How to Fix the Knowledge Base Shortcode Not Displaying

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base uses the following shortcode to display the main WordPress knowledge base page:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

If the page is blank, shows the shortcode as plain text or displays a temporary unavailable message, work through the checks below.

Check the licence status

The shortcode requires an active SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base Monthly or Yearly licence.

Open:

Knowledge Base > Licence

Check that the licence status shows as active.

If the licence is inactive, expired or cannot be verified, the shortcode may not display the normal knowledge base homepage.

Instead, you may see an unavailable message.

Reactivate the licence

If the licence is not active:

1. Enter the purchase email used for the subscription.
2. Enter the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base product key.
3. Remove any accidental spaces.
4. Select Activate Licence.
5. Refresh the public knowledge base page.

The purchase email must match the email connected to the active Monthly or Yearly subscription.

Check the shortcode spelling

The shortcode must be entered exactly as:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

Common mistakes include:

[srkb-knowledge-base]

[srkb_knowledgebase]

[software_road_knowledge_base]

srkb_knowledge_base

[srkb knowledge base]

Make sure:

• Both square brackets are present
• Underscores are used
• There are no extra spaces
• No quotation marks have been added
• The shortcode is on one line

Use a Shortcode block

In the WordPress Block Editor:

1. Edit the knowledge base page.
2. Select Add Block.
3. Search for Shortcode.
4. Add the Shortcode block.
5. Paste:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

6. Update the page.

Using a Shortcode block helps prevent WordPress or a page builder from treating the shortcode as ordinary text.

Do not use a Code block

A Code or Preformatted block displays the shortcode as text rather than running it.

If visitors can see:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

on the page, check whether it was added inside:

• A Code block
• A Preformatted block
• Inline code formatting
• A heading block
• A button
• Quotation marks

Move it into a proper WordPress Shortcode block.

Check that the page is published

The knowledge base shortcode should be placed on a published WordPress page.

Open:

Pages > All Pages

Check the page status.

The page should not be:

• Draft
• Pending Review
• Private
• Password protected
• In the Trash

Open the public page while signed out of WordPress to confirm that visitors can access it.

Check the page URL

Make sure you are opening the correct WordPress page.

You may have:

• An old knowledge base test page
• A duplicate page
• A draft page
• A page with a similar title
• An old bookmarked URL

Open the page directly from:

Pages > All Pages > View

Confirm that the page you are testing contains:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

Select the correct Knowledge Base Page

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base needs to know which WordPress page is the main knowledge base homepage.

Open:

Knowledge Base > Settings > General

Find the Knowledge Base Page option.

Select the published page containing:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

Then select Save Changes.

This setting is also used by:

• Breadcrumbs
• Back links
• Article navigation
• Category navigation
• Knowledge base homepage links

Automatic page detection

The plugin can detect a WordPress page containing the shortcode.

This normally helps during setup.

However, automatic detection may choose the wrong page if the shortcode exists on more than one page.

For example, it may find:

• An old test page
• A duplicate page
• A private preview
• A copied page created by a builder
• A staging page

Select the correct live page manually in the General settings.

Use only one main shortcode page

The shortcode can technically be added to more than one page, but only one main WordPress knowledge base page should normally be used.

Multiple copies can cause:

• Duplicate content
• Breadcrumbs linking to the wrong page
• Back links opening an old page
• Confusing search engine indexing
• Different menus linking to different versions

Remove the shortcode from unused test or duplicate pages.

Check that the plugin is active

Open:

Plugins > Installed Plugins

Make sure SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is activated.

If the plugin is inactive, WordPress cannot process the shortcode.

You may see the shortcode itself as plain text.

Activate the plugin and refresh the page.

Check the installed plugin version

An incomplete or damaged update can prevent the shortcode from loading correctly.

Check the version shown under:

Plugins > Installed Plugins

If the problem began after an update:

1. Clear all WordPress caches.
2. Refresh the page.
3. Check for PHP errors.
4. Reinstall the same clean plugin version if needed.
5. Do not delete the plugin data unless you have a backup.

