# Elements won't load in browser **URL:** \ **Category:** Elements\ **Created:** [January 12, 2026, 3:25pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598 "2026-01-12T15:25:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 3:25pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/1 "2026-01-12T15:25:10Z")
I have actually two issues with Elements that I believe are related to the overly large Elements file. I get a message saying that it won’t load the elements file when I try to use the edit browser. But I have no trouble viewing a much smaller Elements file. Plus on the server side, one of two buttons on a page doesn’t work, although I can see the link on the Elements file. All I believe are related to the bloated file size. I have hundreds of photos and pages. I’ve asked several times before how I can move my images to my server and thus shrink my Elements file. But I have had no response exactly how I can do this. Since I’ve uploaded the site, I presume all the files and images are in my resource folder. But I’m really at a loss as to how to begin. ---
**Author:** ![dan](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/dan/32/28516_2.png) [@dan](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/dan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/2 "2026-01-12T15:47:15Z")
I’m confident we’ll be able to get you back up and running! Elements can handle very large and complex projects so I doubt this is the issue. However, it’s always good to be smart about managing your projects, and if they are VERY resource heavy then using the remote resources feature is a good idea (more on that below). > [@siamon](#): > > I have actually two issues with Elements that I believe are related to the overly large Elements file. I get a message saying that it won’t load the elements file when I try to use the edit browser. 1. How big are your project files? 2. Can you show a screenshot of the message you see when trying to open project you’re having issues with? > [@siamon](#): > > Plus on the server side, one of two buttons on a page doesn’t work, although I can see the link on the Elements file. All I believe are related to the bloated file size. I don’t think this would be related to file size. Can you share the project so we can take a look? To use remote resources you’ll need to add them to the resources browser via their URL’s. This is [covered in the manual](https://docs.realmacsoftware.com/elements-docs/elements/resources), along with a a video showing how this works. Essentially, you can right-click on the resources header and choose to “Add Remote Resource” ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/realmacsoftware1/original/3X/6/5/65f028929a1d850de0f695054e5038c21535f1fc.png) Look forward to hearing from you again 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 4:30pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/3 "2026-01-12T16:30:48Z")
The file is massive: 711 MB. This is message I get when I try to view the file in the edit browser. Crazily, it isn’t the file I’m working on! The file that I’m is: **NFLT New Site 2** ![image](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/realmacsoftware1/original/3X/8/9/897b8f228a411bb51f567ef80e55da2164e9bb0e.png) I’ve uploaded the file. Here is the link: elementsapp://downloadDocument/BUqphvXgplP7 What I don’t understand is do I have to “Add Remote Resource” for each of my images. With hundreds of images, it’s going to take me a long time. ---
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 4:32pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/4 "2026-01-12T16:32:28Z")
I just tried viewing the file on the edit browser and now it works! Is my computer playing games with me? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelDroste](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/michaeldroste/32/37212_2.png) [@MichaelDroste](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/MichaelDroste)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 5:05pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/5 "2026-01-12T17:05:30Z")
One of my sites is a couple of gb - because of songs (Not using remote resources) Glad you got it sorted… ---
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/6 "2026-01-12T17:09:53Z")
Hdre’s the other problem I have. Even though I’ve linked a button, when I select it I go to the Grid the button is in. Not sure this video uploaded correctly. ---
**Author:** ![dan](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/dan/32/28516_2.png) [@dan](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/dan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 5:14pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/7 "2026-01-12T17:14:33Z")
You’ve set the button to be `-100` on the z-index, switch that back to `auto` and it’ll work. ![CleanShot 2026-01-12 at 5 .13.42@2x](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/realmacsoftware1/original/3X/b/8/b8e6856b79b6951c157b3da6e1cccf39b9836580.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![dan](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/dan/32/28516_2.png) [@dan](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/dan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 5:23pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/8 "2026-01-12T17:23:39Z")
@siamon 700Mb+ should not be an issue for the project file 🙂 However, if you plan on adding **A LOT** more media you might want to consider doing that via remote resources, just to make back-up and sharing the project file easier/faster. ---
