Does WP Ghost Work on SiteGround Hosted Websites?

Yes. WP Ghost is fully compatible with SiteGround hosting. WP Ghost includes a dedicated SiteGround server profile that auto-configures the correct rewrite rules for SiteGround’s Nginx and Apache combination. No manual server configuration is needed. Path security, firewall, brute force protection, 2FA, and all other features work out of the box.

How WP Ghost Works on SiteGround

SiteGround uses Nginx as a reverse proxy in front of Apache. WP Ghost detects this setup and writes rewrite rules to the .htaccess file, which Apache processes behind Nginx. You do not need to edit any Nginx configuration files manually. WP Ghost handles everything through the standard .htaccess mechanism that SiteGround supports.

When you install WP Ghost on a SiteGround site, the plugin auto-detects SiteGround as the hosting provider. If it doesn’t, you can manually select the SiteGround profile at WP Ghost > Advanced > Compatibility > Server Type.

SiteGround Caching and WP Ghost

SiteGround includes its own caching system (SG Optimizer) with both static cache and dynamic cache (Nginx Direct Delivery). If you want to hide WordPress common paths to file extensions like CSS, JS, TXT, and HTML using WP Ghost’s Hide WordPress Common Paths feature, you may need to disable SiteGround’s Nginx Direct Delivery option. This is because Nginx Direct Delivery serves static files before they pass through Apache’s .htaccess rules, which means WP Ghost’s path-hiding rules for those file types may be bypassed.

To check this setting, go to your SiteGround Site Tools panel, navigate to Speed > Caching > Nginx Direct Delivery, and switch it off if you are using WP Ghost’s file extension hiding. Standard page caching (Dynamic Cache) can remain enabled and works fine with WP Ghost. Disabling Nginx Direct Delivery does not noticeably affect your site speed because SiteGround’s other caching layers (Memcached, Dynamic Cache) continue working.

Using WP Ghost with SiteGround Security Plugin

SiteGround also offers its own SiteGround Security plugin. WP Ghost and SiteGround Security are fully compatible and work well together. SiteGround Security focuses on activity monitoring, login hardening, and post-hack recovery tools. WP Ghost focuses on hack prevention through path security, firewall rules, and attack surface reduction. They complement each other without overlap if configured correctly.

The key rule is to avoid enabling the same feature in both plugins. Let WP Ghost handle the custom login path, brute force protection, and 2FA. Let SiteGround Security handle activity logging and any SiteGround-specific hosting integrations. If SiteGround Security has a custom login URL feature enabled, disable it there and configure it in WP Ghost instead. For the full configuration guide, see the WP Ghost and SiteGround Security compatibility tutorial.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to edit Nginx config files on SiteGround?

No. SiteGround processes .htaccess rules through Apache behind Nginx. WP Ghost writes all its rules to .htaccess automatically. No manual Nginx configuration is required.

Do I need SiteGround Security if I have WP Ghost?

Not necessarily. WP Ghost alone is sufficient for most sites when it comes to hack prevention. SiteGround Security adds post-hack recovery tools and activity logging that WP Ghost does not include. If you want both prevention and reactive monitoring, run both. If your priority is prevention, WP Ghost alone covers it.

Will WP Ghost work with SiteGround’s staging environment?

Yes. WP Ghost works on staging sites the same way it works on production sites. When you push a staging site to production on SiteGround, clear all cache afterward and verify your WP Ghost paths are working by running the Security Check.

Does WP Ghost modify WordPress core files?

No. WP Ghost writes rewrite rules to .htaccess and uses WordPress hooks for application-level changes. No WordPress core files are modified. Deactivating WP Ghost restores all default paths instantly.