Key facts at a glance
Astra theme troubleshooting in 2026
Last updated
- It is usually the ecosystem, not the core
- Astra itself is heavily tested. Most Astra problems are the Starter Templates importer, the Astra Pro license, the Header Footer Builder, or a plugin conflict, not a fault in the theme.
- Imports need real resources
- Starter Templates needs a PHP memory limit of at least 256M and an upload max filesize of at least 60M. Below that, the import shows Import Process Interrupted and stops.
- Error 406 is your host, not Astra
- A 406 during import is a hosting firewall or mod_security rule blocking the importer traffic. The host has to whitelist it or relax the rule for the import.
- Why a Pro license is invalid
- A single-site key on a second domain, or an expired plan, reads as invalid. Activation also needs to reach
store.brainstormforce.comand OpenSSL 1.1.0 or later. - Pro modules are opt-in
- Once the license is active, features appear under the Available Astra Pro Modules list. A missing feature like the Sticky Header is usually a module toggled off or a license not active.
- A white screen after an update
- This is a PHP fatal, not an Astra bug. Recover by switching to a default theme, then read the debug log. It is usually a conflict or old code, covered on the theme hub.
Source: the Astra documentation on the Starter Templates import, Error 406, license activation, and system requirements, the WordPress.org Astra theme page, and our hands-on Astra repairs. Get a quote in 60 seconds →
Why Astra sites break
Astra is one of the most-installed WordPress themes, on well over a million active sites, and a big reason for that is how lightweight and well-built it is. The practical upshot for troubleshooting is that the theme core is rarely the thing that breaks. When an Astra site has a problem, it is almost always in the ecosystem that surrounds the theme rather than in Astra itself, which is good news, because those parts have specific, known fixes.
There are three subsystems where Astra problems concentrate. The first is the Starter Templates importer, the tool that builds a whole site from a ready-made design in one step. It is powerful but resource-heavy, so on a modest hosting plan it is the single most common thing to stall. The second is Astra Pro, the paid addon, where the friction is almost always licensing rather than the features themselves. The third is the Header Footer Builder and the global styles, where the issue is usually a placement, a device setting, or a Pro module that has not been switched on.
Everything else, a white screen after an update, a customization that vanished, a slow site, is not really Astra-specific at all. Those follow the same patterns as any theme and are covered on our WordPress theme repair hub, which this page sits under. This page stays on the parts that are specifically Astra.
Where Astra problems come from
Nearly every Astra-specific problem is one of these four. Naming yours points straight at the fix.
The Starter Templates import stalls or fails
The signature Astra problem. The import shows Import Process Interrupted, hangs on Importing, or throws an Error 406 or a 5XX. It is a resources-and-firewall issue, not a theme fault: the importer needs a PHP memory limit of at least 256M, enough execution time, the PHP XML extension, and a host firewall that does not block the template servers. Raise the limits, clear the block, re-run.
Astra Pro will not license, or modules are missing
The Pro addon is installed but the license shows invalid, the activation form is missing, or the Pro features never appear. The cause is almost always the license: a single-site key on a second domain, an expired plan, a blocked connection to the licensing store, a mismatched release channel, or simply a module toggled off. Fix the license state and enable the module.
The Header Footer Builder or global styles misbehave
A header element is missing, the sticky or transparent header does not work, or global colors and typography do not apply. Usually a placement or device setting in the Header Footer Builder, a Pro module like Sticky Header that has not been enabled, a known mobile transparent-header quirk, or a cache serving old styles. Fix the placement, enable the module, clear the cache.
A conflict, or a generic theme break
Astra fights a plugin or a page builder like Elementor or Spectra, or the site white-screens after an update. Because Astra itself is well-tested, this is almost always a conflict or old customization rather than an Astra bug. Recover access, read the debug log, and isolate the conflict. The general recovery and the isolation method live on the theme and plugin hubs.