Reinstalling plugin files should not normally remove articles or settings, but always back up WordPress before troubleshooting a live site.

Check WordPress caching

A cached page may continue showing:

• A blank knowledge base
• The raw shortcode
• An inactive licence message
• An older design
• An old selected page

Clear:

• WordPress page cache
• Object cache
• Hosting cache
• Server cache
• Content delivery network cache
• Browser cache

Then open the page in a private browser window.

Clear cache after activating the licence

The public knowledge base page may still show an unavailable message after the licence is successfully activated.

This is often caused by cached HTML.

Clear the page and server cache, then reload the page while signed out.

Check page-builder shortcode handling

If you use a WordPress page builder, add the shortcode using its dedicated Shortcode element.

Do not place it inside a normal text, heading or code widget unless the builder specifically supports shortcode processing there.

Depending on the builder, the correct element may be called:

• Shortcode
• WordPress Shortcode
• Text Editor
• HTML or Code
• Widget

Use the dedicated Shortcode option where available.

Test with the standard WordPress editor

To check whether a page builder is causing the problem:

1. Create a new temporary WordPress page.
2. Add a standard Shortcode block.
3. Enter:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

4. Publish the page.
5. Open it publicly.

If the knowledge base works on the standard page, the original page builder setup is likely changing or blocking the shortcode.

Check whether the builder added formatting

Some page builders add paragraph tags, code formatting or hidden characters around shortcode text.

Delete the existing shortcode and type it again manually.

Avoid copying it from:

• A formatted email
• A PDF
• A word-processing document
• A website containing curly quotation marks

Use plain text:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

Check display conditions

A page builder or theme may hide sections using display conditions.

Check whether the shortcode container is hidden:

• On desktop
• On mobile
• For logged-out visitors
• For certain user roles
• On specific devices
• Through responsive visibility settings

Temporarily remove visibility conditions and test again.

Check the WordPress page template

A theme page template can affect the knowledge base layout.

Try a standard wide or full-width template.

Avoid templates that:

• Remove the main content area
• Only display custom fields
• Hide WordPress page content
• Use a landing page without the_content()
• Require content to be inserted through a page builder

If the theme template does not output the normal WordPress page content, the shortcode cannot appear.

Switch to a normal page template

Edit the knowledge base page and look for the Template setting.

Try:

• Default Template
• Full Width
• Content Only
• No Sidebar

Update the page and test it publicly.

The exact template names depend on your WordPress theme.

The shortcode page is completely blank

A blank page may indicate a PHP error rather than a shortcode problem.

Check:

• WordPress Site Health
• Hosting error logs
• PHP error logs
• WordPress debug log
• Browser developer console

A fatal error may stop the page before the knowledge base output is generated.

Enable WordPress debugging carefully

On a staging website, you can enable WordPress debugging to identify errors.

Useful settings include:

WP_DEBUG

and:

WP_DEBUG_LOG

Avoid displaying detailed PHP errors publicly on a live website.

Ask your hosting provider or developer for help if you are not comfortable editing WordPress configuration files.

Check PHP requirements

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base requires a supported PHP version.

If the server is using an old or unsupported version, parts of the plugin may fail to load.

Check:

Tools > Site Health > Info > Server

Confirm that the website meets the plugin’s minimum requirements.

Use a currently supported PHP version where possible.

Check the WordPress version

An outdated WordPress installation can cause compatibility problems.

Open:

Dashboard > Updates

Check whether WordPress needs updating.

Back up the website before applying major updates.

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base requires WordPress 6.0 or later.

Check for JavaScript errors

The main shortcode output may appear, but search, categories or other sections may fail if JavaScript is broken.

Open the browser developer tools and check the Console tab.

Look for errors relating to:

• SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base
• AJAX
• jQuery
• Deferred JavaScript
• Blocked files
• Content Security Policy

A JavaScript error from another plugin or theme can stop knowledge base features from loading properly.

