Elementor sections all grayed out in edit mode.

Hi, @robbyw.

Thanks for reaching out to us.

A grayed out area in the Editor can occur for several reasons. The grayed out area might indicate content that’s coming from your theme, or a third-party plugin, that is not editable in the Elementor Editor. It can also indicate sections/elements that are set to be hidden using the responsive feature in that particular view (ref: https://elementor.com/help/show-or-hide-columns-per-device/).

If that that doesn’t help, please share a screenshot of the page in the Editor in case we can further guide you.

Kind Regards.

Hi there,

Thank you for contacting us, when two-thirds of your homepage appears grayed out in the Elementor editor—can be caused by several things. Based on your description, here are the most likely culprits and how to fix them:

1. Google Ads or External Scripts

If you have Google AdSense or similar ad scripts directly embedded on the homepage, especially outside of Elementor widgets (e.g., in HTML widgets or theme files), they may inject overlays or iframe containers that interfere with the editor.

Fix:

• Temporarily remove or comment out the ad code and check if the issue persists

2. Z-Index or Overflow Issues

Sometimes elements with position: fixed, absolute, or high z-index can cover parts of the editor.

Fix:

• In Elementor, open the Navigator and inspect each section/container.
• Try temporarily disabling sections one by one to isolate the one causing the issue.
• Look for anything with high z-index or full-width overlays (like popups, sticky headers, modals, etc.).

3. Too Much Content or Browser Resource Limits

Large pages with lots of images or widgets can overload your browser and cause Elementor’s UI to glitch.

Fix:

• Split the content into multiple templates (e.g., using Elementor’s “Template” feature) and include them via the Template widget.
• Optimize images and remove unnecessary widgets or scripts during editing.

4. Theme or Plugin Conflict

The issue only happening on the homepage suggests a possible conflict with the layout or scripts loaded only on that page.

Fix:

• Temporarily switch to a default theme (like Hello Elementor) and test.
• Disable all non-essential plugins except Elementor/Elementor Pro, then re-enable one by one.

5. Custom CSS or JavaScript

Custom code may unintentionally affect the editor.

Fix:

• Check your Custom CSS in Elementor, in the Site Settings or on specific sections.
• Also look for custom JavaScript (especially in HTML widgets).

Also this could happen when an element is set to be hidden on the current device viewport (desktop, tablet, or mobile), Elementor “mutes” that element by graying it out in the editor.

This is a visual cue that:

• The element is hidden on this device in the responsive settings.
• It will not be visible on the live site when viewed on this device.
• But you can still edit it in the Elementor editor if needed.

How to Check & Fix It

1. Select the grayed-out section/container.
2. In the left panel, go to:
   Advanced → Responsive
3. Check if “Hide on Desktop” is enabled.
4. If yes, disable the toggle to make it visible again on desktop.

Repeat this process for any other muted (grayed-out) elements.

REF: https://elementor.com/help/why-is-my-widget-grayed-out/

Hope this helps