Error and symptom reference
Find the exact Astra message or symptom you see. Each row says what it means and how it is fixed.
| Error or symptom | What it means and how to fix it |
|---|---|
| The Starter Templates import stops with "Import Process Interrupted" | A server-resource limit. Raise the PHP memory limit to 256M or more and the max execution time, confirm the upload max filesize is at least 60M, then re-run the import. Check current limits under Tools then Site Health then Server. |
| "Error 406" appears during a Starter Templates import | A hosting firewall or mod_security rule is blocking the import communication. Ask the host to whitelist the Starter Templates requests or relax the rule for the import, or add the documented mod_security exception to .htaccess. |
| A 5XX error, or the import hangs on "Importing" | A server timeout or resource exhaustion partway through. Raise the memory and execution limits, retry, and if it persists ask the host to lift the resource ceiling for the import. |
| "XMLReader support is missing" before or during import | The PHP XML extension is disabled on the server, and the importer needs it to read the template content. Ask your host to enable the php-xml extension, then import again. |
| The template plugins will not install, or "update required plugins" blocks the import | The starter site needs its companion plugins, such as Elementor, Spectra, or WooCommerce, installed during import. A firewall or a failed install stops them. Clear the block, or install the named plugins first, then re-run. |
| The Astra Pro license shows as invalid | A single-site key used on a second domain, or an expired subscription. Confirm the subscription is active and not already registered to another site, and use the correct key for this domain. |
| There is no Astra Pro license activation form | The Astra Pro Addon plugin is installed but not activated, or the theme and the addon are on mismatched release channels, one stable and one beta. Activate the addon and match the release channels. |
| The license will not activate even with the right key | Your site cannot reach the licensing server at store.brainstormforce.com, usually a security plugin or host firewall, or the server OpenSSL is older than 1.1.0. Unblock the store and update OpenSSL. |
| Astra Pro modules or features are missing under the Astra dashboard | The license is not active, or the module is toggled off. Activate the license, then enable the feature under the Available Astra Pro Modules list on the Astra dashboard. |
| The sticky header or transparent header is not working | Sticky Header is an Astra Pro module that must be enabled from the Astra dashboard first. The transparent menu color has a known mobile-breakpoint quirk, resolved by enabling the transparent header for mobile. |
| A white screen or critical error right after an Astra update | A PHP fatal, usually a conflict or an old customization rather than an Astra bug. Switch to a default theme or rename the Astra folder to recover, then read the debug log for the exact fatal. |
What we fix
Twelve problem areas cover almost every Astra emergency. We diagnose which one is actually yours rather than guessing.
Starter Template Import Interrupted
The import stops with Import Process Interrupted on a low-resource server. We raise the right limits, clear any firewall block, and complete the import cleanly.
Import Stuck on "Importing"
The importer spins and never finishes, usually a timeout or memory exhaustion partway through. We find the limit that is being hit and get the template in.
Error 406 or 5XX on Import
A hosting firewall or mod_security rule is blocking the import traffic. We identify the rule and get it whitelisted so the template imports.
XMLReader or XML Support Missing
The PHP XML extension is off, so the importer cannot read the template. We get php-xml enabled and the import running.
Astra Pro License Will Not Activate
An invalid key, a domain limit, an expired plan, a blocked store connection, or old OpenSSL. We find which and get Pro licensed.
Pro Modules Not Appearing
Astra Pro is installed but the features are missing. Usually an inactive license or a module toggled off. We activate and enable what you need.
No License Activation Form
The license box does not show because the Astra Pro Addon is not activated or the release channels do not match. We line them up and activate.
Header Footer Builder Not Showing
A header or footer element is missing or on the wrong device. We fix the placement in the Header Footer Builder so it shows where it should.
Sticky or Transparent Header Issues
Sticky Header needs its Pro module enabled, and the transparent header has a mobile quirk. We enable the module and fix the mobile behavior.
Global Colors or Typography Not Applying
Global styles do not take effect, often a caching layer or a builder overriding them. We clear the cache and resolve the override.
Astra vs a Plugin or Page Builder
Astra fights Elementor, Spectra, or another plugin and a layout breaks. We isolate the conflict and resolve it without dropping what you need.
White Screen After an Astra Update
A PHP fatal after updating Astra or Astra Pro. We recover access, read the debug log, and fix the real cause, usually a conflict or old code.
Starter Templates import failures
The Starter Templates importer is the most common source of Astra trouble, and understanding what it actually does explains every failure. Importing a starter site is not one action, it is a sequence: your site connects to the Starter Templates servers, installs the template companion plugins such as Elementor, Spectra, or WooCommerce, then downloads and imports the content, the images, and the Customizer settings. Each of those steps takes memory, time, and an open connection, so on a modest hosting plan the import is the heaviest thing your site will do, and it is the first thing to stall when resources are tight.
