If you are a WPEngine customer and you wish to host your WordPress website on your very own cloud server or another web host, be cautious of the WPE MU Plugins.
We have had several WPEngine customers approach us after facing issues while attempting to migrate their WordPress site.
We found that most users opted for the easy way out by using migration plugins to transfer files.
As a part of WPEngine’s platform settings, the host installs a few must-use plugins and adds a couple of drop-in files that, if not deleted, can lead to problems on other hosting environments.
Migration plugins tend to move everything located inside the /wp-content folder, which includes MU Plugins.
To avoid conflicts, ensure that you remove the following MU Plugins and Drop-In Files when migrating your website from WPEngine.
- Path /wp-content/mu-plugins
Force Strong Passwords - WPE Edition
WP Engine Cache Plugin
WP Engine Seamless Login Plugin
WP Engine Security Auditor
WP Engine System
- Path /wp-content
advanced-cache.php
object-cache.php
What Are MU Plugins and Drop-In Files?
Must-use plugins (mu-plugins) are plugins installed in a special directory inside the /wp-content folder that are automatically enabled and can not be deactivated unless manually deleted. Drop-in files are used to alter Core WordPress files and are usually ‘dropped in’ inside the /wp-content folder.
WP-Config.php
If you are using a migration plugin to transfer your website from WPEngine, then you need not worry about the wp-config.php file. However, if you are moving your website manually, it is recommended that you create your own wp-config.php file as WPEngine’s customised file contains several settings that can cause issues.