Common Ghost Issues in WordPress and Fixes

wordpress sites sometimes behave as if pieces of content are invisible, duplicated, or stuck , the kind of frustrating, hard-to-pin-down problems people call “ghost” issues. These can show up after plugin installs, caching changes, migrations from another platform like Ghost, or even after a routine update. Below I walk through the most common symptoms, what usually causes them, and clear steps to fix and prevent them.

Why “ghost” problems happen on WordPress

At their core, most ghost issues are caused by mismatches between what WordPress thinks is stored and what the server, cache, or browser actually serves. That can include stale caches, corrupt rewrite rules, database fields with the wrong status, or theme and plugin conflicts that hide or alter output. migration tools and url changes add another layer: links, GUIDs, image paths, and post statuses can all become inconsistent during import/export. Knowing the typical failure points shortens diagnosis time.

Ghost posts or pages , content missing from the front end

If a post appears in the admin but not on the site, or if a published page returns a 404, start with the simplest checks. permalinks and rewrite rules are a frequent culprit; a quick “save” of Settings → Permalinks forces WordPress to rebuild rewrite rules. Caching layers are another common cause: browser cache, page-caching plugins (WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache), object cache (Redis, memcached), and CDNs can serve outdated content. Finally, theme template logic or plugin filters can prevent certain post types from rendering.

Fix checklist

• Save permalinks to force a rewrite flush (Settings → Permalinks → Save).
• Clear all caches: plugin cache, object cache, and CDN (Cloudflare, Fastly).
• Temporarily switch to a default theme (Twenty Twenty-One/Two) to rule out theme issues.
• Deactivate recently added plugins one by one to find conflicts.
• Check post_status in the database (should be ‘publish’ for live content).

Stale or ghost content , old pages still visible after updates

When edits aren’t reflected on the site, stale caches are almost always involved. But sometimes search engines or social previews keep showing deleted content because the canonical URL still exists, or because the server returns 200 instead of 404/410 for deleted pages. If you migrated content from another domain or platform, absolute urls in the post content can point to the old location, making changes appear inconsistent.

How to remove stale content

• Clear caches and purge cdn edges. For Cloudflare, use “Purge Everything” when necessary.
• Use google search console to request removal of outdated URLs and re-index important pages.
• Return proper http status codes for deleted items: 410 Gone for permanently removed content, or 301 redirects to relevant replacements.
• Run a search-and-replace in the database for old domain urls (use WP-cli or a trusted plugin; always back up first).

Ghost images and media not loading

Broken images frequently stem from incorrect file paths (especially after migration), permission issues in the wp-content/uploads folder, or hotlink protection rules on the server/CDN. Some migrations from Ghost or other systems include absolute paths back to the original site, so browsers request content from a domain that no longer hosts the files.

Steps to restore media

• Check file permissions (normally 644 for files, 755 for folders) and ownership.
• inspect the image URL in the browser; if it points to the old domain, run a search-and-replace to update URLs.
• Use a plugin like “Regenerate Thumbnails” when thumbnails are missing or sizes are incorrect.
• Ensure your CDN origin settings allow the server to serve images and that hotlink protection isn’t blocking legitimate requests.

Ghost redirects and 404s after migration (including from Ghost CMS)

migrating from Ghost (the platform) to WordPress or restructuring URLs creates a lot of potential mismatches: slugs, date-based vs. slug-only structures, author base differences, and missing canonical tags. If old links keep returning 404 errors, or if search engines still crawl the previous URLs, set up proper redirects and update your sitemap to minimize the fallout.

Redirect and migration fixes

• Map old URLs to new ones and implement 301 redirects (use a plugin like Redirection or server-level rules for better performance).
• Provide an updated sitemap to search engines and submit it in search console.
• When imports create duplicate slugs, use a bulk-edit tool or SQL commands to repair collisions.
• For Ghost → WordPress migrations, use a dedicated importer or verified migration guide to preserve images, authors, and slugs, then audit links post-import.

Ghost comments, spam, or phantom users

Comments that reappear after deletion, spam accounts that come back, or users with odd behavior can point to caching or a plugin that syncs data externally (for example, external comment systems, third-party login providers, or multisite sync plugins). If an attacker is re-creating entries, check for malware, unauthorized admin users, and review security logs.

