* If you have time, please try to see if the A-F sections below have a fix for your design so you can repair it yourself. Many fixes can be done in minutes! Parts A and B are by far the most common repairs and can be done in minutes. Part G has some advanced guides intended for restoring layouts that parts A-F cant fix. Part H is for speeding up layouts.
* If you can't fix it on your own, either do to difficulty or time restraints, please leave us a reply here and describe the problem. Copy/paste the CSS codes you're using into a spoiler in your post or on Pastebin. Also if you can, link us to the thread where you originally got the layout or extensions that broke.
If you've found a broken/missing layout you'd like to use and request repaired:
* Link us to the page with the design you want repaired so I can put it in the repair que below. Part G also has some advanced guides intended for restoring layouts that parts A-F cant fix
* If you don't know the thread or its an original design, you can leave us what codes/screenshots/thumbnails you do have so we can try to fix it.
Part A Common fixes for a layout not installing/working correctly
Click the grey button to reveal the common fixes. Also see parts B, C, D, E, and F for other very common fixes.
1. Make sure you copied the entire code. Always update to the latest version of the layout.
2. Make sure your list template matches the layout type you copied. There is modern and classic type. The codes you copy must be Modern (will say in the topic) if you are pasting codes to the modern template for your list. If the copied code is Classic (that includes anything made before 2016) you need to set your list to the classic template and paste codes there. You control the template type through your account settings; make sure you save it: https://myanimelist.net/ownlist/style
3. If you're using Modern, make sure you're pasting layouts and changes to the theme where you shaded the bubble next to Anime (for your anime list), or Manga (for your manga list). On this page: https://myanimelist.net/ownlist/style
4. Experiment with settings on this page to better fit your layout or match the screenshot for a layout. Save after. https://myanimelist.net/editprofile.php?go=listpreferences
For example, if using Modern themes make sure Image is checked to see preview pics.
Some layout topics have the recommended settings in them.
5. Fix your imports and topbar codes at the top of your CSS, see Fix broken @imports below, or repair missing images under How to fix dead background image links below, especially for older classic layouts.
6. If new codes you added to the bottom don't seem to be working correctly, make sure you aren't missing a closing bracket at the bottom of your CSS (its location should be placed before the new codes). A missing closing bracket can break newly added codes under it. Search the CSS for any missing brackets (usually closing ones) if you're trying to repair the layout. if you find a missing closing bracket, add it, looks like this: }
Turning Images on may actually fix the entire problem immediately! If not, leave Images on and try the Data Image and Data Title imports below. If your Images box is greyed out, that's ok, you are on Classic list style, and one of the More and Anime title cover imports may fix your covers.
Cover Imports for Anime Layouts
Only use one import at a time!
Click the button below with Show Data Image Link Before import and copy the import. Paste it to the top of your animelist CSS, save, and see if it fixes the preview pics. Remember, you go to your animelist CSS edit box through this page. On modern, your anime list CSS is the theme where you shaded the bubble next to anime.
If it fixes your cover pics, you're done! See the tip below for speeding up your layout.
If the import doesn't work: delete it, copy the next import, paste to the top of your layout CSS, save, and see if it fixes the list. If it still doesn't fix the preview pics, delete it and try the same with the next import. Keep trying them all, deleting the ones that didn't work, until one fixes your layout. I've also linked alternatives to try.
If you want to speed up your layout, change "SpaceCowboy" in the working import to your username. However, if you change it to your username, then your latest anime adds may take 24 hours to show up. If you don't want to wait you can keep using SpaceCowboy. This speed up method won't work for private or friends only lists, you need to use the Spacecowboy import (or an alternative import linked under the others, for example user-generated and hosted).
Do not combine this with other anime Malscraper cover imports. Delete this import if it doesn't fix your list.
If the imports don't work, you can try them again by changing the SpaceCowboy to your username, sometimes this can work when the Spacecowboy versions are not working. There are also alternate cover imports and methods on these pages:
Turning Images on may actually fix the entire problem immediately! If not, leave Images on and try the Data Image and Data Title imports below. If your Images box is greyed out, that's ok, you are on Classic list style, and one of the More or Animetitle cover imports below may fix your covers (I know it says "animetitle" but these are actually manga imports, animetitle refers to a code in the website used for both anime and manga).
Cover Imports for Manga Layouts
Only use one import at a time!
