources are blocked, and how long each request takes.
You can record a HAR file using the in-built browser tools. Please find the instructions for the different browsers below.
To generate a HAR file in Google Chrome:
- Open Google Chrome and go to the page where the issue occurs.
- In Chrome’s menu bar, select View → Developer → Developer Tools:
- From the panel that opens at the bottom of your screen, select the Network tab:
- Check to make sure the Record button in the upper left corner of the Network tab is red. If it is grey, just click it to start recording:
- Enable the option Preserve log and Disable cache:
- Click the Clear button to clear out any existing logs from the Network tab:
- On the site page, reproduce the issue you experienced (e.g. click on the non-responding button or storefront element, reload the page to capture the loading process, etc).
- Once you reproduce the issue, save the HAR file to your computer by clicking on the ⇩ (export) icon:
- Send us an email with the HAR file attached and with the issue description. We’ll look into the issue and get back to you right away!
To generate a HAR file in Mozilla Firefox:
- Open Firefox browser and go to the page where the issue occurs.
- Click the Firefox menu in the top-right corner of your browser’s window and select More Tools → Web Developer Tools:
- The Developer Network Tools will open a docked panel on the side or bottom of Firefox. Click on the Network tab to start recording.
- On the site page, reproduce the issue you experienced (e.g. click on the non-responding button or storefront element, reload the page to capture the loading process, etc).
- Once you are able to reproduce the issue and see the action has been logged in the Developer Network Panel (this normally takes just a few seconds), right click anywhere under the File column and then Save all as HAR:
- Save the recorded HAR file on your computer.
- Send us an email with the HAR file attached and subject line "Network issue, HAR attached". We’ll look into the issue and get back to you right away!
To generate a HAR file in Safari:
- Open Safari and first check if you have the Develop menu at the top of the screen. If not, go to Safari → Settings → Advanced and check the option Show features for web developers:
- Go to the page where the issue occurs.
- Navigate to Develop → Show Web Inspector.
- Switch to the Network tab and enable the option Disable caches:
- On the site page, reproduce the issue you experienced (e.g. click on the non-responding button or storefront element, reload the page to capture the loading process, etc).
- Once you reproduce the issue, click Export and save the HAR file to your computer.
- Send us an email with the HAR file attached and subject line "Network issue, HAR attached". We’ll look into the issue and get back to you right away!
To generate a HAR file in Internet Explorer 11 and Edge:
- Open your browser and go to the page where the issue occurs.
- In the browser menu, click the three dots icon on the right (Settings and more), then More tools, then Developer Tools.
- The Developer Network Tools will open a docked panel on the side or at the bottom of the browser. Select the Network tab:
- Check to make sure the round Record button in the upper left corner of the Network tab is red. If it is grey, just click it to start recording:
- Enable the options Preserve log and Disable cache:
- Click the Clear button to clear out any existing logs from the Network tab:
- On the site page, reproduce the issue you experienced (e.g. click on the non-responding button or storefront element, reload the page to capture the loading process, etc).
- Once you reproduce the issue, save the HAR file to your computer by clicking on the export icon:
- Save the recorded HAR file on your computer.
- Send us an email with the HAR file attached and with the issue description. We’ll look into the issue and get back to you right away!
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