Troubleshoot Composer: Banners not displaying

Misty Flowers

May 05, 2026 21:36

Banners that look correct in Composer may not appear on the live site. The most common reason is that the page itself hasn't been Published. Other causes include incorrect banner visibility settings, an empty banner container, or permission restrictions. This guide covers the most common reasons banners don't display and how to fix them.

💡 Quick answers

Why isn't my banner showing on the live site? The most common reason is the page hasn't been published. Also check banner visibility settings, banner content, and permissions.
How do I check if the page is published? Look at the page title in Composer. If it shows a status like "Draft," "Unpublished," or "Scheduled," the page (and all banners on it) are not live.
What does "Scheduled" mean? The page is scheduled to publish at a future date/time. Banners won't appear until the page is actually published.
Where are the banner visibility settings? Click the banner element and check the "Display" or "Visibility" section in the element settings.
What if the banner area is blank? The banner container may be empty (no elements added), have no matching content (filters), or have permissions restricting visibility.
Can I edit a banner while on a page? You must click into the banner area to enter Banner edit mode. Simply clicking the page won't let you edit the banner.

Publishing and visibility issues

These are the most common reasons banners don't appear on the live site. Start here if your banner is completely missing.

Verify the page is published (most common issue)

A banner will only appear on the live site if its parent page is published. This is the #1 reason banners don't display. To check:

Look at the page title. In the page header in Composer, you'll see the page status. Examples: "Published," "Draft," "Unpublished," or "Scheduled."
If the status is "Draft" or "Unpublished": Click the Publish button to publish the entire page, including all banners on it.
If the status is "Scheduled": The page is set to publish at a future date/time. Banners will not display until that date arrives and the page automatically publishes. To publish immediately, click Publish now.
If the status is "Changes Pending": You have made recent edits. Click Publish to push those changes to the live site.

After publishing, wait a few moments for the changes to go live, then check the live site to see if the banner appears.

Check banner visibility settings

Even if the page is published, the banner element itself may be hidden. Follow these steps:

Step 1: Open the page in Composer. Click Edit to enter Composer mode.
Step 2: Click on the banner element. Select the banner you want to check.
Step 3: Look for visibility or display settings. These are typically in the element's properties panel or a settings button. The label varies (Display, Visibility, Show/Hide, etc.).
Step 4: Make sure it's set to "Show" or "Visible". If it says "Hide," "Hidden," or "Off," change it to "Show."
Step 5: Save the page. Click Save or Publish to apply the changes.

Content and element issues

If the banner appears on the page but looks empty or blank, the issue is usually related to missing content or filters. Check these sections.

Banner container is empty

A banner area may appear blank on the live site even though the page is published. This usually means the banner layout is applied to the page, but the banner itself contains no content elements.

To add content to a banner:

Step 1: Open the banner in Composer. Navigate to the page and click directly into the banner area to enter Banner edit mode.
Step 2: Add elements to the banner. From the element library, select and add content (logos, menus, images, text, etc.) just as you would on a regular page.
Step 3: Publish the banner. Click the Publish button in the top right corner of the banner to save your changes.
Step 4: Verify on the live site. Wait a moment, then check the live site to confirm the banner now displays with content.

Pro tip

Banners are global templates. When you edit a banner, the changes apply to all pages where that banner is used. To test how a banner looks before publishing, add it to a page temporarily and preview it there.

Dynamic content filters showing no results

If a banner contains dynamic elements (news, resources, events, etc.) that are filtered by category or board, the banner may appear empty if no content matches the filter criteria.

To troubleshoot filtered content:

Step 1: Click the dynamic element in the banner. Select the element that displays news, resources, or similar content.
Step 2: Check the filter settings. Look for category, board, or content filters in the various types of element settings.
Step 3: Verify the category has content. Navigate to the gallery, Posts board, or other original source referenced in the filter to confirm there is active content to display.
Step 4: Adjust or remove filters as needed. Change the filter to target a category with content, for example a Posts board, Tag or Category, or remove the filter entirely to show all content.

Permission and access issues

If the banner appears for you in Compose mode but doesn't show on the live site for visitors, or doesn't appear in incognito/private browser windows, the issue is likely permissions or access control.

Check banner permissions and access control

Banners or their internal elements may be hidden from certain users due to permission restrictions or access control settings. The banner may appear for logged-in administrators but not for general site visitors.

To check banner permissions:

Step 1: Open the banner in Composer. Click into the banner area to enter Banner edit mode.
Step 2: Check element visibility settings. Click on each element in the banner and look for "Access control," "Visibility," or "Permissions" settings.
Step 3: Verify access is not restricted. If you see "Admin only" or specific group restrictions, change the setting to allow all visitors to see it.
Step 4: Test as a visitor. View the page in an incognito or private browser window, or log out and check if the banner now appears.

Workflow and editing issues

If you're unable to edit a banner or make changes that seem to disappear, the issue is usually related to how you're editing the banner.

Compose mode vs. Banner edit mode

When editing a page in Composer, banners are locked by default. You must click directly into the banner area to enter Banner edit mode. Simply clicking the page won't allow you to edit banner content.

To edit a banner on a page:

Step 1: Click the banner area on the page. Click directly in the banner (header, footer, or side banner) where you want to make changes.
Step 2: You're now in Banner edit mode. The banner is now unlocked and you can edit, add, or remove elements.
Step 3: Make your changes. Add, edit, or delete elements as needed.
Step 4: Click outside the banner to exit. Click back into the page area to return to page edit mode, then publish both the page and banner.

⚠️ Important Note

You cannot drag elements from the page into the banner while in page edit mode. You must click into the banner first to unlock it. If you try to drag elements and they won't move into the banner area, you're not in Banner edit mode.

Troubleshooting checklist

Work through this checklist to find why your banner isn't displaying:

☐ The page is published (status shows "Published," not "Draft" or "Scheduled")
☐ If the page status is "Scheduled," verify the scheduled publish date has already passed
☐ Banner visibility is set to "Show" or "Visible"
☐ Banner contains at least one element (not empty)
☐ If the banner contains filtered content, the category or board has active content
☐ Banner permissions are not restricted to "Admin only"
☐ No display rules are hiding the banner from visitors
☐ You have waited at least a few moments after publishing for changes to go live
☐ You are viewing the live site, not a preview or draft version

If the banner still doesn't appear after checking all these items, contact Finalsite Support.