This page lists problems that can come up with layouts, and how to solve them. Every message quoted here is a real message of Webal Layouts. If your problem is not here, read the Checks on the Layout tab first, because they say in plain words what is wrong. See The Checks tab.
A page does not show my layout
A page shows the standard Cassiopeia page
You published a layout, but the page still looks like a standard Cassiopeia page. There are four likely causes, and the list tells you how to tell them apart.
- The page does not use the style that holds the layout, which you can check in the section Where this layout is used on the Layout tab. A child menu item does not take its parent's layout, so every page needs its own tick.
- The saved layout cannot be read or has a problem. A person who is signed in and may manage layouts sees a notice on the page, for example "This page uses a saved layout that has a problem, so the standard Cassiopeia page is shown. Open Components, Webal Layouts to see the problem." Visitors see no notice, and on the list the column Can it be drawn? says "No:" followed by the reason.
- The layout was saved by a newer version of Webal Layouts, and then the reason ends with "Update Webal Layouts to show the layout."
- The theme of the style does not hand its pages to Webal Layouts. In that case the editor says "The theme of this style does not use Webal Layouts yet, so the saved layouts will not show on the site. Add the one line from the Webal Layouts guide to its index.php, or use the Cassiopeia - Webal Layouts theme."
To find out which one it is, open the list under Components, then Webal Layouts, read the reason there, and fix it in the editor.
A page still shows the old layout
You published a layout or applied a change, but visitors still see the old page. Joomla's menu cache is cleaned for you, but the plugin System - Page Cache may still hold a stored copy of the page, and when that plugin is on, the message says "visitors may still be shown a stored copy of a page until its cache time runs out." Guests may keep seeing the old page until that time runs out. To see the change at once, open System, then Clear Cache.
I changed a layout in Joomla's own style screen, but it did not change
This is on purpose. When you save an existing style in Joomla's own template style screen, the saved layouts for pages, for error pages and for the offline page are kept exactly as they were stored, and what the screen posts for them is ignored. Every other setting of the style is saved as you posted it. Change layouts in the builder, which is the only place that writes them.
My 404 or offline layout does not show
Error pages and the offline page use the Default style only, so when the style is not the Default, the editor says "Visitors will not see this layout until it is." Make the style the Default, as Error and offline pages explains. A real server fault, which is an error in the 500s, always shows Cassiopeia's own error page, and that is on purpose.
Problems in the editor
Publish is refused
The layout has a problem, so the editor shows the reason and opens the Layout tab. Read the problems under Checks, and press Show to find each one. Warnings never stop Publish, so only the problems need your attention.
The preview shows the standard page
The preview says "The builder preview shows the standard page because the layout on screen cannot be drawn yet." This means that the layout on screen has a problem, so read the Checks to find it.
The editor says that you have been signed out
You may see "You have been signed out, so nothing more can be saved." or "Your session has run out. Reload this page and sign in again." Sign in again in another tab, and then reload the builder. A copy of your changes is kept in your browser, and the editor offers it when you reload, so press Restore the copy to use it, or Forget the copy to let it go.
Your changes are not being saved as a draft
The editor says "Your changes are NOT being saved as a draft. Publish, or keep this tab open." or "The draft could not be written on the server, so your changes are NOT being saved as a draft." A draft is a file in the temporary folder of your site, so ask your web host to check that this folder can be written to. Meanwhile, keep the tab open, and press Publish when the layout is ready.
The published layout changed after your draft was started
The editor says "The published layout changed after this draft was started." It then shows the published layout and asks you to choose. Press Keep my draft to keep your older draft, or Use the published layout to let the draft go.
Add row is not offered
A section can hold rows only on the page type Pages, so Add row is not there in a 404 and errors or Offline layout. On Pages, a section whose column is the page content column cannot be turned into rows, and the editor says "This section has the page content column, which belongs to the section itself, so it cannot be turned into rows. Use the Component for content with rows." Put the page content in the Component, or in a row, instead. The button is greyed out when the section already holds 12 rows. A layout holds up to 60 rows in all.
The picture list is empty
The list under Choose a picture shows only picture files (jpg, jpeg, png, webp, avif, gif and svg) inside the site's images folder. Upload your picture there in Joomla's Media manager first, then press Choose a picture again. When nothing is found, the list says "No picture matches. Upload pictures in Joomla's Media manager, or type less of the name." If you typed in Find a picture by name or folder, type less of the name. If it says "The pictures of the images folder could not be listed. The details are in Joomla's log.", ask your web host to check that the folder can be read.
"You are not allowed to edit layouts"
The builder follows the Templates permissions of Joomla, so a person who cannot open Templates and edit template styles gets nothing from it.
Modules and positions
A module does not show in its position
The position says "No module uses this position yet. Choose it in a module's Position box to fill it." A module shows only in the position that it is assigned to, and only on the pages that it is assigned to. The position name in the layout must be spelled exactly as in the module's Position box. If you renamed a sidebar position, modules that you put in the old name do not show. Open the module under Modules, and check that it is published, that its Menu Assignment includes the page, and that its Position matches. The panel of the position in the editor says how many published modules use it.
A section with a picture shows nothing
A section whose rows have no module to show on this page prints nothing at all, not even its picture, colour or space. This is on purpose, as Empty parts print nothing explains. Check that a module is published in one of its positions, and that its Menu Assignment includes this page.
Modules after moving a row
Moving a row or a column keeps the names of its positions, so its modules keep showing after Publish. Only Duplicate gives the copy new position names, so a duplicated row starts empty until you assign modules to its new names.
The breadcrumb trail shows nothing
The trail shows nothing until the Breadcrumbs module is published in the position breadcrumbs. Add that module to the position under Modules.
The sidebar has disappeared
A sidebar with nothing to show is left out on purpose, as Empty parts print nothing explains. Check that a module is published in one of its positions and is assigned to the page. A Custom module with no text still counts as present.
The navbar's Sticky option is on but the bar scrolls away
Update Webal Layouts to 0.4.0-dev from 11 November 2026 or later, and keep the navbar in the section whose Page element is Header band, in the row with Site navigation switched on. The update fixes every layout at once, so there is nothing to rebuild.
Problems on the list and when removing
The list says the plugin is off
Switch the plugin System - Webal Layouts on again, under System, Manage, Plugins, before you save any style. See Where a saved layout lives.
A layout cannot be deleted
The Default style cannot be deleted, and the list says "Make another style the Default first." A layout also cannot be deleted while someone else is editing a menu item that uses it.
The package cannot be removed
Template styles on your site still hold saved layouts, so delete those styles first. See Installing Webal Layouts.
An import is refused
Nothing is created when a file is refused, and the message says why. See Export and import a layout.
Try it
- Open Components, then Webal Layouts, and find the column Can it be drawn?. A healthy layout says "Yes", with its number of sections.
- Open a layout in the editor, click Page content in the outline, and press Delete.
- Open the Layout tab. It shows a problem, and Publish is refused with the reason.
- Press Undo to put the page content back.