WP Ghost on GoDaddy Managed WordPress – Disable CDN and Activate
July 31, 2019
This tutorial has moved to the new WP Ghost Knowledge Base where each feature is presented in detail.
WP Ghost (formerly Hide My WP Ghost) works on GoDaddy Managed WordPress hosting with one adjustment. GoDaddy’s built-in CDN can cause style loading issues when WP Ghost changes WordPress paths. Disable GoDaddy’s CDN before activating WP Ghost. If you need CDN functionality, use an external CDN like Cloudflare or BunnyCDN instead.
Why GoDaddy Needs This Configuration
GoDaddy’s Managed WordPress hosting includes a built-in CDN that rewrites asset URLs to serve CSS, JS, and images from GoDaddy’s CDN servers. When WP Ghost changes WordPress paths, the CDN may still serve assets using the original paths, causing broken styles and scripts. The CDN caches the original URL structure and does not update when WP Ghost changes paths.
Step 1: Disable GoDaddy CDN
In your GoDaddy account, go to Managed WordPress > Overview. Find the CDN option and switch it OFF. Wait a minute or two for GoDaddy to apply the changes.
Step 2: Activate WP Ghost
Install and activate WP Ghost. Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Level of Security. Select Safe Mode or Ghost Mode. Click Save. Follow the Customize All WordPress Paths tutorial to configure your paths.
Troubleshooting
Broken styles or missing CSS after activating WP Ghost. GoDaddy’s CDN may still be active or cached. Verify the CDN is disabled in the GoDaddy dashboard. Clear the GoDaddy server cache from the WordPress admin bar (if available) or from the GoDaddy dashboard. Also clear any additional cache plugins.
Custom login path returns 404. GoDaddy may need AllowOverride All set for .htaccess rules to work. See the AllowOverride guide.
GoDaddy cache serves old paths. GoDaddy Managed WordPress includes server-side caching. After changing paths, clear the GoDaddy cache and any additional cache plugins.
Locked out after configuration. Use the Safe URL parameter or the Emergency Disable guide. GoDaddy provides SFTP access through their hosting dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use an external CDN instead of GoDaddy’s?
Yes. After disabling GoDaddy’s built-in CDN, you can use Cloudflare, BunnyCDN, KeyCDN, or any other external CDN. External CDNs work well with WP Ghost because you control the configuration. Add the CDN domain in WP Ghost > Mapping > CDN URLs.
Does this apply to GoDaddy shared hosting too?
This guide is for GoDaddy Managed WordPress hosting, which includes the built-in CDN. If you use GoDaddy’s standard shared hosting (cPanel), there is no built-in CDN to disable. WP Ghost works on standard GoDaddy shared hosting with no special configuration.
Does GoDaddy’s built-in security conflict with WP Ghost?
No. GoDaddy Managed WordPress includes basic security features (malware scanning, automatic updates). These do not conflict with WP Ghost. WP Ghost adds path security, firewall rules, and brute force protection that GoDaddy’s built-in security does not provide. They complement each other.
Does WP Ghost modify WordPress core files?
No. WP Ghost writes rewrite rules to .htaccess and uses WordPress hooks. No core files modified. Deactivating restores all defaults.
Related Tutorials
Customize All WordPress Paths – configure paths after disabling GoDaddy CDN.
Set AllowOverride All on Apache – if .htaccess rules are not working on GoDaddy.
CDN URL Mapping – configure an external CDN to work with WP Ghost.
Compatibility Plugins List – hosting-specific notes and plugin compatibility.
Emergency Disable Guide – recovery via SFTP if needed.
