How to Fix the Sidebar Below Content Error in WordPress

How to Fix It:

Here are some easy ways to fix sidebar below content error :

1. Undo Recent Changes to Your Theme

If your sidebar was working fine before and suddenly moved, think about any recent changes you made to your theme files or settings. Did you edit your theme’s CSS or PHP files? Install a new plugin?

Try rolling back those changes one by one to see if that fixes the problem. If you’re using a child theme, check there too. And if you’re not sure what changed, don’t worry—we have more troubleshooting steps below!

2. Clear Your Cache

Sometimes, the issue isn’t actually with your site—it’s just that you’re seeing an older version due to caching.

• If you’re using a caching plugin like WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache, clear your site cache.
• Also, clear your browser cache and refresh your page (CTRL + F5 or CMD + Shift + R).

If the sidebar appears correctly after this, then it was just a cache issue!

3. Check Your Plugins

Plugins can sometimes add extra CSS or HTML that messes up your layout. To check if a plugin is the problem:

1. Go to Plugins » Installed Plugins in your WordPress dashboard.
2. Deactivate all plugins at once.
3. Check your site—if the sidebar goes back to normal, then a plugin was the issue.
4. Reactivate plugins one by one and check after each one to see which one breaks the layout.

Once you find the problematic plugin, you can either look for an update, adjust its settings, or contact the plugin developer for support.

4. Fix Broken <div>Tags

A very common cause of this issue is broken HTML structure—meaning an extra or missing <div> tag.

If the issue only happens on certain pages, check the specific template file that controls those pages. For example:

• If the problem is on blog posts, check single.php.
• If it’s on pages, check page.php.

To find and fix the issue, you can:
i. Use the W3C Validator to check for unclosed <div>tags.
ii. Open your theme files in a code editor (like VS Code) and look for any missing or extra </div>.
iii. Use your browser’s Inspect Tool (right-click > Inspect) to see the HTML structure.

Once you fix any broken <div> tags, your sidebar should go back to normal.

5. Fix CSS That’s Pushing the Sidebar Down

Your theme uses CSS to define the width of the content and sidebar. If the widths add up to more than 100% of the page, the sidebar will be forced below the content.

To check this:

1. Right-click on your page and select Inspect (Chrome/Firefox).
2. Look at the width of your content and sidebar.

If your content is set to 70% width and your sidebar is 33% width, they won’t fit together (since they total 103% + margins).

To fix it, adjust the CSS:

And make sure any extra padding or margin doesn’t make them too wide.

6. Try a Default Theme

If nothing else works, try switching to a default WordPress theme like Twenty Twenty-One.

If the sidebar works fine there, then the issue is in your custom theme, and you may need to dig deeper into its settings or code.