That is why the fix for most import failures is not in Astra at all, it is in the server. Astra publishes the resources the importer needs, and meeting them resolves the great majority of Import Process Interrupted and stuck-on-importing failures.
| Requirement | What Astra needs |
|---|---|
| PHP version | Minimum 7.4, with 8.2.10 or later recommended to match WordPress. |
| PHP memory limit | At least 256M for Starter Templates imports. Below this, imports stall. |
| Upload max filesize | At least 60M so template media and content can be imported. |
| WordPress memory, the WP_MEMORY_LIMIT value | Minimum 128M, with 256M or higher preferred. |
| PHP XML extension | Required so the importer can read template content as XML. This is the php-xml XMLReader extension. |
| Database | MySQL 5.7 or later, or MariaDB 10.3 or later. |
Check your current values under Tools then Site Health then the Server section, which lists the PHP memory limit, the max execution time, and the upload size. If they are below what Astra needs and your host panel lets you change them, raise them. If it does not, ask the host to raise the PHP memory limit and execution time, because many hosts set defaults well below what your plan actually allows.
An Error 406 during import is a different problem: a firewall or mod_security rule on your hosting account is blocking the background communication between your site and the Starter Templates servers. No amount of raising memory fixes it. The resolution is on the host side, whitelisting the importer traffic or relaxing the rule for the duration of the import, or applying the mod_security exception Astra documents to your .htaccess. A 5XX error is usually resources or a timeout again, and a missing XMLReader means the php-xml extension is disabled and needs enabling.
One more common snag: the template needs its companion plugins installed during the import, so if a firewall or a failed download stops those plugins installing, the import cannot finish. Clearing the block, or installing the named plugins first, lets the import complete.
Astra Pro license and modules
Astra Pro is a separate addon plugin, and nearly every Pro problem is about the license rather than the features. The sequence that should happen is simple: install the Astra Pro Addon plugin, activate it, enter and activate your license, then enable the modules you want. When something goes wrong, it is almost always one of a few specific things at one of those steps.
The license shows invalid
The usual cause is a single-site subscription activated on more than one domain, because a single-site key only works on one site, so a second domain reports it invalid. An expired subscription does the same. Confirm the plan is active and not already registered to another site.
The license will not activate at all
Activation needs your site to reach the licensing server at store.brainstormforce.com, so a security plugin or a hosting firewall that blocks it stops activation. The server also needs OpenSSL 1.1.0 or later, because the store uses a modern certificate. Unblock the store and update OpenSSL if it is old.
There is no license form
The license section only shows when the Astra Pro Addon is activated, not merely installed, so activate it under Plugins first. If it is active and the form is still missing, the theme and the addon are probably on mismatched release channels, one stable and one beta, which can hide the box. Match the channels and update both.
Pro features or modules are missing
Once the license is active, the features live in the Available Astra Pro Modules list on the Astra dashboard, and you switch on the ones you want. A feature you expected, like the Sticky Header, is usually a module simply toggled off, or a license that never activated. Activate the license, enable the module, and the option appears in the Customizer.
Updating Astra safely
Astra updates are usually smooth, but a few habits prevent the rare bad one and keep your work safe.
The Astra theme and the Astra Pro Addon are designed to move together, so update both, and take a backup or use a staging copy first for a major version. Keep them on the same release channel, both stable or both beta, so the license and the modules stay in sync.
Astra Pro update notifications depend on an active license, so if you stop seeing Pro updates, the first thing to check is whether the license is still active. An inactive license does not just hide features, it can also stop the update prompts, which leaves you on old code.
Astra stores your Customizer, Header Footer Builder, colors, and typography in the database, so those survive updates on their own. Only custom PHP, template overrides, or CSS added as code need a child theme, because editing the parent Astra files means an update overwrites them. The general child-theme rules are on our theme repair hub.
If you are about to import a Starter Template, set the PHP memory limit to 256M or more and confirm the upload size and execution time first, rather than starting an import that will stall halfway. It is far quicker to prepare the server than to recover a half-finished import.
Why specialist Astra work helps
The tricky part of Astra problems is that the symptom rarely points at the real cause. A stalled import looks like a broken theme, but it is a server limit. A dead Pro feature looks like a bug, but it is a license state. An Error 406 looks like Astra failing, but it is a hosting firewall. A lot of do-it-yourself Astra troubleshooting is spent changing settings inside WordPress when the fix is in the hosting panel or the licensing account, and knowing which is which is most of the job.
We work on Astra constantly, so the process is the same every time. Read the exact symptom, decide whether it is a resources, firewall, license, module, or conflict problem, and go straight to that layer. Raise the right server limits and clear the firewall for an import, fix the subscription or connectivity for a license, enable the correct module for a missing feature, and fall back to the standard theme-break recovery and conflict isolation for a white screen. We charge a flat rate because we are fast at finding the one cause that matters.
