Common server errors

Unexpected response / 403 error during saving the slider or slide

When you are seeing an unexpected response or 403 error message while you are trying to save, that means there is an issue at your server host. This error message is just a "catch all" message, meaning it doesn't tell you the cause of the problem, it just tells you the server stopped the process, but usually the problem is given by a ModSecurity setting, which doesn't allows you to save down certain datas. You should contact your server host, they have a log about what exactly is causing this problem and they should be able to help you resolve this issue.

500 Internal server error or blank page

500 errors are just "catch all" error messages, so they aren't telling you the cause, they are just telling you there is a problem and the server host has an error log, which contains the real error message. You should contact your server host and ask them for that log, also ask them to take a look at it, because a common server error is, that the memory_limit is reached and in that case your server host would be able to increase that value.

If it won't be a server limitation, but an actual PHP error, from the error message you will see which file causes the problem and you could try to eliminate the given plugin from your website or contact their developers to fix the issue!

Learn how to make your site write out an error message.

Common errors

1

Memory limit issue

If you see something like this in your error log: Allowed memory size of X bytes exhausted then the problem is that your site reached your server's memory_limit. You can check your hosting information by creating a file in your server, let's call it info.php, and put only this in it:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>
	

Then look at this file in your browser: http://example.org/info.php. Look for the memory_limit value. Using Smart Slider 3 on a basic website requires at least 64M, but most websites need a lot more. For example page builders often use up 100M just themselves, and you still have other plugins and your theme next to Smart Slider.

Contact your host and ask them to increase the memory limit of your server to ensure that it's big enough for your site's needs. If you are using WordPress you might be able to increase the memory_limit by placing a code like this to your wp-config.php file:

define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
	

Server hosts usually won't give you control to change the server values, so your code might won't do anything.

2

You have a plugin with an error

If you can't access your whole back-end, then you should connect your site via FTP, and rename the plugin folder names in your wp-content/plugins folder one-by-one to see, if one of them solves your problem. If you only see the internal server error at the Smart Slider's page, then you can deactivate your plugins in your Plugins list too.

3

Bad .htaccess file

If you are editing your .htaccess file, so you're not using the default WordPress/Joomla one is used and you see this error, there is a chance, that you modified the .htaccess file wrongly. You should put back the original WordPress/Joomla given .htaccess file to see if your problem disappears that way.

4

Blank page maybe just after a number of slides

Go to Slider settings → Optimize and turn off the Optimize slide images if it's on. When you are using it with too big images, this is a resource heavy process, and probably your server's memory_limit has been reached. If this helps, either use smaller images in the future, or ask your server host to increase the memory_limit value of your website.

5

Messed up backend using AMPPS

First, try to make your site write out the error. That will give you the idea if you need to turn on some PHP extension, or increase some server setting.

Call to undefined function ctype_digit()

You should enable the ctype extension at AMPPS Application → PHP Tab → PHP Extension. Check ctype and Apply.

6

Slider doesn't work on Siteground hosting

JavaScript error: Cannot set property 'transformOrigin' of undefined

This error is caused by SiteGround hosting, which replaces every http URL to https, and it causes a GSAP issue. You should go to your SiteGround settings and turn off External Links Rewrite. SiteGround might have renamed this setting to HTTPS Enforce.

7

Slide settings doesn't load

If the Slide settings page doesn't load for you, try making your site write out the error, and check the generated log file. If you see this error:

PHP Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Call to a member function getControlName() on null in /wp-content/plugins/nextend-smart-slider3-pro/Nextend/Framework/Form/AbstractField.php:108
	

Then your problem is related to a bug in older PHP versions. Contact your host and ask them to upgrade your PHP to at least PHP 7.3 and that should solve the problem.

Call to undefined function ctype

If you see an error message similar to these:

• Call to undefined function Nextend\Framework\Asset\Css\Less\ctype_digit()
• Call to undefined function Nextend\Framework\Asset\Css\Less\ctype_space()

or any other ctype function being undefined, that means ctype extension is missing from your server. These functions suppose to be part of PHP by default, so you should contact your server host and ask them to enable ctype for you! After that everything should be fine.