If plugins break or display errors after changing the wp-includes path in WP Ghost, the plugins are loading scripts or stylesheets from /wp-includes/ and the server isn’t correctly rewriting the custom path back to the original location.
Clear all caches
Cached pages still reference the old /wp-includes/ path in script and stylesheet URLs. Clear your WordPress cache plugin, CDN cache, and browser cache. Check in an incognito window to confirm assets are loading from the new path.
Run the Frontend Test
Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths and click the Frontend Test button. If the test fails for the wp-includes path, your server’s rewrite rules aren’t correctly mapping the custom path. Follow the configuration instructions shown for your server type (Apache, Nginx, LiteSpeed, etc.).
Check for typos in the custom path
Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths and review the custom wp-includes path. Check for typos, spaces, or special characters that could prevent the rewrite from matching. The path should be a simple alphanumeric name like core or lib.
Revert to the default wp-includes path
To confirm the custom path is the cause, go to WP Ghost > Change Paths and set the wp-includes path back to wp-includes. Save and test. If plugins work again with the default path, the issue is server rewrite rules not handling the custom path correctly.
Identify the conflicting plugin
If the Frontend Test passes but a specific plugin still breaks, that plugin may hardcode references to /wp-includes/ instead of using WordPress functions. Deactivate plugins one at a time to identify which one breaks with the custom path. Plugins that directly reference wp-includes JavaScript files (like jQuery, Underscore, or Backbone) are the most common conflicts. For the conflicting plugin, try adding its specific wp-includes scripts to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Whitelist Paths.
If you’ve lost access to the admin dashboard, see the emergency disable guide.