Has anyone experienced display issues in Internet Explorer 11 with Webflow websites and found any solutions or suggestions to address this problem across multiple sites?
- Webflow no longer supports IE11, which causes layout and interaction issues due to unsupported CSS and JavaScript features.
- To address this, use fallback CSS, simplify interactions, detect IE11 with JavaScript to show upgrade warnings, and reuse fixes across sites with centralized custom code.
Internet Explorer 11 is no longer officially supported by Webflow, which can lead to display issues across multiple Webflow websites viewed in that browser.
1. Understand the Browser Compatibility Limits
- Webflow dropped official support for IE11 in 2020. Modern Webflow features like CSS Grid, Flexbox enhancements, interactions, and custom code often rely on JavaScript and CSS not supported by IE11.
- Even basic layout elements (like containers or grids) can appear broken due to IE11’s outdated rendering engine.
2. Common Issues in IE11 with Webflow Sites
- Broken layouts due to unsupported Flexbox or Grid behavior.
- Missing fonts because IE11 struggles with some font rendering or formats.
- Interactions not working (e.g., animations failing to trigger).
- Transparency, shadows, or gradients appearing incorrectly.
3. Recommended Solutions
Use Progressive Enhancement:
Design your site to deliver a functional experience in IE11, but enhance the experience in modern browsers.
Avoid relying entirely on Flexbox or Grid for your layout if IE support is critical.
Add Fallback CSS:
Use older layout methods like floats or inline-block as a fallback.
You can add conditional class names with custom CSS targeting IE11 specifically using selectors like
@media all and (-ms-high-contrast: none), (-ms-high-contrast: active).Test Sites with Emulation Tools:
Use the IE11 emulator in Microsoft Edge or BrowserStack to catch rendering issues without needing an original IE11 install.
Disable or Simplify Interactions:
If animations cause breakage, remove or simplify them to degrade gracefully.
Use Custom Code to Detect and Warn Users:
Insert a simple JavaScript snippet to detect IE11 and display a warning banner suggesting browser upgrade.
4. Strategy for Multi-Site Management
Centralize and Reuse IE Fixes:
If managing multiple Webflow sites, create a shared list of common CSS patches for IE11 and apply them via Webflow’s custom code in the
<head>or<body>sections.Consider converting your fix list into small utility classes you can apply across projects.
Consider Redirecting IE11 Users:
Use JavaScript to detect IE (checking for
document.documentMode) and redirect them to an alternative page or show an unsupported browser message.
Summary
Webflow no longer supports Internet Explorer 11, so layout and interaction problems are likely across multiple sites. To mitigate them, you can use fallback CSS, disable complex interactions, and show warnings for users. If IE11 support is essential, use emulation tools and custom code workarounds—but consider encouraging users to upgrade to modern browsers.