Common Webflow Errors and How to Fix Them Without Losing Your Mind

Building a site in Webflow feels great—until something breaks and you don’t know why.

You fix one thing, something else shifts. Feels familiar?

Webflow is a visual website builder made for designers and developers who don’t want to hand-code everything. You can drag, drop, and style elements with precision, and it works pretty well for most cases.

But let’s be honest, it’s not perfect. Small changes can cause layout shifts, missing content, or broken links. Even experienced users run into these.

If you are also one of them, who faces these common errors and struggles to fix them, you are not alone! Whether you’re a beginner or building sites for clients, this guide will help.

Also, this blog doesn’t throw theory at you. It shows real problems that users face with fixes that actually work.

Let’s get straight into the errors and how to solve them.

Common Webflow Errors and Their Fixes

1. Troubleshooting Common Issues

Before learning to fix specific errors, let’s look at common steps to troubleshoot basic issues because not every problem in Webflow needs a deep fix.  In many cases, the issue isn’t with the tool, but with how we’re using it.

So, before you explore multiple resources on the internet to fix basic errors and waste time,  it’s worth running through a few basic checks. These steps often solve problems that seem more serious than they are.

Here are a few simple things to try when things break:

• Check Your Internet Connection: Sometimes, if your internet is not working properly, you face common issues like slow site speed, not able to publish website changes, or not able to open the editor, etc.  So, use sites like fast.com to check your internet speed and ensure it is working correctly.

• Clear Your Browser Cache: If your internet is working fine, try clearing browser cache and cookies. This might help in fixing a few issues, like updates not reflecting on the website.
  
• Use Webflow’s Built-in Error Panel: Webflow offers a built-in error panel that shows all warnings and errors. Based on the error notification, you can troubleshoot it.
  
• Check a Browser Version: If you haven’t updated the browser for a long time, update it because some new features don’t work with old browser versions, which might break the site.
  
• Check if Any Recent Change Broke the Layout: Use version history to compare the current version with past versions.
  

These steps won’t fix everything, but they can save you from chasing the wrong problem. Start here, then go deeper if needed.

2. Unpublished Changes Not Reflecting

You’ve made changes. Hit preview. Everything looks fine. But when you visit your live site, nothing’s updated. What’s going on?

Here is how to solve:

• It’s a common slip. Webflow doesn’t auto-publish changes. You must click the Publish button every time you make edits.

• Check if you see a green tick with a message saying “Published a few seconds ago.” If not, your changes are still sitting inside the Designer.

• Also, try unpublishing changes and then publishing again. You can unpublish changes by clicking on the “Unpublish” button.

Still no change? Try clearing your browser cache or checking DNS settings if using a custom domain.

3. Elements Missing on Mobile Devices

So everything looks perfect on the desktop…

Then you check your phone, and half the page is gone.

This usually happens when elements are hidden in smaller breakpoints. Sometimes it’s done on purpose. Other times, it’s just missed.

In Webflow, each screen size has its own visibility settings. What’s visible on the desktop might be set to hidden on mobile.

Here’s what to check:

• Switch to mobile view in the Webflow Designer.
• Next, select the missing element.
• After that, you need to scroll to the Layout section in the Style panel.
• See if the Display is set to “None”, as it can hide the element.
• Change the element’s display settings to Block or Flex, depending on your layout.
  

Also, check for margin or overflow issues. If an element is pushed outside the screen, it won’t show even if it’s not hidden.

One more thing to check is nested visibility. If a parent div is hidden, nothing inside it will appear either.

Fixing this is often a 2-minute job once you know where to look.

4. How to Fix the “User is required” or “Missing Email” Error

You open Webflow. Try logging in.

And suddenly, it throws an error message from two below:

•  “User is required.”
• “Missing username or email.”

This usually has nothing to do with your Webflow account.

The real problem? Your antivirus or firewall is blocking Webflow.

Here’s how to fix it:

• Open your antivirus software (like Kaspersky, Avast, etc.)
• Find the “Exclusions” or “Whitelist” section (naming may vary) in every antivirus software.
• Add these two URLs to the allowed list:
  • https://www.webflow.com
  • *.webflow.com
    

Once you add Webflow to the whitelist:

• Restart your antivirus software.
• Also, restart your web browser.
  

Still not working? Don’t worry, and try the troubleshooting steps below:

• Clear your browser cache and cookies and restart it.
• Turn off VPN or proxy (if using one)
• Contact your antivirus support if it’s still blocked
  

It’s a simple issue, but annoying when you don’t know the cause.

After these steps, Webflow should load just fine.

