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Would you like to fix the “Feeds for YouTube has stopped loading” notice that appeared in your WordPress dashboard?
In this guide, we’ll explain what the notice means and why the plugin stopped loading. We’ll also cover how to reinstall it without losing your feeds or settings.
Before you get started, make sure you have admin access to your WordPress dashboard and a fresh copy of the YouTube Feed plugin.
Here is what we will cover:
- Feeds for YouTube Has Stopped Loading
- What Does the Plugin Do When It Stops?
- Files the Plugin Checks
- Reinstalling the Plugin
- When the Files Keep Going Missing
- Frequently Asked Questions
Feeds for YouTube Has Stopped Loading
Some of the plugin’s own files can go missing from your server. When that happens, YouTube Feed stops loading and shows a red notice at the top of your WordPress admin screens. The notice reads:
Feeds for YouTube has stopped loading. Some of the plugin’s own files are no longer on the server, so the plugin has shut itself down to keep the rest of your site running. Reinstalling the plugin will put the files back. Your feeds, settings and license key are stored in the database and are not affected.
Below it, a second line names the folder and lists every missing file. For example, it reads Missing from wp-content/plugins/youtube-feed-pro/ followed by the file paths. A last line suggests asking your web host whether their malware scanner has quarantined the files, if they go missing again after a reinstall.
The notice calls the plugin “Feeds for YouTube”, a name you may also see on your Plugins page. It is the same plugin as the one in your YouTube Feed menu.
Only users who are allowed to activate plugins, such as administrators, see this notice. Visitors never see it.
The notice points to a likely cause. A malware scanner on your host may have quarantined some of the plugin’s files. Anything else that removes a file from the plugin’s folder has the same effect.
Next, we’ll look at what the plugin does when it stops.
What Does the Plugin Do When It Stops?
Without this check, a single missing file can cause a fatal error on every page of your site, including your WordPress dashboard. Instead, the plugin stops loading and lets the rest of your site keep running.
Here is what that looks like on your site.
- The plugin stays in your Plugins list. It is not deactivated. It just does not load its features.
- Your feeds do not display. The
[youtube-feed],[youtube-feed-single]and[youtube-feed-search]shortcodes print nothing. Visitors see an empty space instead of raw shortcode text. - The plugin’s own screens and feeds do not load until the files are back.
- If
WP_DEBUGis on, the plugin writes a line to the PHP error log. The line starts with “Feeds for YouTube: plugin halted, missing” followed by the file names.
The plugin runs this check each time WordPress loads it. Stopping does not save anything to your database. There is nothing to reset. Once the files are back, the plugin loads normally on the next page load.
Next, here are the files the plugin looks for.
Files the Plugin Checks
The plugin looks for the files it needs to start before it loads anything else. These files are checked in every edition of the plugin, inside the plugin’s folder. You do not need to check them one by one. The notice already names the ones that are missing.
activation.phpbootstrap.phpvendor/autoload.phpinc/sby-functions.phpinc/Admin/admin-functions.phpinc/Admin/SBY_Notifications.phpinc/Admin/SBY_New_User.phpinc/Admin/SBY_Upgrader.phpinc/Blocks/SBY_Blocks.phpinc/Blocks/SBY_Modern_Elementor_Widget.phpinc/Builder/SBY_Db.phpinc/Customizer/Config.phpinc/Customizer/DB.phpinc/Customizer/ProxyProvider.phpinc/Customizer/ShortcodePreviewProvider.phpinc/Feed_Locator.phpinc/SBY_Cron_Updater.phpinc/SBY_Posts_Manager.phpinc/Services/Admin/AdminServiceContainer.phpinc/Services/Integrations/Elementor/SBY_Elementor_Base.phpinc/Services/Integrations/Elementor/SBY_Elementor_Control.phpinc/Services/Integrations/Elementor/SBY_Elementor_Widget.phpinc/Services/ServiceContainer.php
The paid version also checks a few files of its own. The notice names those the same way if they go missing.
