Fixing the Elementor scroll-to-anchor issue on mobile is crucial for ensuring seamless navigation and a smooth user experience. With over 5 million active installations, Elementor is a go-to WordPress website builder, offers incredible design flexibility. However, like any tool, it can sometimes run into issues, one of the most common being the anchor name not functioning properly on mobile devices.
But don’t worry! From quick hacks to adjusting key files, checking the log, and making notes of essential tweaks, this guide will help you restore the proper functioning of your site in no time. Let’s dive in and get your Elementor navigation back on track!
Read More About: Best Elementor Templates for WordPress
Understanding Anchor Links
Anchor links are a powerful tool in web design that allows users to navigate to specific sections of a webpage without having to scroll through the entire page. They are especially useful for long pages that require users to scroll through a lot of content. In this section, we will explore the concept of anchor links, how they work, and their benefits
What is an Anchor in Elementor?
Also known as the jump menu, the anchor menu in Elementor helps users navigate within a page or post. Elementor anchor can be likened to the table of contents used for this blog. Since the blog has several sections, an anchor for each section makes navigation easier.
For instance, in this blog post, a user can directly skip to the ‘Fixes For Elementor Scroll-to-Anchor Issue on Mobile’ section by clicking the link.
This ‘anchor link’ feature makes it easy for website visitors to quickly find the information they are looking for, which helps improve user experience. Plus, it can help increase dwell time, which is one of the ranking factors.
In Elementor, the menu anchor widget can help you add an anchor to your page or post. Just add a unique name or ID to the anchor and link it via a text, button, or menu item.
Related: How to Fix Widget Panel Not Loading in Elementor
Advantages of Using an Elementor Anchor
Improved website accessibility is one of the top advantages of using an Elementor anchor. Besides this, other advantages of the Elementor anchor are:
Improve User Experience
As mentioned earlier, anchor links make it easy to find relevant information quickly. If a particular post or page on a website is lengthy, the anchor feature makes it simpler for users to navigate through it.
They can jump to the top or the bottom of the page/post at the click of a link, which helps enhance the user experience on mobile. Enabling smooth scrolling can further improve user experience by allowing users to glide to specific sections without abrupt movements.
Efficient Website Browsing With Smooth Scrolling
Likewise, rather than endless scrolling, with the anchor link feature, users can directly skip to the same page sections they want, ensuring smooth navigation within a single webpage. This makes website browsing more efficient on mobile, helping users save time, which they’ll appreciate.
Quick Navigation With Anchor Links
Poor navigation is one of the main reasons for a high bounce rate on mobile. By using the Elementor anchor link feature, website owners can increase dwell time and page views, which will help reduce the bounce rate.
A lower bounce rate, in turn, can help boost your site’s ranking on the SERPs. Additionally, making the navigation visually appealing can further improve user experience and reduce bounce rates.
Enhanced SEO
Some of the advantages of using anchor links are improved user experience, increased dwell time and pageviews, lower bounce rate, and higher ranking. All of these advantages will directly enhance your site’s SEO.
Learn More About: Best Methods to Add Elementor Language Selector to Your Site
Reasons for Elementor Scroll-to-Anchor Issue on Mobile
Before we look at how to fix the Elementor scroll-to-anchor issue on mobile, let’s check out the primary reasons for this issue. By determining the reason, you can quickly implement the right fix to resolve this problem.
Elementor Settings
Before you browse through the reasons for the scroll-to-anchor feature not working on mobile, start by checking the settings in Elementor. It could be that the ‘scroll-to-anchor’ feature is disabled or not properly configured. If this is the case, you can rectify the error by enabling the feature and configuring it again.
Theme or Plugin Conflict
In most cases, if a theme or plugin is not compatible with Elementor, it could cause the issue of the scroll-to-anchor not working on mobile. Incompatibility could interfere with the smooth functioning of this feature. Too many WordPress plugins could also lead to this issue.
Related: Best Elementor Landing Page Templates or Themes
Lack of Targets
Anchor links have a target attribute that specifies ‘an action’ once the link is clicked. If the target or anchor text is not specified or is missing/blank, it could lead to the scroll-to-anchor issue on mobile.