The 2-hour guarantee and the money-back promise are the enforcement. And when the honest answer is that your hosting plan simply does not provide the resources an import needs, we tell you that plainly, because that is a host limit no amount of theme tinkering will fix.
Related fixes and hubs
Astra problems often sit next to a broader WordPress issue or a page builder. These are the pages for the ones that reach past Astra itself.
Any theme broke or will not activateThe theme repair hub, the parent of this page. White screen after an update, install errors, PHP 8 breaks, the Customizer, and child themes for any theme.
Theme repair hub →Astra fights a plugin or builderThe plugin conflict method. When Astra and a plugin or page builder collide, this is how you isolate the exact pair without downtime.
The conflict-finding method →Built with Elementor on AstraMany Astra sites use Elementor. If the editor will not load, save, or show changes, that is an Elementor problem with its own hub.
Elementor repair hub →White screen or critical errorA blank page after an Astra or plugin update. The recovery steps and how the debug log names the exact fatal.
Recover a critical error →Astra site is slowAstra is fast by default, so a slow Astra site is usually the page builder, images, or plugins. We measure the real cost and trim it.
Speed optimization →Everything WordPress repairThe parent hub for plugin, theme, update, and critical-error repairs across WordPress, with Astra as one part of it.
Visit the WordPress hub →Pricing and process
Send your site and the symptom
Use the quote form with your URL and what happened, a stalled Starter Templates import, a Pro license that will not activate, or a header not showing. A senior engineer replies with a flat-rate quote, usually within 30 minutes during business hours.
Approve, we start immediately
No scheduling step, no kickoff call. Approve the quote and we begin. You provide WordPress and hosting access through a secure link. The clock starts on the 2-hour guarantee.
Fixed and confirmed
We fix the real cause, whether that is server resources, a firewall, a license, a module, or a conflict, confirm the site and the Astra feature work, and tell you what happened. Money back if we cannot fix it for the agreed scope.
Astra theme FAQ
My Astra Starter Template import keeps failing, or shows "Import Process Interrupted". Why?
Almost every Starter Templates import failure is a server-resource limit, not a bug in Astra. Importing a starter site is a heavy job: your site connects to the Starter Templates servers, installs the template companion plugins like Elementor or Spectra, then pulls in the content, images, and Customizer settings, and a low PHP memory limit or a short execution time makes the process stall partway and show Import Process Interrupted. Astra documents a minimum PHP memory limit of 256M and an upload max filesize of 60M for imports. Check your current limits under Tools then Site Health then the Server section, and raise the PHP memory limit to at least 256M and the max execution time if your host allows it. Many hosts set lower limits than your plan actually permits, so if you cannot change them yourself, ask the host to raise the PHP memory limit and execution time for the import. Once the resources are there, re-run the import and it usually completes.
I get "Error 406" when importing an Astra Starter Template. What is that?
Error 406 during a Starter Templates import is a firewall or mod_security rule on your hosting account blocking the background communication the importer needs. When a template imports, your site and the Starter Templates servers exchange several requests behind the scenes, and a hosting firewall or a security rule can decide that traffic looks suspicious and block it, which surfaces as a 406. The fix is on the server side: ask your hosting provider to whitelist the Starter Templates requests or to temporarily relax the firewall or mod_security rule for the duration of the import, or apply the mod_security exception Astra documents in your .htaccess. It is not a problem with your content or your theme, so once the firewall stops blocking the import traffic, the template imports normally.
My Astra Pro license will not activate, or shows as invalid. Why?
A few specific things cause an invalid Astra Pro license. The most common is a single-site subscription being activated on more than one domain, because a single-site key is only valid on one site, so a second domain reports the license as invalid. An expired subscription does the same. Beyond the subscription itself, activation needs your site to reach the licensing server at store.brainstormforce.com, so a security plugin or a hosting firewall that blocks that connection stops activation, and the site also needs OpenSSL 1.1.0 or later because the store uses a modern certificate. So the checklist is: confirm the subscription is active and not already used on another domain, make sure nothing is blocking store.brainstormforce.com, and check that the server OpenSSL version is current. Fix whichever applies and the key activates.
I do not see the Astra Pro license form at all. Where is it?
