---
title: "Understanding the “Show Debug Output” option"
date: 2026-04-23
author: "GravityKit"
link: "https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview-pro/advanced-elementor-widget/understanding-the-show-debug-output-option/"
---

The **Show Debug Output** option is an advanced setting in the GravityView Elementor widget that displays the equivalent [GravityView shortcode](https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/shortcodes/using-the-shortcode/) directly inside the Elementor editor.

This feature helps you see how your widget settings translate into shortcode parameters. It’s useful for troubleshooting and testing.

![A toggle option in the GravityView Elementor Widget Advanced settings labeled 'Show Debug Output'](https://www.gravitykit.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/file-6bCvQO9AOR.png)

## When to use this option

Enable **Show Debug Output** when you want to:

- **View the generated shortcode** for the current View configuration
- **Confirm shortcode parameters** to help debug display issues
- **Copy the shortcode** to use in another location, such as a shortcode block, theme file, or page template
- **Compare widget settings** with shortcode attributes for testing and debugging

To learn more about the GravityView shortcode, read [Using the  shortcode](https://www.gravitykit.com/docs/gravityview/shortcodes/using-the-shortcode/).

## What appears when enabled

When **Show Debug Output** is enabled, the Elementor preview area displays the complete GravityView shortcode for the current widget.

**Example:**

```
[gravityview id=“14” sort_columns=“0” sort_direction=“DESC” sort_field=“1” sort_field_2=“id” no_entries_form_description=“0” no_entries_form_title=“0” lightbox=“0”]
```

```
[gravityview id=“14” sort_columns=“0” sort_direction=“DESC” sort_field=“1” sort_field_2=“id” no_entries_form_description=“0” no_entries_form_title=“0” lightbox=“0”]
```

Each shortcode parameter represents a View setting from the **Content** tab — such as the View ID, sorting options, or no entries behavior.

The output is read-only and does not appear on the live site. It’s purely for preview and debugging purposes.

![A GravityView shortcode inside the Elementor editor; its appearance is triggered by enabling the Show Debug Output option in the advanced settings](https://www.gravitykit.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/file-IO3VP1J1gO.png)**Note**: Style settings are not reflected in shortcode parameters. The shortcode only reflects View settings configured in the Content tab.

## Best practices

- Use this option only while editing or troubleshooting a page
- Disable it before publishing to keep your editor interface clean

## Troubleshooting notes

- The shortcode preview only appears inside the Elementor editor — not on the front end
- The feature has no effect on site performance or display