When Elementor renders a dynamic tag, it builds a shortcode like [elementor-tag post_title]. If PHP cannot evaluate the tag, the raw shortcode appears on the front‑end.
Common triggers include PHP syntax errors, mismatched PHP version, outdated Elementor core, conflicting dynamic‑tag add‑ons, incomplete updates, missing field definitions, and stale OPCache. Each trigger stops the tag manager before it can replace the placeholder with real data.
Result is empty space, raw tag text, red parse error banner, or full page crash. AJAX request for widget returns 500 error, which appears in browser console.