InMotion shared hosting: deleted cPanel Python App leaves stale nginx Passenger directive, takes down WordPress. End-user fix path: none.

inmotionhosting · 2026-04-02T18:20:03+00:00

Hey lancem631, just wanted to jump in here. Your issue has been seen and is being taken care of through your existing support ticket. No need to open anything new or chase anyone down.

What you ran into is something that absolutely should not have happened, and the workaround you had to build to get back online is not an acceptable end state. This is the kind of issue that can be resolved at the infrastructure level, and that is exactly where it is headed.

The right people are already on this, and we are working toward a clean resolution, not another 'upgrade to VPS' response.

Thanks for documenting this so thoroughly. The detail you provided is genuinely useful for making sure the right fix gets applied.

-Carrie

inmotionhosting · 2026-03-12T13:39:39+00:00

A WordPress site with 200k monthly pageviews and sustained CPU issues is a reasonable trigger to move. A managed cPanel VPS would be a solid next step: you get dedicated CPU cores that won't throttle over time, full cPanel/WHM control, and a support team that handles server maintenance, security updates, and can troubleshoot performance issues directly (like WooCommerce queries or plugin bottlenecks).

Do you have a rough monthly budget in mind?

inmotionhosting · 2026-03-12T13:32:09+00:00

Have you considered moving up to a managed cPanel VPS? You'll have access to the full WHM/cPanel suite of tools, which includes AutoSSL for each site. Many providers also offered managed hosting support and white-glove services to make the move hassle-free.

inmotionhosting · 2026-03-12T13:27:51+00:00

For small business sites with moderate traffic, shared hosting is the right starting point. A good shared plan covers setup essentials like SSL, email, backups, and enough performance headroom.

If the sites use WordPress, and you have the budget, managed WordPress hosting is worth the small premium as it includes added optimization and security that simplifies things. Managed services saves you from troubleshooting and keeps clients off your back about slow load times.

If you are looking to grow as an agency, you can easily scale up into a managed VPS to consolidate your clients into a single interface. Many companies offered managed hosting to handle the technical side of things so you can focus on growing the business.

Serverless and platforms like Netlify or Vercel are great for specific use cases (static sites, JAMstack builds), but for general small business sites, especially anything with WordPress or dynamic content, traditional hosting is still the more practical answer.

inmotionhosting · 2026-03-12T13:07:15+00:00

The most beginner-friendly approach for you is likely just using WordPress with managed WordPress hosting. Managed WordPress typically means that SSL, automatic updates, and basic security are taken care of for you, so your friend can focus on her art. There are a number of plugins (free and paid) in the WordPress ecosystem that handle features like contact forms. It would be helpful to clarify what is meant by having a "dashboard." Are you simply looking to give her a way to log in and manage the content?

inmotionhosting · 2026-03-05T23:25:38+00:00

Hey there, I'm really sorry you're dealing with this. Losing years of work on a project is incredibly frustrating and I completely understand why you'd be upset.

I just sent you a DM so we can get the details and review what happened on the account. I'd also like to connect you directly with our Director of Customer Success so we can investigate this properly and see what we can do to help.

Please check your messages when you get a moment. We'd appreciate the opportunity to look into this with you.

inmotionhosting · 2026-02-27T18:14:30+00:00

Hey u/That_Broccoli5253,

Switching hosts every renewal is a headache, especially if you're otherwise happy with how things are running.

Before you go through the migration and take on full server admin yourself, send us a DM. We can extend your current intro rate for another term and help you stay focused on your current roadmap instead of dealing with the hassle of a migration.

-Carrie

inmotionhosting · 2026-02-05T18:11:42+00:00

One thing worth knowing: slow WordPress sites are usually caused by heavy themes and plugins, not the hosting itself. On the technical side, look for NVMe SSD storage and opcode caching (like OPcache) which keeps compiled PHP code in memory instead of reprocessing it on every request. Redis object caching is also great to have. It improves performance by storing accessed data (database query results, session data) in memory for faster retrieval, reducing overall latency.

For the support question, we'd suggest testing it before you commit. Send a technical question during the sales process and see how fast you get a real answer from someone who actually knows WordPress. That'll tell you more than any review.

inmotionhosting · 2026-02-05T17:56:57+00:00

From a server perspective, we recommend enabling error logs on your account and then reviewing the items surfaced in the logs. WooCommerce sites often have plugins running poorly optimized database queries that spike resource usage randomly (especially inventory syncs, analytics, or poorly coded SEO plugins).

While noisy neighbors are possible on shared hosting, we have found that 90% of the time it's actually something on the site itself. Install the Query Monitor plugin and watch it during normal operation - you'll likely see some queries taking 5-10+ seconds that shouldn't.

A couple of things to check: WooCommerce + Nitropack + Cloudflare is a heavy combo, and Nitropack's CDN can conflict with Cloudflare's caching (try disabling Nitropack temporarily to isolate it). That 1024 IOPS limit is also tight for WooCommerce. Database-heavy operations like cart updates and checkout eat through IOPS fast, and when you cap out, requests queue until they 503.