JavaScript, HTML, Or Cache Issues
Incompatibility or restrictions of JavaScript on mobile devices could be a reason for the Elementor scroll-to-anchor feature not working on mobile. Caching is another issue that could prevent anchor links from functioning optimally. Lastly, if there is a configuration issue with the HTML structure of a page or post, it could hamper the functionality of the anchor links.
Adjusting scroll behavior using specific widgets or custom CSS can also resolve issues related to anchor links, as modern browsers support native CSS solutions make them more accessible and preferable to JavaScript alternatives.
Poor Server Health
If you are using cheap web hosting that doesn’t have a proper server infrastructure, it could cause the issue of scroll-to-anchor not working on mobile. Optimal server health is critical for plugins to work seamlessly on a WordPress website. Lack of the same could result in plugin conflict, and in this case, may impact the anchor link functionality on mobile.
Read More: QI Addons for Elementor – Plugin Review
Elementor Scroll-to-Anchor Issue Not Fixed Yet?
Our WordPress support team can help troubleshoot this issue.
Quick Fixes for the Elementor Scroll-to-Anchor Issue on Mobile
Once you know the reason for the scroll-to-anchor issue on mobile, you can use the quick fixes below to rectify it. These are straightforward fixes that don’t require technical expertise. However, if you need professional help to implement them, get in touch with a WordPress expert.
Choose A Default WordPress Theme
The simplest way to fix the scroll-to-anchor issue on mobile is to revert to a default WordPress theme. If this solution works, you know that the reason was the theme’s incompatibility with the Elementor plugin. Before you revert to the default theme, take a website backup.
Read More: Best WordPress Backup Plugins
Create Targets
If the post or page does not have a target link, the scroll-to-anchor feature will not function properly on mobile devices. To fix this, create target links and highlight them. Here’s how:
- Set up the theme and type the following code
.menu-item a{
Color: black;
}- Next, you need the code below to highlight the target link
.menu-itema.mPS2id-highlight{
color: blue;
}Use A JavaScript Filter
You can also add a JavaScript filter to the Elementor menu anchor widget. Here’s the code to add the required JavaScript filter.
add_action( 'wp_footer', function() {
if ( ! defined( 'ELEMENTOR_VERSION' ) ) {
return;
}
?>
<script>
jQuery( function( $ ) {
$( window ).on( 'elementor/frontend/init', function() {
elementorFrontend.hooks.addFilter( 'frontend/handlers/menu_anchor/scroll_top_distance', function( scrollTop ) {
var isMobile = $(window).width() <= 760;
if (isMobile) {
return scrollTop - 1000;
} else {
return scrollTop;
}
} );
} );
} );
</script>
<?php
} );
Adjust Scrolling
Another easy way to fix the Elementor scroll-to-anchor issue on mobile is to adjust the scrolling offset when the menu is in mobile mode. You could use a JavaScript filter to adjust the scrolling value.
Prevent the Menu from Closing
One common issue on mobile is the menu closing too quickly after tapping a link, before the scrolling animation is completed. This interrupts the anchor scroll behavior. To fix this, delay the menu close using JavaScript or plugins like Elementor Custom Code. Alternatively, modify the JavaScript to keep the menu open until the scroll completes.
Here’s a basic example using jQuery:
jQuery(document).ready(function($){
$('.elementor-nav-menu a').click(function(e){
e.preventDefault();
var target = $(this).attr('href');
$('html, body').animate({
scrollTop: $(target).offset().top
}, 600, function(){
// Close the menu after scroll
$('.elementor-menu-toggle').trigger('click');
});
});
});
Related: Fix Elementor Animated Headline Not Working
Best Anchor And Scroll Plugins for WordPress
If none of the above fixes resolve the Elementor scroll-to-anchor issue on mobile, consider using another plugin specifically for this feature. Below are a few anchor and scroll plugins for WordPress, or anchor links/jump links plugins. These provide a host of features that can help enhance the user experience.
WordPress Infinite Scroll: Ajax Load More
This is a lightweight plugin with over 50k active installations. It lets you add the scroll-to-anchor feature to a single post, page, lazy loading page, comments, and more. It also allows you to create custom shortcodes for infinite scrolling. Ajax Load More plugin is compatible with WooCommerce and Easy Digital Downloads. Plus, it is multisite compatible and allows you to customize the plugin settings.
