---
title: "How to automatically change Tabs with autoplay in Elementor?"
url: https://theplusaddons.com/docs/elementor-tabs-autoplay/
date: 2023-02-13
modified: 2026-09-13
lang: en
author: "Aditya Sharma"
description: "Tabs hide most of their content until someone clicks. Autoplay moves from one tab to the next on its own, so visitors see every tab without clicking. The Tabs/Tours widget..."
image: https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/How-to-automatically-change-tabs-with-autoplay-in-Elementor_-1024x536.jpg
word_count: 485
---

# How to automatically change Tabs with autoplay in Elementor?

## 

- The Plus Addons for Elementor Tabs/Tours widget adds Autoplay with a timer, a progress line under the active title, and an optional Play/Pause Button.
- Autoplay starts when the tabs scroll into view, moves one tab at a time for the set Duration, and stops at the last tab without looping back to the first tab.
- Autoplay needs The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro, and Active Tab should stay at 1 because other values do not work together with Autoplay.

Tabs hide most of their content until someone clicks. Autoplay moves from one tab to the next on its own, so visitors see every tab without clicking.

The **Tabs/Tours** widget from The Plus Addons for Elementor has an **Autoplay** option with a timer, a progress line under the active title and an optional play/pause button.

*To check the complete feature overview documentation of The Plus Addons for Elementor Tabs/Tours widget, [click here](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/tabs-tours-elementor-widget-settings-overview/).*

***Requirement - This widget is a part of The Plus Addons for Elementor, make sure it's installed & activated to enjoy all its powers.***

[LIVE WIDGET LINK](https://theplusaddons.com/elementor-widget/tabs/?utm_source=tpae&utm_medium=docs&utm_campaign=text)

## Before You Start

- **Edition:** **Pro** — Autoplay needs The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro. The Tabs/Tours widget itself is free.- **Widget to enable:** Tabs/Tours, switched on under **The Plus Addons > Widgets**.

## How to Turn On Autoplay

- Add the **Tabs/Tours** widget and add your tabs in **Content**.- Open **Special Option** and click the pencil icon next to **Autoplay**.- Turn on the **Autoplay** switch.- Set **Duration**: the number of seconds each tab stays open before the next one opens.- Optional: turn on **Play/Pause Button** so visitors can stop the autoplay.

![The Autoplay popover of the Tabs/Tours widget open in the Special Option section, with Autoplay and Play/Pause Button on](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tabs-autoplay.webp)

Publish the page and check it on the front end.

![Tabs switching automatically on the front end, with a line under the active tab title](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/tabs-autoplay-preview.gif)

## Settings

| Setting | What it does | Default |
| ------- | ------------ | ------- |
| Autoplay | Opens the next tab after each Duration | Off |
| Play/Pause Button | Shows a button that pauses and resumes the autoplay | Off |
| Play Icon / Pause Icon | The icons of that button | Play / Pause |
| Duration | Seconds per tab, 1 to 100 | 5 |
| Color | Colour of the progress line under the active title | Black |
| Border Size | Thickness of the progress line, 1 to 10 px | 3 |

## How It Behaves

- It starts when the tabs scroll into view, not when the page loads.- A line grows under the active title for the length of the Duration, then the next tab opens.- **It stops at the last tab.** It does not start again from the first tab.- When a visitor clicks a tab, the timer restarts from that tab and continues to the last tab.- With **Play/Pause Button** on, the button shows the pause icon while tabs are playing. Clicking it keeps the current tab open and shows the play icon; clicking again continues.

![Tabs on the front end with autoplay and the pause button shown below the tabs](https://theplusaddons.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/tabs-result-playpause.webp)

## Limitations

- Autoplay does not loop. After the last tab it stays there.- **Active Tab** is not respected with Autoplay on. In our test with Active Tab set to 3, the first title was highlighted while the third tab’s content was shown, and autoplay then moved on to tab 2. Leave Active Tab at 1 when you use Autoplay.- Autoplay is not part of the free plugin.

## Troubleshooting

### The tabs do not change

- Check the published page.- Scroll so the tabs are on screen. Autoplay waits until they are in view.- If the last tab is already open, autoplay has finished. Clicking a tab runs it again from that tab.

### The wrong title is highlighted when the page loads

Set **Extra Option > Active Tab** to 1. Other values do not work together with Autoplay.

## Related Docs

- [Tabs/Tours widget: settings overview](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/tabs-tours-elementor-widget-settings-overview/)- [Choose which tab is open by default](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/openclose-specific-tab-by-default-in-elementor/)- [Open tabs on hover](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/elementor-tab-on-hover/)- [Connect tabs with a carousel](https://theplusaddons.com/docs/connect-a-carousel-with-tabs-in-elementor/)

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Why aren’t my tabs changing with autoplay in Elementor?**
A: Autoplay only starts when the Tabs/Tours widget scrolls into view, so a page can look broken if you test it before the widget is visible. It also stops at the last tab instead of looping back to the first one. If the last tab is already open, autoplay has already finished, and clicking any tab starts it again from that point.

**Q: What do I need before using elementor tabs autoplay?**
A: The key requirement is The Plus Addons for Elementor Pro, because Autoplay is a Pro-only feature. The Tabs/Tours widget itself is free, but Autoplay depends on that Pro edition. The widget also has to be switched on under The Plus Addons > Widgets, and The Plus Addons for Elementor, The Plus Addons, Plus Addons for Elementor, POSIMYTH must be installed and activated.

**Q: How long can each tab stay open in autoplay?**
A: The Duration setting controls that timing in seconds, and the page says it accepts values from 1 to 100. That matters because the progress line under the active title runs for exactly that Duration before the next tab opens. Shorter durations make the rotation feel faster, while longer ones give visitors more time to read each tab.

**Q: Should I leave Active Tab on 1 when using autoplay?**
A: Leaving Active Tab at 1 is the safe choice with Autoplay on. The page shows that other Active Tab values do not behave correctly together with autoplay: in the example, setting Active Tab to 3 highlighted the first title while showing the third tab’s content, then autoplay moved on to tab 2. That mismatch is why Active Tab should stay at 1.

**Q: Can I pause autoplay on tabs in Elementor?**
A: The Play/Pause Button gives visitors control over the rotation without turning Autoplay off globally. While tabs are playing, it shows a pause icon; clicking it keeps the current tab open and switches to a play icon. Clicking again resumes from that point. This is useful when someone needs more time to read a tab before it advances.

**Q: What happens when autoplay reaches the last tab?**
A: Autoplay stops at the last tab and does not restart from the first one. That behavior matters if you expect a looping carousel-style effect, because this widget does not do that. If a visitor clicks any tab after autoplay has finished, it runs again from that clicked tab and continues forward from there.