The license section only appears when the Astra Pro Addon plugin is actually activated, so the first thing to check is Plugins, where the Astra Pro Addon should be installed and activated, not just installed. If the plugin is active and the form still does not appear, the usual cause is a version mismatch: the Astra theme and the Astra Pro Addon should both be on a stable release, or both on a beta or release-candidate build, and if one is stable while the other is a beta the license box can fail to display. A renamed theme folder can also break it. So activate the Astra Pro Addon, make sure the theme and the addon are on matching release channels and up to date, and the license activation form appears under the Astra dashboard.
I bought Astra Pro but the Pro features and modules are not showing. How do I turn them on?
Astra Pro features live in modules that you enable after the license is active, so if the Pro features are missing the first thing to confirm is that the license is actually activated, because an inactive license is the most common reason the modules never appear. Once Astra Pro is installed, activated, and licensed, the available features are listed under the Astra dashboard as the Available Astra Pro Modules, and you switch on the ones you want, for example the Sticky Header, the transparent header, custom layouts, or the WooCommerce module. A feature you expected but do not see is usually a module that is simply toggled off, or a license that is not active. Activate the license, enable the module, and the feature appears in the Customizer.
My Astra header is not showing, or the sticky or transparent header is not working. What do I check?
Start by separating the free Header Footer Builder from the Pro header features. The Header Footer Builder itself, where you assemble the header and footer from elements, lives under Appearance then Customize then Header, and if a header element is missing it is usually not added to a row there or is set to a different device. The sticky header is a different thing: it is an Astra Pro module, so it only works once you have enabled the Sticky Header module from the Astra dashboard, and then configure it under Customize then Header then Sticky Header. The transparent header has a known quirk on mobile, where raising the menu breakpoint can stop the transparent menu color applying between 768px and the breakpoint width, which you resolve by enabling the transparent header for mobile in the Header Builder settings. So confirm the element is placed, the Pro module is enabled for sticky, and the mobile transparent option is on.
Astra updated and now my site is a white screen. Is that an Astra bug?
A white screen right after an Astra or Astra Pro update is almost never a fault in Astra itself, because Astra is one of the most-tested themes there is. It is usually a PHP fatal from something the update interacted with: an old addon or a customization in the parent theme, a PHP version the code no longer matches, or a conflict with another plugin. The recovery is the same as for any theme break. Switch to a default theme to get back online, or rename the Astra folder over SFTP if the admin is down, then enable the debug log to read the exact fatal, which names the file. If the fatal is in a plugin or a page builder, it is a conflict rather than an Astra bug. We cover the general theme-break recovery and the conflict-isolation method on the theme and plugin hubs, linked from this page.
Do I actually need Astra Pro, or is the free theme enough?
The free Astra theme is genuinely capable and runs well over a million sites on its own, with the Header Footer Builder, the Starter Templates, and broad customization all available for free, so many sites never need Pro. Astra Pro adds modules on top: the Sticky Header, more granular colors and spacing, custom layouts and hooks, a mega menu, and deeper WooCommerce controls, among others. The practical answer is that you need Pro when you want one of those specific modules, and until then the free theme is enough. Most of the problems people bring us are not about free versus Pro at all, they are the Starter Templates import stalling on server limits or a Pro license not activating, both of which we fix quickly whichever version you run.
How do I customize Astra without losing my changes when it updates?
Use an Astra child theme for any code changes, and the Customizer or the built-in settings for everything else. Astra stores its Customizer settings, your Header Footer Builder layout, colors, and typography, in the database, so those survive theme updates on their own and do not need a child theme. What does need a child theme is custom PHP or template overrides or CSS you add as code, because editing the parent Astra files directly means an Astra update overwrites your work. Astra provides a ready-made child theme you can download, or we set one up for you. The general child-theme rules, naming the parent in the Template header and adding to rather than replacing functions.php, are covered on our theme repair hub, which this page links to.
How fast can you fix an Astra problem, and what does it cost?
Most Astra problems are resolved inside our 2-hour window, because they fall into a small set of known causes that we go straight to rather than guessing. A stalled Starter Templates import is a resources and firewall fix, a dead Pro license is a subscription, connectivity, or version-channel fix, a missing header feature is a module or placement fix, and a white screen after an update is the standard theme-break recovery plus reading the debug log. Pricing is a flat 49 to 149 dollars with no hourly billing, and it is fully money back if we cannot fix it. If the real answer is that your site needs more server resources than your current host plan allows, we tell you that plainly rather than charging to fight a limit that only the host can raise.
Sources and further reading
The Astra-specific facts on this page come from the official Astra documentation and the WordPress.org theme page.