If clicking a temporary login URL redirects to the homepage instead of logging the user in, the session is being interrupted before authentication completes. Check these causes in order.
Clear all caches
Clear your WordPress cache plugin, CDN cache, and browser cache. Cached redirects or stale page versions can intercept the temporary login URL before WP Ghost processes it. Test in an incognito browser window after clearing.
Check the Redirect After Login setting
Edit the temporary user account in WP Ghost > Temporary Login and check the Redirect After Login field. If it’s empty or set to an invalid URL, the user may be redirected to the homepage. Set it to /wp-admin/ (or your custom admin path) to redirect to the dashboard after login.
Check for security plugin conflicts
Other security plugins (Wordfence, Solid Security, Sucuri, etc.) can intercept and redirect unfamiliar login URLs to the homepage or delete the session cookie WP Ghost creates. Temporarily deactivate other security plugins and test the temporary login URL. If it works, reactivate them one at a time to identify which plugin is clearing the session. Then whitelist the temporary login path in that plugin’s settings.
Verify the temporary login link is still valid
Temporary login URLs expire based on the duration you set when creating them. If the link has expired, the user is redirected to the homepage instead of receiving an error message. Check the expiration date in WP Ghost > Temporary Login and generate a new link if needed.
If you’ve lost access to the admin dashboard, see the emergency disable guide.