The Elementor widget files are on the list even if you do not use Elementor. The plugin checks for them on every site. A missing Elementor file also stops the plugin.
The plugin also stops cleanly if an error appears while it starts up. This can happen when a file it needs was removed in the middle of a page load. In that case, the line under the notice shows the error message instead of a file path.
Once you know what the plugin checks, you can put the missing files back.
Reinstalling the Plugin
The notice says that reinstalling the plugin puts the files back. The safest way is to upload a fresh copy over the current one. WordPress then replaces the files without removing the plugin first.
Do not delete the plugin first. Deleting a plugin runs its clean-up routine. This erases your feeds, the plugin’s settings, your license key and the saved video posts.
The only exception is when Preserve settings if plugin is removed is turned on in YouTube Feed » Settings, on the General tab. The plugin does not load while it is stopped. You may not be able to check that setting. Replace the files instead of deleting them.
To reinstall the plugin, follow these steps.
- Write down the file names listed under the red notice. You will need them if the files go missing again.
- Download a fresh copy of the plugin. For the paid version, download the latest zip file from your Smash Balloon account. For the free version, download it from the plugin’s page on WordPress.org.
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins » Add Plugin.
- Click Upload Plugin at the top of the screen. Then choose the zip file you downloaded.
- Click Install Now.
- WordPress notices that the plugin is already installed and shows a comparison of the two versions. Click Replace current with uploaded.
Our guide on manually updating the YouTube Feed plugin covers the same upload method in more detail.
Once WordPress finishes, open any admin screen. The red notice is gone and the YouTube Feed menu works again.
Note: If your feeds still look empty on the front end, clear any page caching on your site. A cached copy of the page can still be served. Our guide to caching plugins explains how.
If you cannot upload through WordPress, you can also restore the plugin’s folder through your host. Ask your host to restore the files from quarantine or from a backup. Or unzip a fresh copy and upload it with SFTP so it overwrites the plugin folder.
See How to Use FTP to Upload Files to WordPress for a step-by-step guide.
If the notice comes back after you reinstall, the next section explains what to check.
When the Files Keep Going Missing
If the notice comes back after you reinstall, something on your server is removing the files again. A malware scanner is the most likely cause. Contact your web host and ask these questions.
- Has your malware scanner quarantined or deleted files from
wp-content/plugins/in the plugin’s folder? - Can they restore the files and add the plugin’s folder to the scanner’s allow list?
Share the file names from the notice so your host can find them in their logs.
If your host finds nothing, contact our support team and include the full text of the notice. Also include your System Info.
That’s it! You now know why YouTube Feed stopped loading, what it checks, and how to put the missing files back. If you see a different message in your feed instead, our YouTube Feed error message reference is the next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below, we’ve answered some of the most common questions about the “Feeds for YouTube has stopped loading” notice.
Did the plugin deactivate on my site?
No. The plugin stays listed as active on the Plugins page. It stops loading its features on every page load until its files are back.
Will I lose my feeds, settings or license key?
No. Your feeds, settings and license key are stored in the database. When the plugin stops loading, it does not touch them. The one thing to avoid is deleting the plugin before you reinstall it. Deleting can erase your feeds, settings and license key. The Reinstalling the Plugin section shows how to put the files back without deleting anything.
Why does the notice say “Feeds for YouTube” when my menu says YouTube Feed?
The notice uses another name for the plugin, one you may also see on your Plugins page. It is the same plugin.
Will my site visitors see the notice?
No. Only users who can activate plugins, such as administrators, see it. On a multisite network, it also shows on the network admin screens.
Can I dismiss the notice?
The notice stays on your admin screens until the missing files are back. Once they are, it goes away on the next page load.
What do my visitors see while the plugin is stopped?
They see an empty space where the feed would be. The YouTube Feed shortcodes print nothing instead of showing as raw text. The rest of your site keeps working.