**Author:** ![differentdan](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/differentdan/32/33530_2.png) [@differentdan](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/differentdan)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 6:25pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/9 "2026-01-12T18:25:20Z")
Hi @siamon I just tried loading your [https://northfrontenaclittletheatre.com](https://northfrontenaclittletheatre.com) site in the browser and it worked ok. The screenshot you posted with the “This Connection Is Not Private” message is another website though and that’s because there is no SSL certificate there. Also you don’t really need to write the domain as [http://www.alt.beckysiamon.ca/](http://www.alt.beckysiamon.ca/), just [http://alt.beckysiamon.ca/](http://alt.beckysiamon.ca/) is fine since you are using a subdomain. Have you published that website to a live server yet, or are you seeing that “This Connection Is Not Private” message when trying to preview your site locally? Back to the [https://northfrontenaclittletheatre.com](https://northfrontenaclittletheatre.com) site though, if you can maybe post a screen recording of the behavior you are seeing on your end, that might help us troubleshoot further. ---
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 6:58pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/10 "2026-01-12T18:58:48Z")
That works. Thanks. I don’t know how that happened. Must have been by accident. ---
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 7:02pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/11 "2026-01-12T19:02:58Z")
What I need to do when it comes to the alt. domain is uploading the files to the full domain which has a security certificate. I’m still not clear about uploading images to the server. Again do I have to upload each image, one by one, or is there a batch way of doing it., And what happens to the image files that Elements uploads when I publish? How does the program know which images to use. ---
**Author:** ![sbchasin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/sbchasin/32/26943_2.png) [@sbchasin](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/sbchasin)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 7:18pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/12 "2026-01-12T19:18:29Z")
Short version - upload your images to server, organized as you like. Enter the url of _each image_ in resources and use those as “images” in your site while creating it in Elements. You will have to do that for _each_ image. I have ~2600+ images in my site. My project file is around 182MB. Other than a small delay when saving, I have had no issues with it. ---
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 7:22pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/13 "2026-01-12T19:22:44Z")
Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 7:23pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/14 "2026-01-12T19:23:39Z")
One other question. Do I the delete the image from Elements? ---
**Author:** ![sbchasin](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/sbchasin/32/26943_2.png) [@sbchasin](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/sbchasin)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 7:24pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/15 "2026-01-12T19:24:53Z")
Yes. Makes file size smaller, but you don’t have to. I would though, if you are going to warehouse them. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelDroste](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/michaeldroste/32/37212_2.png) [@MichaelDroste](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/MichaelDroste)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/16 "2026-01-12T20:31:35Z")
To save sanity - make a ‘photos’ or other name folder in resources Use squash to shrink images - image size and image resolution For example maybe you want them all to be 400 pixels wide or such And perhaps quality setting in squash — for me - 80% to 95% ---
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2026, 3:30pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/17 "2026-01-13T15:30:23Z")
I have two more issues that I can’t solve. (1) When I select Publish Site for my large site, it takes up to four tries for it to work. I have two other small sites, and it works immediately. (2) I use a global button as a CLOSE button to return to the previous page. I use this CSS code: Back Now I know that technically this shouldn’t work. But it does occasionally work. I realize a BACK button needs Java code, but I don’t how to do this. And besides, I want to use the button component and all its attributes. This is what it looks like: ![Screenshot 2026-01-13 at 10.28.08 AM](https://europe1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/uploads/realmacsoftware1/original/3X/9/e/9ed8b64004e0d7bd7cc3c72e62e15d41f5001ea1.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 4:38pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/18 "2026-01-14T16:38:45Z")
I’ve published to a live server and deleted the subdomain. ---
**Author:** ![differentdan](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex005/user_avatar/forums.realmacsoftware.com/differentdan/32/33530_2.png) [@differentdan](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/differentdan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/19 "2026-01-14T17:41:07Z")
Cool, if it’s [https://beckysiamon.ca/](https://beckysiamon.ca/) then it’s working fine for me here. If you are having troubles with it let us know what those troubles are. ---
**Author:** ![siamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@siamon](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/u/siamon)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2026, 6:40pm UTC](https://forums.realmacsoftware.com/t/elements-wont-load-in-browser/53598/20 "2026-01-14T18:40:00Z")
Thanks