Frequently Asked Questions

GitHub Deployments on WordPress.com allow you to manage and deploy code directly from your GitHub repositories. Below, you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions to help you troubleshoot common issues.

After setting up a connection, why can’t I see the plugin or theme in my server folder?

Setting up a connection prepares the environment but does not automatically deploy your code. To deploy, you must either commit new code to the selected branch (if using automatic deployments) or trigger a manual deployment through the connection menu.

I deployed, but why can’t I find my changes on the server?

This likely means your repository files are attempting to overwrite one or more protected paths, such as internal files or managed plugins and themes. When this happens, the deployment files are ignored during the transfer, and you’ll encounter a “Cannot deploy to protected directory.”

If this issue occurs, review your repository files and ensure you’re not trying to deploy protected files or folders.

How can I find the protected paths?

To understand which paths are protected, you can list them by running an SSH command on your server. Run the command cd /htdocs && find -not -writable, and you should see something like the following:

If you want to include a plugin or theme that’s listed as a protected path, except Jetpack and Akismet, you can remove symlinked plugins by deleting them through the dashboard, via SFTP, or using the CLI.