Setup Plesk to Work as Apache for WP Ghost

Configure Plesk so Apache handles all content (instead of Nginx serving static files), then set WP Ghost’s server type to Apache for full .htaccess support. By default, Plesk uses Nginx as a reverse proxy in front of Apache, with Nginx serving static files directly. This setup lets WP Ghost write rewrite rules to .htaccess as it normally would on Apache, but Nginx bypasses .htaccess for static files – which means custom paths for plugins, themes, and uploads won’t work. Switching Plesk to full Apache mode lets WP Ghost’s path security work consistently across all file types.

Why Configure Plesk to Use Apache

The solution is to disable Nginx static file serving so all requests go through Apache, which then processes .htaccess for every request. This costs some performance compared to Nginx-served static files, but ensures complete path security.

Performance trade-off: Apache is slower than Nginx for serving static files. If your site has heavy traffic and many static assets, consider using a caching plugin (WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache) or a CDN (Cloudflare, BunnyCDN) to offload static file serving. The CDN serves static files while WP Ghost’s path security still works through Apache.

Configure Plesk Proxy Mode

1. Log in to Plesk as an administrator.
2. Go to Websites & Domains and select your domain.
3. Click Apache & nginx Settings.
4. Scroll down to the nginx settings section.
5. Check the Proxy mode checkbox. This enables Nginx to act as a reverse proxy that passes requests to Apache.
6. Uncheck the Smart static files processing checkbox. This stops Nginx from intelligently serving static files based on file type.
7. Uncheck the Serve static files directly by nginx checkbox. This sends all static file requests through Apache instead of Nginx.
8. Click Apply to save the changes.

With these settings, all requests – both static and dynamic – flow through Apache, which processes .htaccess on every request. Nginx still acts as the front-facing reverse proxy but no longer bypasses Apache for any file type.

For the official Plesk documentation on these settings, see Apache and Nginx Settings in Plesk.

Set WP Ghost Server Type to Apache

After Plesk is configured, tell WP Ghost to use Apache rules instead of Nginx rules.

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Go to WP Ghost > Advanced > Compatibility.
3. Find the Server type section.
4. Select Apache from the dropdown.
5. Click Save.

WP Ghost will now write rewrite rules in Apache .htaccess format and apply them to your WordPress root. Make sure your WordPress directory has AllowOverride All set so Apache processes the .htaccess rules. See Set AllowOverride All on Apache for details.

Verify the Setup

After completing both steps, verify everything works correctly:

1. Visit your site and confirm pages load normally.
2. Check your custom WP Ghost paths – the new login URL should work, and the default /wp-login.php should return 404.
3. View page source and confirm plugin/theme paths show your custom names instead of /wp-content/plugins/ and /wp-content/themes/.
4. Test WooCommerce, AJAX features, and any forms to ensure they still work after the configuration change.
5. Run a Security Check in WP Ghost to confirm all settings are applied correctly.

Troubleshooting

Custom paths still don’t work for plugins or themes

Verify all three Plesk checkboxes are set correctly: Proxy mode ON, Smart static files processing OFF, Serve static files directly by nginx OFF. If any of those is wrong, Nginx will still bypass Apache for some files. Also confirm WP Ghost’s Server type is set to Apache, not Nginx.

Site is noticeably slower after the change

This is expected – Apache is slower than Nginx for static files. Mitigate by enabling a caching plugin (WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, W3 Total Cache) or putting your site behind a CDN like Cloudflare or BunnyCDN. The CDN serves static files from edge servers while WP Ghost’s path security still works through Apache for the origin.

.htaccess rules don’t apply

Apache must have AllowOverride All set for your WordPress directory. In Plesk, go to Websites & Domains > Apache & nginx Settings > Additional directives for HTTP/HTTPS and add: <Directory /var/www/vhosts/yoursite.com/httpdocs>AllowOverride All</Directory>. Replace the path with your actual document root.

404 errors on uploaded images and CSS files

This usually means the uploads path was changed in WP Ghost but Apache isn’t applying the rewrite rule. Double-check that AllowOverride All is enabled, that .htaccess exists in your WordPress root, and that WP Ghost has been re-saved after switching to Apache mode.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this required for WP Ghost on Plesk?

Only if you want full path security including plugin paths, theme paths, and uploads paths. If you only need to change the login path and admin path, the default Plesk Nginx+Apache setup works fine. This guide is for users who want WP Ghost’s complete path security to apply consistently across all file types.

How much performance will I lose?

It depends on your traffic and asset size. Small sites with caching plugins often see no noticeable difference. High-traffic sites with many images may see slower static file delivery. Adding a CDN (Cloudflare, BunnyCDN, KeyCDN) eliminates the performance difference because the CDN serves static files from the edge instead of your origin server.

Can I revert this change?

Yes. Go back to Websites & Domains > Apache & nginx Settings and re-enable the static file serving options. Then change WP Ghost’s Server type back to Nginx if needed. The change is reversible at any time.

Does this work with WooCommerce?

Yes. WP Ghost is fully compatible with WooCommerce on Plesk in Apache mode. Cart, checkout, and product pages all work normally.

Does WP Ghost modify WordPress core files?

No. WP Ghost writes rewrite rules to .htaccess on Apache (a config file, not a core file) and uses WordPress hooks for application-level changes. No core files are modified. Deactivating WP Ghost restores all defaults instantly.

Related Tutorials

Server configuration for WP Ghost:

• Set AllowOverride All on Apache – Required for .htaccess processing on Apache servers.
• Setup WP Ghost on Nginx Server – Alternative configuration if you keep Plesk’s default Nginx setup.
• Server Types – All server types supported by WP Ghost.
• Install WP Ghost – Initial WP Ghost installation guide.
• Emergency Disable – Recovery if rewrite rules cause issues.