What to do

• Install a security plugin (wordfence, Sucuri) and scan the site for malicious files or modified core files.
• Check the users list for unexpected admin accounts and rotate all admin passwords and API keys.
• Disable and test comment-related plugins or third-party integrations to isolate the issue.

Plugin or theme conflicts that create ghost behavior

Some plugins alter query behavior, filter post output, or cache aggressively, causing content to disappear or behave oddly. For example, a poorly coded plugin might change the main query and exclude certain post types, or a theme update might remove support for a custom post type template. Systematically isolating the conflict usually reveals the cause within a few minutes.

How to isolate conflicts

• Enable debugging in wp-config.php (define(‘WP_DEBUG’, true)) and check logs for fatal errors or warnings.
• Switch to a default theme and see if the issue persists; if it disappears, the theme is at fault.
• Deactivate plugins in batches; if the problem resolves, reactivate one by one to find the offender.
• Use a staging site to test plugin updates and theme changes before applying them on production.

Diagnostic tools and commands

Quick diagnostics save time. Check server logs (nginx/apache), enable WP_DEBUG log output, and use Query Monitor to inspect queries, hooks, and template files. For advanced users, WP-CLI offers commands like wp rewrite flush, wp cache flush, wp db export/import, and search-replace for fixing serialized data safely. If you’re not comfortable with CLI or SQL, perform these operations on a staging copy and always back up first.

Helpful tools

• Query Monitor , see slow queries and hooks affecting output.
• WP-CLI , fast command-line fixes (flush cache, rewrite rules, do search-replace).
• Google Search Console , check indexing and remove outdated URLs.
• Security scanners , Wordfence, Sucuri for malware and intrusion checks.

Prevention: stop ghost issues before they happen

Prevention is about careful change control: test plugin/theme updates in staging, keep a recent backup strategy, and document redirects and URL structures when making big content changes or migrations. Use a managed CDN and consistent cache invalidation strategy so edits propagate quickly. Finally, when migrating from another platform like Ghost, plan the mapping of authors, slugs, image paths, and canonical URLs so you don’t inherit inconsistencies.

Concise summary

Ghost issues in WordPress show up as missing, stale, or ghostly duplicated content and usually come from caching, rewrite/permalink problems, migration mismatches, or theme/plugin conflicts. Start by clearing caches and resaving permalinks, then isolate theme and plugin conflicts. For migrations, map and redirect old URLs and repair image paths. Use debugging tools and a staging environment to find root causes, and adopt routine backups and testing to prevent future problems.

Common Ghost Issues in WordPress and Fixes

wordpress sites sometimes behave as if pieces of content are invisible, duplicated, or stuck , the kind of frustrating, hard-to-pin-down problems people call "ghost" issues. These can show up after…

Databases

FAQs

Why does a published post show in the admin but not on the site?

Most often this is caching or rewrite rules; resave permalinks, clear all caches (plugin, server, CDN), and test with a default theme. If that doesn’t help, check the post_status in the database and look for theme or plugin filters that modify the main query.

How do I remove deleted pages from Google quickly?

Return the proper HTTP status (410 for permanently removed content), submit a sitemap without the deleted pages, and use Google Search Console’s URL Removal tool or request re-indexing for affected pages. Clearing CDN caches ensures Google sees the right response.

After migrating from Ghost, why are images broken?

Broken images usually mean the media URLs still point to the old domain or the files weren’t imported. Run a search-and-replace to update URLs, ensure uploads were copied to wp-content/uploads, fix permissions, and use a tool to regenerate thumbnails if sizes are missing.

Is a plugin safe to blame for ghost content, and how do I test that?

Plugins frequently cause ghost-like symptoms. Test by deactivating plugins in batches or switching to a default theme to isolate the problem. If you find the culprit, check for updates or contact the plugin author; if necessary, find an alternative that follows WordPress standards.

What immediate steps should I take when I notice ghost behavior?

Back up the site, clear caches (including CDN), resave permalinks, enable debugging for logs, and test theme/plugin conflicts on a staging copy. If the issue follows a recent change, roll it back while you investigate.