Pricing: The core version is available for free. The pricing for the premium version starts at $149 for a single website.
Page Scroll to ID
This plugin allows you to add smooth scrolling animation to anchor links. It provides advanced functionality, such as adjustable scrolling animation for single-page websites, back-to-top links, and in-page navigation. It also allows you to highlight the targeted link and text via ready-to-use CSS classes. Other features include offset scrolling and link-specific offset, among others.
Pricing: The Page Scroll to Id plugin is free and compatible with WordPress version 3.3 or higher.
Ultimate Blocks: Gutenberg Blocks Plugin
The ultimate blocks plugin provides a variety of features to improve the user experience. From anchor links and a scroll perspective, it generates a ‘table of contents’ from the headings. It allows you to activate or disable the ‘smooth scrolling’ feature. Moreover, you can adjust the scroll offset for mobile and split the table of contents into columns.
Pricing: Available for free!
WPFront Scroll Top
This is another excellent anchor to scroll WordPress plugin with 200,000+ active installations. It offers a range of customization, such as display buttons for when a user scrolls down a page or animation for back-to-top buttons.
WP Front Scroll Top is a simple-to-use plugin that allows you to create text, images, and Font Awesome buttons. Furthermore, with this plugin, you can link to an element within the page or link to different pages using URLs.
Pricing: You can download this plugin for free.
Catch Infinite Scroll
As the name suggests, this plugin allows you to add an infinite scroll to the page and post. It is a lightweight plugin that helps users load & scroll content automatically at a faster rate. It also offers the option between clicking and scrolling to load content, and you can add a custom image.
The Catch infinite scroll plugin is compatible with WordPress version 5.7 or higher and has 20k active installations.
Pricing: Available for free on WordPress.org. Whereas the Catch Infinite Scroll PRO is priced at $24.99 for a 1-year license.
Read More: Elementor Stuck on Loading Screen? Here’s How to Fix It
Conclusion
Fixing website errors should be a top priority if you want to enjoy a good ranking on the search results. Issues such as the Elementor scroll-to-anchor not working on mobile can affect user experience and lead to a high bounce rate. As such, fixing this issue immediately is important for a hassle-free browsing experience.
The Elementor scroll-to-anchor is not working on mobile, but it can be rectified once you know the reason for it. Before browsing through the list of reasons, check if the scroll-to-anchor feature is enabled in Elementor. Next, check for caching issues and blank targets.
If none of these are causing the scroll-to-anchor issue on mobile, check for advanced issues like JavaScript and HTML issues, poor server health, and theme & plugin conflict. Once you identify the cause or issue, you can implement the fixes mentioned here.
FAQs
How to Fix the Horizontal Scroll Bar on Mobile with Elementor?
A horizontal scroll bar on mobile usually appears due to elements extending beyond the screen width. This can be caused by oversized images, excessive margins, or improperly set sections. To fix it, review your layout and adjust any elements that exceed the viewport. Using Elementor’s responsive settings, ensure all sections fit within the screen width, and remove any unnecessary spacing that might be pushing content out of bounds.
How to Make Elementor Mobile Responsive?
Elementor provides built-in tools to make websites mobile-friendly, but some adjustments may still be needed. Use the responsive editing mode to tweak font sizes, margins, and padding for different screen sizes. Custom breakpoints can also help ensure a better layout across various devices. Testing your site on multiple mobile screens will help catch any responsiveness issues and ensure a smooth user experience.
Why Doesn’t My Elementor Video Play on Mobile?
If your Elementor video isn’t playing on mobile, the issue could be due to autoplay restrictions, an unsupported format, or lazy loading settings. Some mobile browsers block autoplay videos with sound, so muting the video or using an external hosting platform like YouTube or Vimeo can help. Additionally, if lazy loading is enabled, try disabling it to see if the video loads properly.
How to Add Anchor Links in Elementor?
Anchor links help create smooth scrolling navigation, but they must be set up correctly to work on mobile. First, place an anchor widget where you want users to land, then ensure all links point to the correct anchor name. If the anchor doesn’t work, check for conflicts with sticky headers or cached data that may be preventing the scroll effect from functioning properly. Testing on different devices will confirm whether the anchor runs as expected.
