The board looks broken on my theme

The board loads, but the colors, fonts, or layout look wrong: text overlaps, cards are squashed, buttons take the theme's color instead of the board's color, or fonts do not match the rest of your site. This page helps the board render correctly on your theme.

Quick checks

  1. Go to SimpleBoards > Settings > General and look at the Inherit Theme Styles setting. If it is on, the board adopts your theme typography and colors. If it is off, the board uses its own styles. Try the opposite of what is set now.
  2. Clear your caching plugin, then reload the page in a private window so old CSS is not served.
  3. Disable any plugin that injects custom CSS into the page (for example "Simple Custom CSS" or theme builders). Reload the board.
  4. Open the page in a private window using a default theme such as Twenty Twenty-Five. If the board renders correctly there, the problem is in your active theme, not the plugin.

Walk through

Inherit Theme Styles is set the wrong way for your theme

The plugin has two display modes:

  • Off (default): the board uses its own scoped styles so it looks the same across themes.
  • On: the board uses your theme's typography and colors so it blends into the rest of your site.

If your theme has loud styles that fight with the plugin, leaving Inherit Theme Styles off is usually safer. If you want the board fonts to match your site exactly, turn it on.

  1. Go to SimpleBoards > Settings > General.
  2. Find the row labeled Inherit Theme Styles.
  3. Try the opposite of the current setting. The exact label next to the checkbox is Strictly use theme typography/colors for board, ideas, and drawer (default: off).
  4. Save changes and clear your cache.
  5. Reload the board in a private window.

How to confirm: the board renders with consistent fonts and colors and the layout is not broken.

A page builder or custom theme wraps the board in a narrow container

Some themes or page builders wrap shortcodes in containers with a small max-width. The board needs the full content width to display cards and columns.

  1. Edit the page that holds the board.
  2. Make sure the shortcode is in a full-width or wide block, not a narrow container.
  3. If you use a page builder (Elementor, Bricks, Divi, Beaver Builder), drop the shortcode into a section set to full width with no extra padding.
  4. Save and reload.

How to confirm: the board uses the full content area and roadmap columns lay out without overlapping.

The active theme injects CSS that overrides the board

Some themes set very broad rules like "all buttons must be green" or "all headings must be uppercase". These rules can leak into the board.

  1. Switch temporarily to a default theme such as Twenty Twenty-Five.
  2. Visit the board.
  3. If the board renders correctly under the default theme, contact your theme author with a link to the board page. Ask them to scope theme rules to the theme's own selectors and avoid global rules on button, input, and a tags inside .sbir-board-container.

How to confirm: under the default theme the board renders correctly.

If your theme provider cannot fix the rules, you can try turning Inherit Theme Styles off so the plugin applies its scoped defenses.

Theme compatibility

The plugin is built to work with block themes and most popular classic themes. The plugin's public stylesheet uses scoped selectors and CSS custom properties so theme styles cannot override layout or contrast by accident. The free plugin readme lists Astra, Kadence, GeneratePress, Blocksy, and the default Twenty-Twenty themes as regularly tested.

If your theme is not on that list, the board usually still works. Use the steps above if you hit a visual glitch.

Still stuck

  • Open Appearance > Customize in WordPress and look for custom CSS added by your theme. Try removing any rule that targets buttons, inputs, or links globally.
  • If the problem continues, email [email protected] with the board URL, the name of your theme, and a screenshot of how the board looks.

Last updated

2026-05-23 · SimpleBoards 1.0.4 and SimpleBoards Pro 1.0.1