If your menu stopped working correctly after a Divi 5 update, a plugin update, or a theme change, the cause is almost always one of four things:
Stale cached CSS,
A custom CSS rule that no longer fits the updated markup,
A plugin conflict,
Or a specific symptom that has its own targeted fix. This article walks you through the diagnostic flow in order, and points you to the right symptom-specific article once you've narrowed things down.
Step 1: Clear every cache layer
Divi 5 stores generated CSS in a static cache for performance. After any update, that cache can still hold the old version of your styles, which is the single most common reason a menu "breaks" the moment you update.
Work through caches in this order:
Go to Divi → Theme Options in your WordPress dashboard.
Click the Clear CSS Cache button in the top right.
Open your caching plugin (if you use one) and clear its full cache, including any separate CSS or JavaScript caches.
Clear your hosting provider's server-level cache if your host offers one. Check for a Cache, Performance, or Flush control in your hosting panel.
Clear your browser cache, or test the site in a private/incognito window.
Reload the front end and check whether the menu works. If it does, the issue was just stale cache and you're done.
💡Pro tip: Adding ?nocache=1 to the end of your site's URL is a quick way to bypass most caches without changing any settings. Use this to spot-check whether a problem is cache-related before you start clearing things.
Step 2: Identify your specific menu symptom
If the menu is still broken after clearing caches, the next step is to identify exactly what's happening. Different symptoms have different root causes, and each has its own dedicated article with the targeted fix.
Match what you're seeing to one of these:
The hamburger icon is missing, invisible, or doesn't react when tapped. This is usually an icon color that matches the header background, or an overflow setting on a parent element that's clipping the icon. See Why the hamburger menu icon is invisible or unclickable in Divi 5.
The dropdown opens but is cut off at an edge, or it's hidden behind page content. This is either an overflow problem on a parent container or a z-index stacking conflict, often caused by Scroll Effects on the first content section. See How to fix a Divi 5 dropdown menu that's cut off or hidden behind page content.
A section, row, or module disappears entirely on mobile. This is a visibility, display condition, or custom code problem. See Why sections, rows, or modules are missing on phones and tablets in Divi 5.
If your symptom matches one of these, jump to that article. The remaining steps below cover the broader troubleshooting flow for symptoms that don't fit a specific pattern.
Step 3: Test for custom CSS conflicts
Divi updates sometimes change markup or class names, which can cause older custom CSS to suddenly start hiding or breaking menu elements. The fastest way to confirm whether your custom CSS is the culprit is to temporarily remove it and retest.
Go to Divi → Theme Options → General tab.
Open the Custom CSS field and copy its contents into a text file on your computer as a backup.
Delete the contents of the Custom CSS field and save.
Clear the Divi 5 CSS cache again (Step 1).
Reload the front end.
If the menu works correctly now, your custom CSS is the cause. Paste the rules back in small chunks, clearing the CSS cache and testing between each chunk, until you identify which rule is breaking the menu.
Common menu-breaking CSS patterns to look for:
Rules targeting
.et_mobile_menu,.mobile_menu_bar,.et_pb_menu_inner_container, or.et_pb_menu__wrapwithdisplay: none,visibility: hidden,opacity: 0, oroverflow: hidden.Hardcoded widths or negative margins on
.et_mobile_menuthat no longer line up with the updated mobile menu layout.Z-index overrides on
.et-l-headeror.et_pb_menuthat conflict with the updated stacking order.
Also check other places custom CSS can live: Page Settings → Advanced → Custom CSS, individual module Advanced → CSS option groups, any Code modules in your layout, and your child theme's stylesheet.
Step 4: Test for plugin and theme conflicts
If the menu still misbehaves after the CSS test, the next step is to rule out a third-party plugin. The cleanest way to do this without affecting visitors is Safe Mode.
Go to Divi → Support Center in your WordPress dashboard.
Find the Safe Mode section and enable it.
Reload your site on a phone, tablet, or desktop.
Safe Mode disables plugins and custom code for your user only, leaving the live site untouched for your visitors. If the menu works correctly in Safe Mode, a plugin, child theme, or custom script is the conflict.
To find the specific plugin:
Disable Safe Mode.
Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins.
Deactivate all non-essential plugins.
Reload the front end and check the menu.
If the menu now works, reactivate plugins one at a time, clearing caches and testing the menu after each one, until the problem returns.
The last plugin you activated when the issue reappears is the conflict.
Step 5: Confirm you're on the latest Divi 5 version
Some menu issues are bugs that have already been fixed in a newer Divi 5 build. Before contacting support, confirm you're on the current release.
Go to Dashboard → Updates in WordPress.
Check for Divi updates and install them.
After updating, repeat Step 1 to clear all caches again.
Test the menu.
Still stuck?
If you've worked through all five steps and the menu is still broken, collect the following before contacting Elegant Themes support:
The exact symptom (with screenshots or a short screen recording).
Your Divi 5 version and WordPress version.
A note that you've already cleared all caches, tested without custom CSS, tested in Safe Mode, and ruled out plugin conflicts.
The URL of an affected page.
The more specific you can be about which steps you've already tried, the faster support can help.