A common issue that can occur with users new to installing WordPress themes is a "Broken theme and/or stylesheets missing” error message being displayed when trying to upload or activate the theme. This error message does not mean that the theme you have purchased is broken, it simply means it has been uploaded incorrectly. Luckily, there is a very easy fix.

This information is related to all plugins that are bundled with our themes. As example lets get a Visual Composer page builder. After theme activation you see a welcome message to install some of the plugins.

After plugins are installed you may see a message that ask you to enter a purchase code (or license key) to activate a plugin. Or a plugin settings page asks you to enter a license key. You can try to enter a theme purchase code but that will not work.

The problem is that buying a theme which is bundled with Visual Composer (or other paid plugin) does not mean that you also buying a license for a Visual Composer. So you just don’t have a license key and can’t activate it or get automatic updates. We bought an extended license to be able to include it in our theme, and we own only one license key (as well as in case with single license), theme buyers are not allowed to use that key, and that is not possible to use same key on more than one site.

In the same time, plugin work totally fine without a key, you don’t need to worry about it. Also, you will get plugin updates as often as theme will be update.

On the plugins page I see that there is a new version of Visual Composer (or other plugin bundled with theme) available, but the update function is not working? How do I update?

Answer. You can not update such plugins without single license key. The reason of that is explained here. But that not means you will never get an update or plugins will not function as they should.

There are two ways to get the updates:

1) By waiting for upcoming theme updates where we will also update plugins to latest version.

To update this way, first you need to update a theme. Then go to plugins page, deactivate and remove plugin. If it will not allow you to deactivate and remove it (possible in some cases) – deactivate a theme, remove plugin, then activate again. After you will see a new message asking you to install that plugin. Follow it and you will have an updated installed from the theme files.

2) Buy a plugin single license, add your license key and get automatic updates anytime you want.