---
title: Common Issues and Solutions
description: "This guide provides quick fixes for common setup and usage problems you might encounter while using GravityOps Forum. ### 1. Forum Shortcodes Are Not Rendering If you've placed the forum shortcodes on a page but they appear as plain text…"
url: "https://brightleafdigital.io/docs/common-issues-and-solutions/"
updated: "2026-10-18"
category: GravityOps Forum / Troubleshooting Gravityops Forum
---

# Common Issues and Solutions

This guide provides quick fixes for common setup and usage problems you might encounter while using GravityOps Forum.

### 1. Forum Shortcodes Are Not Rendering

If you've placed the forum shortcodes on a page but they appear as plain text or render nothing at all:

- **Check Plugin Activation**: Ensure that both **Gravity Forms** and **GravityOps Forum** are active.
- **Shortcode Parameters**: If you are using a single shortcode (e.g., `[gofrm_forum]`) on a page without the `slug` or `id` attribute, it will render nothing unless the correct query parameter is in the URL.
- **Shortcode Mode**: If you have disabled "Rewrite Rules", make sure you have at least one published page containing `[gofrm_index]`. Dedicated `[gofrm_forum]`, `[gofrm_topic]`, and `[gofrm_profile]` shortcodes are optional layout overrides.

### 2. "No Forums Found" on the Index Page

If the forum index is visible but empty:

- **Create a Board and Forum**: Navigate to **GravityOps > Forum > Forums** and ensure you have created at least one Board and one Forum assigned to that Board.
- **Check Status**: Confirm board/forum statuses are set as expected. `draft` is admin-only, `private` requires login + matching access set, and `hidden` is not listed in the index for non-admin users.

### 3. Topic or Reply Forms Are Missing

If you can see the forum but the "New Topic" or "Reply" forms are not showing:

- **Form Mapping**: Go to the **Forms** tab and ensure you have mapped a Gravity Form to "Topic" and "Reply" entities.
- **Permission Check**: The current user might not have permission to post. Check the **Access** tab to see which role is mapped to **Standard User**, **Read Only**, or **Moderator**.
- **Form Active Status**: Ensure the Gravity Forms themselves are active and not trashed.

### 4. Styles Look "Broken" or Distorted

If the forum layout doesn't match your theme:

- **Theme Conflicts**: Some themes apply aggressive styles to `table` or `form` elements. You can add custom CSS in your theme's stylesheet.
- **Template Overrides (Paid only)**: If you have created template overrides in your theme's `/gravityops-forum/` folder, ensure they are up to date with the plugin's latest structure. This feature is only available in the paid version.

### 5. Moderation Buttons are Missing

If you expect to see "Lock", "Sticky", or "Delete" buttons but they are gone:

- **Moderator Role**: Ensure your user account is assigned a WordPress Role that is mapped to the **Moderator** Access Set in the plugin's Access settings.
- **Board/Forum Level**: Moderation is currently a global capability for users with the Moderator access set across all forums they can view.

### 6. Search Not Finding Forum Content

GravityOps Forum stores topics and replies as Gravity Forms entries.

- **GravityOps Search**: For the best experience, use the **GravityOps Search** plugin, which is designed to search through Gravity Forms entries effectively.
- **Standard WP Search**: Standard WordPress search does not typically index Gravity Forms entries. You will need a specialized search solution to index forum content.