No, WP Ghost does not include a CDN server. WP Ghost includes a CDN Mapping feature that rewrites your asset URLs to point to your CDN, but you still need to sign up for a third-party CDN service yourself. Popular options include Cloudflare, BunnyCDN, StackPath, KeyCDN, and Amazon CloudFront. Once you have a CDN account configured on your site (usually through a CDN plugin or your hosting panel), WP Ghost’s CDN Mapping automatically applies your custom paths to the CDN URLs so your security stays consistent across both your main domain and the CDN subdomain. The feature works with most major CDN plugins out of the box.
What CDN Mapping Actually Does
A CDN (Content Delivery Network) is a network of servers that delivers your site’s static files (images, CSS, JavaScript) from locations closer to each visitor. CDN plugins rewrite your asset URLs from your local domain to a CDN domain, for example, from yourdomain.com/wp-content/uploads/image.jpg to cdn.yourdomain.com/wp-content/uploads/image.jpg.
Here is the problem: WP Ghost normally hides WordPress paths on your local domain, so /wp-content/ becomes something like /static/. But CDN URLs use a different domain, so without CDN Mapping, your CDN still exposes the default /wp-content/ path to bots scanning the page source. One unmatched domain undoes all the path security you set up.
CDN Mapping fixes this by applying the same path replacements to your CDN domain. Full details in the CDN URL Mapping guide.
Before vs After CDN Mapping
| Location | Without CDN Mapping | With CDN Mapping |
|---|---|---|
| Local asset URL | yourdomain.com/static/uploads/image.jpg | yourdomain.com/static/uploads/image.jpg |
| CDN asset URL | cdn.yourdomain.com/wp-content/uploads/image.jpg | cdn.yourdomain.com/static/uploads/image.jpg |
| WordPress fingerprint visible? | Yes (CDN exposes wp-content) | No (both domains match) |
CDN Providers That Work with WP Ghost
WP Ghost’s CDN Mapping is provider-agnostic, it works with any CDN that serves assets from a distinct domain or subdomain. The most common pairings are:
BunnyCDN, popular low-cost CDN with excellent WordPress integration. Pull zone domains are auto-detected.
KeyCDN, global CDN with pay-as-you-go pricing and a simple WordPress setup through CDN Enabler.
StackPath, edge services platform with CDN acceleration suitable for medium-to-high-traffic sites.
Amazon CloudFront, AWS CDN for sites already on AWS infrastructure or needing global scale.
Cloudflare, operates differently, it proxies your entire domain rather than using a separate CDN subdomain, so WP Ghost’s standard path changes already apply. CDN Mapping is typically not needed for Cloudflare.
CDN Plugins That WP Ghost Auto-Detects
If you use one of these CDN or cache plugins, WP Ghost detects your CDN domain automatically, no manual entry needed:
WP Rocket (CDN domain from CDN configuration), CDN Enabler, BunnyCDN plugin, EWWW Image Optimizer, JCH Optimize, Power Cache CDN, WP Cache CDN, and Hyper Cache CDN. If your setup uses a plugin not on this list, you can add your CDN domain manually in WP Ghost > Mapping > CDN.
How to Configure CDN Mapping
Step 1. Set Up Your CDN Separately
Sign up with a CDN provider (BunnyCDN, KeyCDN, StackPath, CloudFront, etc.) and connect it to your WordPress site through a CDN plugin or your hosting panel. This step is independent of WP Ghost, you are configuring the actual content delivery, not the path security layer.
Step 2. Activate WP Ghost Path Security
Go to WP Ghost > Change Paths > Level of Security and select Safe Mode or Ghost Mode. This activates path hiding on your local domain. Save.
Step 3. Configure CDN Mapping
Go to WP Ghost > Mapping > CDN. If your CDN domain is already auto-detected from your CDN plugin, no action is needed. If not listed, enter your CDN domain (for example, cdn.yourdomain.com) and click Save.
Step 4. Verify and Purge CDN Cache
Open your site in an incognito window and view the page source. Search for your CDN domain, the URLs should now use your custom WP Ghost paths instead of /wp-content/. Then purge your CDN cache from the provider’s dashboard so edge servers fetch fresh copies with the updated paths. Edge caches hold stale versions until explicitly purged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to pay for a separate CDN?
Yes. WP Ghost does not provide CDN infrastructure, it only maps paths between your WordPress site and your existing CDN. Most CDN providers have free or low-cost tiers suitable for small sites, BunnyCDN starts at around $1/month, Cloudflare has a free tier, and KeyCDN charges pay-as-you-go. You choose the provider, WP Ghost integrates with whatever you pick.
Does CDN Mapping work with Cloudflare?
Usually not needed. Cloudflare proxies your entire domain rather than using a separate CDN subdomain, so Cloudflare-served URLs use yourdomain.com directly. WP Ghost’s standard path changes already cover those URLs. Only enable CDN Mapping if your Cloudflare setup uses a distinct subdomain for asset delivery.
Does CDN Mapping affect CDN performance?
No. CDN Mapping only changes the URL paths in your HTML source code. The CDN continues serving files from its edge servers as normal. The path change happens in the HTML output, not on the CDN infrastructure itself. Performance is unaffected.
Does CDN Mapping work with WooCommerce product images?
Yes. WooCommerce product images served via CDN have their paths changed like any other asset. The CDN domain URL is rewritten with custom paths, so cdn.yourdomain.com/wp-content/uploads/product.jpg becomes cdn.yourdomain.com/custom-path/uploads/product.jpg. WP Ghost is fully compatible with WooCommerce.
Is CDN Mapping a free feature?
Yes. CDN Mapping is included in the free version of WP Ghost, alongside the other 115+ free features like path security, 7G/8G firewall, brute force protection, 2FA, and security headers. You do not need Premium to use CDN Mapping.
What if my CDN plugin is not auto-detected?
Add your CDN domain manually at WP Ghost > Mapping > CDN. Enter the CDN domain (for example, cdn.yourdomain.com) and save. WP Ghost will apply your custom paths to that domain from then on. For advanced cases where path changes do not apply even after mapping, try switching the Plugin Loading Hook at WP Ghost > Advanced > Compatibility to Late Loading.
Does WP Ghost modify WordPress core files?
No. CDN Mapping replaces URLs in the HTML output at runtime through WordPress filters. No files on your server or CDN are modified. Disabling CDN Mapping restores all original CDN URLs instantly, and deactivating WP Ghost entirely restores every default path and behavior.