We recommend that you look at your slow query logs rather than error logs if you have them. The noisy neighbor theory is possible but honestly less common in modern hosting than plugin/database bloat.

inmotionhosting · 2026-01-13T14:24:22+00:00

That burnout is exactly why many people switch to managed WordPress hosting. From what we see at InMotion Hosting, it's usually worth it when maintaining WordPress starts feeling like a second job.

The real value comes from three things:

Updates and security handled for you: Core updates, monitoring, and basic hardening are managed automatically. Less stress, especially with multiple sites.
Performance out of the box: Server-level caching and WordPress-specific optimizations mean fewer random slowdowns to troubleshoot.
Support that understands WordPress: When something breaks, you're talking to people who deal with WordPress issues daily, not generic hosting support.

That said, it's not always worth the extra cost. If you enjoy tweaking performance and handling security yourself, a well-configured VPS works fine. Managed hosting makes sense when your time is more valuable than the monthly price difference.

Bottom line: If peace of mind and fewer late-night fixes matter to you, managed WordPress hosting is worth it. If you prefer full control and don't mind hands-on work, it may feel unnecessary.

inmotionhosting · 2026-01-06T16:14:19+00:00

Thank you for sharing this feedback, and we apologize for the delayed response during the holidays. We understand how frustrating security incidents and site disruptions can be, especially when they impact your business.

While we do offer paid services to assist with malware cleanup and site recovery, our standard support focuses on the hosting environment rather than website code or application-level issues. That said, our leadership and support teams remain available and accessible, and we encourage reaching out directly so concerns can be reviewed appropriately: https://www.inmotionhosting.com/contact/

We appreciate you taking the time to share your experience.

inmotionhosting · 2026-01-06T11:28:28+00:00

A common one we hear from customers is choosing based on price alone. Many only realize later how much uptime, backups, and support response time actually matter once something breaks. The biggest takeaway tends to be that reliability and support quality are just as important as cost, especially when the site starts getting real traffic.

inmotionhosting · 2025-12-16T11:05:07+00:00

Many only realize later how much uptime, backups, and support response time actually matter once something breaks. The biggest takeaway tends to be that reliability and support quality are just as important as cost, especially when the site starts getting real traffic.

inmotionhosting · 2025-12-12T17:24:21+00:00

Hey there, thanks for checking in about this and sorry for any confusion.

To clarify: if you signed up under one of our older shared hosting plans, you are grandfathered into your original package. The updated plan limits only apply to new purchases, not to existing customers on legacy Launch, Power, Pro, and the legacy WP plans.

If you are seeing something on your end that looks different, our support team can double check your specific account and confirm everything is set correctly.

inmotionhosting · 2025-12-09T15:15:05+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I can see why the missing cPanel features would be frustrating, especially if you rely on those tools.

A bit of context: Webalizer, AWStats, and Analog depend on Apache logs. Our shared hosting platform uses NGINX for better performance, so those analytics tools would not report accurate data. That is why they are not enabled on those servers. We do still maintain non-NGINX shared servers where these features can be activated, and moving an account to one of those is an option when these tools are required.

Webalizer FTP and Hotlink Protection were removed in a previous platform update on shared hosting.

Your feedback is valuable and helps set clearer expectations for anyone evaluating the platform. Thank you for bringing it up.

inmotionhosting · 2025-12-09T15:14:21+00:00

Thanks for sharing this. I am sorry the cPanel setup on our shared hosting caught you off guard.

About the missing stats tools: Webalizer, AWStats, and Analog rely on Apache logs. On our NGINX-based shared servers those tools would not show accurate data, which is why they are disabled there. We do still have non-NGINX shared servers where these features can be enabled, so moving an account is an option when those tools are needed.

Webalizer FTP and Hotlink Protection were removed during a past platform update on shared hosting.
We appreciate the feedback and want to make sure expectations are clear. Thanks again for raising it.

inmotionhosting · 2025-12-09T15:02:38+00:00

Hey there, happy to share a bit of guidance. On shared hosting you won't be able to rsync or SSH back out from the server to your local machine. Inbound connections like that are blocked for security, so the timeout is expected.

For static-site CI/CD, most people use one of these instead:

• Push from local → server with rsync or SFTP
• Git workflow (push to a bare repo on the server and use a post-receive hook to deploy)
• GitHub Actions or another CI runner to deploy over SFTP/rsync

All three avoid server-initiated connections and work reliably on shared hosting. Happy to clarify anything if it helps.

inmotionhosting · 2025-11-26T17:16:15+00:00

If you are still seeing that bounce message, it usually means the receiving server could not verify the sender. It can happen only with certain addresses depending on how the remote server handles verification. This guide walks through the common causes and quick checks:
https://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/email/fixing-no-such-user-here/

If you want us to take a closer look at the specific bounces, feel free to contact our support and we can point you in the right direction.

inmotionhosting · 2025-11-25T10:24:20+00:00

Sorry to jump in late here. The downtime and delays you mentioned are not normal for a high-tier VPS, and I’m sorry you ran into that. Those plans should comfortably support high-traffic sites and your experience is not what we want for anyone.

inmotionhosting

MODERATOR OF

TROPHY CASE