Click the button below with Show Data Image Link Before import and copy the import. Paste it to the top of your mangalist CSS, save, and see if it fixes the preview pics. Remember, you go to your mangalist CSS edit box through this page. On modern, your manga list CSS is the theme where you shaded the bubble next to manga.
If it fixes your cover pics, you're done! See the tip below for speeding up your layout.
If the import doesn't work: delete it, copy the next import, paste to the top of your layout CSS, save, and see if it fixes the list. If it still doesn't fix the preview pics, delete it and try the same with the next import. Keep trying them all, deleting the ones that didn't work, until one fixes your layout. I've also linked alternatives to try.
If you want to speed up your layout, change "DateYutaka" in the working import to your username. However, if you change it to your username then your latest manga adds may take 24 hours to show up. If you don't want to wait, you can keep using DateYutaka. This speed up method won't work for private or friends only lists, you need to use the Spacecowboy import (or an alternative import linked under the others, for example user-hosted and generated).
Do not combine this with other manga Malscraper cover imports. Delete this import if it doesn't fix your list.
If the imports don't work, you can try them again by changing the DateYutaka to your username, sometimes this can work when the DateYutaka versions are not working. There are also alternate cover imports and methods on these pages:
If nothing works, you'll have to reply with a link to your CSS code or the layout you are using.
Part C How to fix broken @imports and users seeing different CSS than you
Important: All three steps are required to fix imports.
You need to manually fix your imports (reinstalling the layout might help if it's updated).
First, when you see any imports without a backslash, this:
after the at symbol, this: @
place a backslash after the @ symbol and before the import text, then save. Do this for all imports missing a backslash after the at symbol.
Here's an example of how to do this. Any imports like this before:
Lastly, change any parenthesis-style import to quotation-style, as below. Replace the parenthesis with quotations, and remove the letters url that came after import.
Many wallpaper and other common solutions are found in the Frequently Asked Questions here (post #3) https://myanimelist.net/forum/?topicid=2077862#msg68651671
Check under How to add a background if MAL says your background or cover image is too large, or if the uploader doesn't work
Some users also simply change to a different theme on the list style page, and they find they can use the wallpaper uploader again: https://myanimelist.net/ownlist/style
In very rare cases, you could use Part G below, but that is usually for layouts with many dead images or for finding lost wallpapers.
Part E How to remove the privacy widget (EU) or Recaptha Badge (Classic lists)
Repair preview pics with imports found here on this page (scroll up to parts B and C).
Part H How to speed up layouts
1) Generally, if you start your layout on Currently Watching or Reading, this speeds up the load time dramatically as it will load a much smaller page. Change default status on this page and save: https://myanimelist.net/editprofile.php?go=listpreferences
2) If your layout uses large preview pics you can speed up the layout by changing to a Malscraper import with your username and deleting any other Malscraper imports. See part B above for more info. Having only one MaLscraper import in your CSS and that import using your username can speed things up a lot. You may have to use a different layout for anime and manga for this, explained in #3.
3) Using a different theme on your manga list can help, as then both lists won't need to both use the same cover imports. Use a different theme for both lists: https://myanimelist.net/ownlist/style
4) If you are using a Malscraper import at all, you'd want to remove any other cover imports. It can be hard to identify which ones are for cover imports as some imports load fonts and other crucial files for a list - so I don't recommend deleting random imports. You should post your code so we can quickly see which ones are unnecessary but to find it on your own: carefully copy the URLs from the imports (in between any quotations or parenthesis in the imports at the top of your code). Paste them into an address bar, and see if that import loads a lot of CSS similar to what your Malscraper import URL loads. If it does, then that import an extra cover import and can be deleted.
5) It might help to remove old links that are trying to load dead pages/images. My recommendation is to carefully copy the URL from your imports (at the top of your code) and paste them in an address bar to see if they link to something. If they don't, you can delete that import and it shouldn't affect your layout. Remember the URL would be separate from the rest of the import and be the URL in between the quotations or parenthesis.
6) Also using the tips in parts E and F may help as well if you are loading images you wouldn't want on your list.
Repair Que and Club Backups
These layouts are requested or scheduled for major repairs.
Club Backups
Via these links, we've hosted many old layout codes and club images for backup. You can try to restore or repair layouts from there if needed.
As a last resort you can paste page URLs and import URLs in the Wayback machine as a last ditch effort to find old resources. https://archive.org/web/