Critical Error When Saving Table

Hello,

Certainly, we can help you isolate this issue.

There are multiple factors to consider, so let’s start with some basic checks.

Can you please confirm what table type you’re using, and whether this is with the Lite (free) version of wpDataTables or the Premium version?

For example — if the table is linked to a file such as CSV, Excel, or similar, please check how many total rows the dataset contains.

If it has between 2,000 and 5,000 rows, you can try using our Cache feature for improved performance:
https://wpdatatables.com/documentation/table-features/caching-data-and-auto-update-cache-in-wordpress-tables/

However, if the table has more than 5,000 rows, then you would need to switch to an imported table:
https://wpdatatables.com/documentation/creating-new-wpdatatables-with-table-constructor/importing-data-to-editable-mysql-table-from-excel-or-csv-with-table-constructor/

This allows you to use server-side processing:
https://wpdatatables.com/documentation/table-features/server-side-processing/

Server-side processing loads the table via AJAX one page at a time, instead of loading all rows at once — which is required for large datasets.

If you have any other questions about this, please feel free to open a premium ticket as described in this guide:
https://help.wpdatatables.com/en/articles/39-how-to-contact-support-with-your-premium-license

If you don’t have a license, simply choose the pre-purchase category.

This forum is only for the free plugin version, which is why we first need to clarify your table type, the size of your dataset, and your overall use case.

Kind regards,
Milos

Hello,

Thank you for the additional details.

For wpDataTables to correctly generate a table from a Google Sheet, the source sheet needs to have at least one row with data when the table is created. If the dataset is completely empty, the plugin can’t detect the structure and may fail when saving.

Please try the following:

1. In your Google Sheet, add at least one dummy row of data under the headers.
2. Create a new test table in wpDataTables from that sheet.
3. Check if this new table can be saved and opened without errors.
4. If it works, delete the dummy row, then refresh the page (without hitting “Save changes” on the table settings) and see if it then shows the “Table has no rows” message correctly.

If the new test table works, but the old one still throws a critical error, it usually means something in the Sheet column structure was changed after the table was created (for example: column names, order, adding or removing columns). In that case, the safest option is to recreate the table from the current version of the Sheet, as described here:
https://wpdatatables.com/documentation/creating-wpdatatables/creating-wpdatatables-from-google-spreadsheets/

One more important check:
Do you have any formulas or scripts in the source Google Sheet?
If yes, please follow this guide to avoid issues with Google Sheets tables:
https://help.wpdatatables.com/en/articles/10-google-spreadsheet-with-formulas

Since Elementor is also reporting a critical error, it would additionally be useful to enable WordPress debugging or check the server error log, to see the exact PHP error that is being triggered when saving the table. That will help determine whether the issue is coming from wpDataTables, another plugin, or the theme.

Let me know what happens with the test table and if you’re able to narrow it down with these checks.

Kind regards,
Milos

• This reply was modified 6 months, 1 week ago by Milos Jovanovic.