Check for blocked AJAX requests

SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base uses AJAX for features such as live search and analytics.

A firewall or security plugin may block:

admin-ajax.php

If the page loads but interactive features do not work, check the browser Network tab for failed AJAX requests.

A failed request may show status codes such as:

• 403
• 404
• 500

Check security plugin settings

Security plugins can sometimes block:

• Shortcode-generated AJAX
• REST API routes
• External licence checks
• JavaScript files
• Anonymous requests
• WordPress nonces

Temporarily review or disable the relevant restriction to test.

Do not permanently turn off website security.

Add a suitable allow rule once the cause is identified.

Check optimisation settings

Performance plugins may delay, combine or remove scripts and styles used by the WordPress knowledge base plugin.

Temporarily test without:

• Delayed JavaScript
• Deferred JavaScript
• Combined scripts
• Removed unused CSS
• Aggressive HTML minification
• Script blocking

Clear all optimisation caches after making changes.

If the shortcode begins working, exclude the affected SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base files from that optimisation.

Check for a plugin conflict

Another WordPress plugin may interfere with shortcode output, page content, AJAX requests or licence checks.

To test safely:

1. Create a staging copy of the website.
2. Keep SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base active.
3. Temporarily deactivate other plugins.
4. Test the shortcode page.
5. Reactivate plugins one at a time.
6. Check the page after each activation.

The plugin activated immediately before the problem returns is the likely conflict.

Do not perform a full conflict test on a busy live website without a backup or maintenance plan.

Check for a theme conflict

The active WordPress theme may alter page content or shortcode output.

On a staging website:

1. Temporarily switch to a standard WordPress theme.
2. Open the knowledge base page.
3. Check whether the shortcode appears.

If it works with the standard theme, review the original theme’s:

• Page templates
• Content filters
• JavaScript
• CSS
• Shortcode handling
• Display conditions

The knowledge base is present but hidden

The shortcode may be generating content that is hidden by CSS.

Use browser developer tools to check whether the knowledge base HTML exists in the page.

Possible causes include:

• display: none
• visibility: hidden
• Zero height
• White text on a white background
• Content positioned off-screen
• A hidden page-builder container
• An overlay covering the content

Temporarily remove custom CSS and test again.

Check custom CSS

Search your theme and Customiser CSS for rules affecting:

• .srkb-wrap
• Shortcode containers
• Main page content
• Knowledge base sections
• Generic article or category classes

A broad rule aimed at another part of the website may accidentally hide the knowledge base.

For example, a rule targeting all .content or .wrap elements could have unintended effects.

The page shows “temporarily unavailable”

This normally points to a licence problem.

Check:

• Monthly or Yearly subscription status
• Purchase email
• Product key
• Saved licence details
• Website connection to SoftwareRoad
• Temporary licence server errors

Open Knowledge Base > Licence and reactivate the licence.

Then clear the public page cache.

The page shows only part of the knowledge base

If the title or search box appears but categories are missing, check the homepage settings.

Open:

Knowledge Base > Settings > Homepage

Confirm that the relevant sections are enabled.

Also check that:

• Categories contain published articles
• Articles are not unlisted
• The licence is active
• Homepage settings were saved
• Cache has been cleared

A partial page is usually a settings or content issue rather than a broken shortcode.

Categories do not appear

The shortcode may be working correctly even when the category grid is empty.

Check that:

• Categories have been created
• At least one published article is assigned
• Articles are not unlisted
• The Categories section is enabled
• Top-level categories exist

An empty category may not appear publicly.

Search appears but returns no results

Check that:

• Knowledge base articles are published
• Articles contain relevant titles or content
• Articles are not unlisted
• Search is enabled
• The search term contains at least two characters
• AJAX requests are not blocked
• The active licence is valid

This means the shortcode is displaying, but search needs separate troubleshooting.

The shortcode works for administrators only

Test the page while signed out.

If it only works for logged-in administrators, check:

• Page visibility
• Membership restrictions
• Theme display conditions
• Security settings
• Cache differences
• User-role rules
• Privacy gate behaviour

The main public knowledge base page should not normally require a WordPress account.

