Sometimes, when the Visual Builder is launched, we might get a Timeout error with different causes.
The Divi Builder Timeout error usually appears when editing a Page, Post, or Custom Post Type, and it might look like this:
In the Popup that describes the error, we get two possible causes:
Plugins conflict
Outdated version of Divi
Outdated PHP version
Low values on PHP directives
While those possible causes are generic, we should ensure that the plugins do not conflict with Divi if such an error appears.
The simplest way would be to go to Divi > Support Center and activate the Safe Mode.
Note: While the Safe Mode is enabled, the following items will be disabled.
3rd Party plugins
Child theme (in case one is used)
Custom code (CSS and JS)
This will only happen for the currently logged-in user who has activated the Safe Mode and will not impact the website's visitors.
Safe Mode resolves the timeout
With Safe Mode enabled, try loading the Divi Builder. If the Timeout error has been fixed, we must determine which plugin creates the issue.
To find out which plugins or plugins might connect with Divi:
Go to WordPress Dashboard → Plugins → Active Plugins tab
Select all active plugins and choose to deactivate them
With all the plugins deactivated, go back to the page and try to enable the Divi Builder again
If it works, return to the Plugins page → Recently Active tab and activate one plugin at a time.
After each plugin activation, check again if the issue has been solved
Safe Mode doesn't resolve the timeout
If the Safe Mode doesn't resolve the issue, we must check for other possible causes.
In Divi → Support Center, make sure that the server meets Divi's requirements
If there are any red dots, those should be addressed/fixed by the hosting support team.
Edge cases
In some edge user cases, the Divi Builder timeout error could be related to different causes:
WordPress Permalinks
While Divi does not control the website's permalinks, we can check if that's the case by navigating to WordPress Dashboard → Settings → Permalinks.
From the Permalinks Page, set the Permalinks to Plain:
Save the changes and try again. If the Permalinks to Plain fixes the Timeout error, it should be checked with the hosting support team.
Incorrect Protocol
If the website is using an SSL certificate, make sure that in WordPress Dashboard → Settings → General, the correct HTTPS Protocols are being used for both URLs:
WordPress Address (URL)
Site Address (URL)
If the SSL certificate was installed after the WordPress was installed to the server and content (pages, posts, products, etc.) were already published, installing a 3rd party plugin called Really Simple SSL will also help in fixing Protocol errors, which might lead to Divi Builder Timeout error.