Oxygen Builder is powerful, lightweight, and highly customizable — but anyone who’s worked with it long enough has probably run into this frustrating pattern:
“Everything works until I activate that one plugin… and then it all breaks.”
If you’ve been ghosted by a plugin or support team about Oxygen compatibility — you’re not alone. The truth is, Oxygen Builder works differently under the hood, and that often clashes with how most WordPress plugins are built.
In this post, I’ll break down:
- Why Oxygen behaves the way it does
- Why most plugins don’t play nice with it
- What I recommend as a long-term fix
- And when you should escalate the issue to your hosting provider or a developer
The Problem: Oxygen Doesn’t Follow “Traditional” WordPress Behavior
Oxygen Editor not Loading?
Most WordPress page builders like Elementor, Beaver Builder, or WPBakery load content inside the standard WordPress loop and hook into the theme structure (header.php, footer.php, functions.php, etc.).
Oxygen replaces that entire system.
It disables the default WordPress theme and takes full control of output — skipping over many standard hooks that plugins rely on to insert functionality.
This is great for performance, but bad for compatibility.
So Why Do Plugins Break?
Here’s what I’ve noticed over the last few years building with Oxygen:
- Shortcodes don’t render correctly
Oxygen doesn’t processdo_shortcode()the same way unless you’re inside a shortcode wrapper or reusable block. - Plugin admin screens fail silently
Especially when plugins expect standard theme output or enqueue scripts in a specific hook that never fires in Oxygen. - AJAX or REST requests fail or timeout
Especially if memory is constrained or the site has large payloads (ACF-heavy pages, for instance). - Plugin UI disappears
I’ve seen cases where even popular tools like RankMath, WPML, or FluentCRM go missing from Oxygen’s editing environment due to JavaScript conflicts.
Here’s a Real Example
Attached below is a message I received from a plugin support team when I reported a bug in their tool while using Oxygen:
“We don’t have an official integration with Oxygen Builder… would you be open to sharing temporary admin access?”
This isn’t uncommon. Most plugin developers simply don’t build for Oxygen — and debugging it takes custom testing and a lot of patience.
🛠 Recommended Fix (The Hosting-Side Workaround)
If you’re running into issues like:
- Plugins timing out
- Long ACF field groups not saving
- Page content not rendering
- Oxygen Editor not Loading?
- Assets not uploading correctly
The most reliable workaround I’ve found is adjusting server-level resource limits.
✅ Recommended PHP Config
Update your php.ini or .user.ini file with:
max_execution_time = 90
memory_limit = 512M
upload_max_filesize = 128M
post_max_size = 128M
These changes:
- Prevent Oxygen from being cut off during rendering
- Allow large content blocks and ACF fields to save
- Reduce chances of plugin timeouts or white screens
If you don’t have access to these settings, your hosting provider will.
5. Best Practices for Smooth Compatibility
- Limit Unnecessary Plugins
The fewer moving parts, the less chance of conflict. Audit your plugins regularly. - Keep Oxygen & Plugins Updated
Both Oxygen and plugin authors patch compatibility issues in new releases. - Leverage Custom Code Snippets
For edge‑case hooks, add manualadd_action()calls in a small custom plugin or your child theme. - Monitor Performance
Use tools like Query Monitor to catch slow queries or missing hooks as you build.
Hosting Spec Matters More Than You Think
This isn’t just about Oxygen.
If you’re using a shared or underpowered hosting plan, plugin conflicts and timeouts are inevitable — especially when using visual builders.
If you’re building with Oxygen, I recommend:
- Using hosts with configurable PHP resources
- Avoiding cheap shared plans with capped memory
- Opting for providers that give access to
.htaccess,php.ini, or direct support for server-side limits
Need Expert Help?
If you’re still wrestling with plugin conflicts in Oxygen Builder, I can help:
- On‑site troubleshooting to pinpoint the root cause
- Server optimization (memory, execution time, caching)
- Custom compatibility patches or lightweight alternatives
Vaibhav.co.uk offers dedicated WordPress and Oxygen Builder support starting at just $500 per fix. Contact Now
Final Thoughts
Oxygen is a developer’s dream — but it requires developer-level setup and attention. Plugin compatibility isn’t always guaranteed, but with the right server specs and config, you can avoid 90% of the issues before they happen.