The shortcode works while signed in but not signed out

A public page cache may contain an old or broken version.

Clear:

• Public page cache
• Server cache
• CDN cache
• Browser cache

Also check whether a security or maintenance plugin blocks logged-out visitors.

The shortcode works on desktop but not mobile

Check:

• Page-builder responsive visibility
• Mobile-only CSS
• Mobile caching
• JavaScript optimisation
• Theme mobile templates
• Screen-width media queries

The knowledge base may be hidden by a responsive design rule.

Use browser developer tools or a real mobile device to inspect the page.

The shortcode works on one page but not another

Compare the two pages.

Check:

• Page template
• Builder used
• Visibility settings
• Custom CSS classes
• Page status
• Cache
• Parent page structure
• Shortcode block type

Use the working page as the main knowledge base page rather than keeping several copies.

Duplicate shortcode output

If the knowledge base appears twice, check whether the shortcode was added:

• Once in the WordPress page content
• Again in a page-builder template
• Through a theme hook
• Through a reusable block
• Through a custom widget

Remove the duplicate instance.

Only one shortcode output should appear on the main page.

The shortcode appears inside another layout

Some themes automatically display page titles, sidebars or content boxes around the shortcode.

This is not necessarily an error.

Use a full-width or content-only page template if you want the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base layout to have more room.

Avoid adding another theme sidebar beside the plugin’s own sidebar.

Refresh WordPress permalinks

The main shortcode page usually does not depend on custom rewrite rules in the same way as articles and categories, but refreshing permalinks can still help after major setup changes.

Open:

Settings > Permalinks

Select Save Changes without changing the current structure.

Then clear caches and test again.

Recreate the shortcode page

If the existing page has been heavily edited or built with a complicated template, create a clean replacement.

1. Open Pages > Add New Page.
2. Title it Knowledge Base.
3. Add a Shortcode block.
4. Enter:

[srkb_knowledge_base]

5. Publish the page.
6. Select it under Knowledge Base > Settings > General.
7. Test it publicly.

If the clean page works, the issue is with the original page setup.

Redirect an old shortcode page

If you replace the main knowledge base page, redirect the old page address to the new one.

This prevents broken links from:

• Search engines
• Bookmarks
• Website menus
• Support emails
• External websites

Update the navigation menu and any internal links as well.

Reinstall the plugin files

If the shortcode is registered incorrectly because plugin files are missing or damaged:

1. Back up the website.
2. Download a clean copy of SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base.
3. Deactivate the current plugin if required.
4. Replace or reinstall the plugin files.
5. Activate the plugin.
6. Check the licence.
7. Test the shortcode again.

Do not remove database content unless you deliberately want to delete articles and settings.

Information to send to support

Contact SoftwareRoad support if the shortcode still does not display after completing the checks.

Include:

• Website address
• Knowledge base page address
• SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base version
• WordPress version
• PHP version
• Active WordPress theme
• Exact behaviour seen
• Any visible error message
• Whether the page works while signed in
• Whether a standard WordPress page was tested
• Relevant browser console or server errors

Do not send your full product key publicly.

Shortcode troubleshooting checklist

Before contacting support, check that:

• The Monthly or Yearly licence is active
• SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base is installed and activated
• The shortcode is exactly srkb_knowledge_base
• A WordPress Shortcode block is being used
• The page is published
• The correct Knowledge Base Page is selected
• Only one main shortcode page exists
• The page uses a suitable template
• WordPress and server caches have been cleared
• The page has been tested while signed out
• The page builder is not changing the shortcode
• Responsive display settings are not hiding it
• Security tools are not blocking licence or AJAX requests
• JavaScript and PHP errors have been checked
• Plugin and theme conflicts have been tested on staging
• A clean WordPress page has been tested

The main WordPress knowledge base page should display once the shortcode is correct, the page is published and the SoftwareRoad Knowledge Base licence is active.