5. Webflow Site Not Loading on Custom Domain? Check Your DNS Settings

If your site works fine in the Webflow preview but doesn’t load on your actual domain, DNS settings are likely the issue.

You might also see an “Issues detected” warning inside the Site settings > Publishing > Production tab.

Here’s what to do:

Start by checking if your domain is pointing to Webflow using the correct A and CNAME records. This matters more now, as Webflow updated its DNS records in April 2025.

• Use your registrar’s default nameservers (don’t switch to custom ones)
• Remove extra A or CNAME records that don’t belong to Webflow
• Only keep the required records for your root domain and subdomain(s)
  

Webflow’s DNS IPs may differ by site. Confirm your values under Site settings > Publishing > Production.

Other things that affect DNS setup:

• In most cases, DNS changes take up to 1 hour to reflect fully. However, in some cases, it can also take up to 48 hours.
• Your ISP (Internet service provider) might cache old data, so check via whatsmydns.net
• TTL values can also delay propagation
  

For tricky cases, or if nothing works after 2 days, reach out to your domain provider.

Bonus Tip: Use this official DNS guide to troubleshoot any remaining domain-related issues.

6. Resolving “Site Not Secure” Warnings in Webflow

If you are also getting a “Site Not Secure” warning in your web browser, the SSL certificate on the site is not installed properly.

Common Causes:

• SSL is not enabled or improperly configured
• DNS records are not updated or are incorrect
• Browser cache retains outdated information
  

Troubleshooting Steps:

1. Enable SSL in Webflow:
   
   • Navigate to your Webflow project settings.
   • Under the “Hosting” tab, ensure that SSL is turned on.
   • Save changes and republish your site.
     
2. Verify DNS Settings:
   
   • Access your domain registrar’s DNS settings.
   • Ensure that the A and CNAME records match Webflow’s requirements.
   • Allow up to 48 hours for DNS changes to propagate globally.

7. Webflow Form Submission Issues: Quick Fix Guide

If your Webflow form isn’t working, start by checking for these common problems:

1. Error messages

• 404: Submit button links to a broken or missing page.
• 422: reCAPTCHA not set up right.
• 500: Integration or API error.
  

2. Fix steps

• Go to Form Settings → Check all required fields.
• Remove and re-add reCAPTCHA keys. Or disable it and try a honeypot field.
• Check success/failure messages or redirect links.
  

4. Other checks

• Clear cache, use incognito mode, and test on mobile.
• Disable any custom scripts to rule out conflicts.

8. Slow Page Load Times

Well, your site looks good, as you have added lots of animations and made it interactive. But if it takes forever to load, visitors won’t stick around.

Webflow sites can slow down for different reasons, and here we have listed some of them:

• Large Image Files: If you are using very high-resolution images, it can slow down the whole website.
  
• Too Many Fonts: Using too many custom fonts can also affect the performance of the website.
  
• Heavy Animations: Lottie files, interactions, and background videos can slow things down.
  
• External Scripts: Sometimes, unused third-party tools like plugins can also increase the website load time.
  

Now the fix part.

• Compress all images before uploading. Use tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh.
• Stick to 1–2 font families. Skip unused weights.
• Reduce or limit page animations, especially on load.
• Remove any script or integration you’re not using.
  

One more thing is to test your site with PageSpeed Insights. It shows exactly what’s slowing things down.

In most cases, a few small changes can cut load times by half.

Faster site = better user experience. Keep it light.

Closing Thoughts

Most Webflow issues look big at first, but they’re usually easy to fix once you know where to look. A broken layout, a form that won’t submit, or a DNS glitch, each has a clear solution.

Still, if you’d rather not spend hours figuring it out, there’s help.

Need expert support? Hire a Webflow developer from Stellite and get your issues fixed the right way.

FAQs

1. How can I prevent spam form submissions in Webflow?
Implement a honeypot field and enable reCAPTCHA v2 in your form settings to deter bots effectively. 

2. Why is my Webflow site loading slowly on mobile devices?
Large videos and unoptimized images can slow down mobile load times; consider compressing media files for better performance.

3. How do I fix layout issues on mobile view in Webflow?
Use Webflow’s responsive settings to adjust elements for different screen sizes, ensuring proper display across devices.

4. What causes the “Passwords cannot be submitted” error in Webflow forms?
This error occurs when a form includes a password field; Webflow restricts password submissions for security reasons. 

5. How do I resolve a “Not Secure” warning on my Webflow site?
Ensure SSL is enabled in Webflow settings and that your custom domain’s DNS records are correctly configured for HTTPS.