Running MemberPress on SiteGround: caching, cron and email setup

Step 1: understand SiteGround's default cache behaviour

SiteGround's Dynamic Caching is NGINX full-page caching held in server memory. Its documentation says the cache is bypassed when a wordpress_logged_in_ cookie is present, and that URLs including cart, checkout, my-account, add-to-cart, wp-login and wp-cron.php are always served dynamically. A cached page is kept for 12 hours by default.

So a logged-in member already sees uncached pages. The risk is the moment before and after login: registration pages, thank-you pages, unauthorized-access redirects and payment notifications are often reached without a logged-in cookie, and those are exactly the pages MemberPress needs to be dynamic.

Step 2: add MemberPress exclusions in Speed Optimizer

MemberPress's caching guide gives SiteGround-specific steps: first ensure Memcached is disabled, then add thank-you*, account*, login*, register*, unauthorized* and mepr* one by one under Exclude URLs from Caching. If you changed the default page slugs, use your slugs instead of the first four. MemberPress also says to add the /coaching slug if you use CoachKit and the /mpdl slug if you use MemberPress Downloads.

In Speed Optimizer, that field is under Caching, behind the pencil icon next to Exclude URLs from Caching; SiteGround says it accepts relative paths or full URLs, supports the * wildcard, and applies to both dynamic and file-based caching. SiteGround also says it does not cache content for logged-in users by default; leave the Logged-in Users Cache option under File-Based Caching off on a membership site.

Step 3: make sure payment notifications are not cached

MemberPress states that some SiteGround servers continue caching Stripe webhook and PayPal IPN URLs even after the standard exclusions are in place. Its fix is an extra .htaccess rule that sets a Cache-Control: private header when the request path matches your webhook URL under /mepr/notify/. Your Stripe webhook URL is in the Stripe dashboard's webhooks page and your PayPal IPN URL is under MemberPress, Settings, Payments.

A cached webhook response is quiet and expensive: Stripe sees a success, MemberPress never processes the event, and renewals or cancellations silently fail to update memberships. MemberPress suggests asking SiteGround support if you are not comfortable editing .htaccess, since a malformed file can take the site offline. After the change, send a test event from Stripe and confirm the transaction appears in MemberPress.

Step 4: replace WP-Cron for reminders

MemberPress says Reminders are sent in the background via WP-Cron and need a functional WP-Cron system; if other emails send but reminders do not, WP-Cron is likely disabled or broken. WordPress's handbook explains that WP-Cron only runs on page load, so a quiet site can send renewal reminders late.

SiteGround's tutorial replaces it in two steps: add define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true); to wp-config.php, then in Site Tools, Devs, Cron Jobs schedule cd into your site's public_html followed by wp cron event run --due-now. SiteGround suggests every 30 minutes, the twice-per-hour preset. Do the cron job first so there is no gap.

• Create the Site Tools cron job and wait for one run.
• Add DISABLE_WP_CRON to wp-config.php.
• Install WP Crontrol and confirm MemberPress events show recent run times.
• Run MemberPress's own test: turn off Asynchronous Emails and Single Page Checkout, create a reminder set to 0 days after an abandoned signup, then complete only the first page of a paid registration; MemberPress says to wait about an hour for the reminder.

Step 5: plan email around SiteGround's limits

SiteGround's email acceptable-use page sets 400 emails per hour on StartUp, GrowBig, Ecommerce and Coderick, and 800 on GoGeek and Cloud. Each recipient counts separately, and one message can have up to 80 recipients. The service is meant for standard communication; SiteGround points bulk and marketing mail to its Email Marketing product.

For a membership site the arithmetic is simple. If each sign-up triggers a welcome email and a receipt, a launch that signs up 300 members in an hour sends 600 messages, already over a GrowBig limit before admin notifications. MemberPress's reminders troubleshooting page recommends an SMTP plugin such as SendGrid or Mailgun where a host blocks email sent through WP-Cron. Route transactional mail through a dedicated sender before your first launch, not after the first complaint.

Plan choice and setup order

SiteGround's shared plans list StartUp at about 10,000 monthly visits and one site, GrowBig at about 100,000 and GoGeek at about 400,000, all with staging, daily backups and on-demand backups. First-invoice prices are $2.99, $4.99 and $7.99 a month on a 12-month plan; StartUp and GrowBig renew at $17.99 and $29.99, while the page lists two different GoGeek renewal figures, $44.99 and $29.99 a month, so confirm before buying. Because members bypass cache, use the larger plan if you expect many members online at once.

• Install MemberPress on a staging copy first, using SiteGround staging.
• Disable Memcached in Speed Optimizer before testing protected pages.
• Add the MemberPress exclusions, plus your custom slugs.
• Add the webhook .htaccess rule if a test webhook does not reach MemberPress.
• Create the real cron job, then disable WP-Cron.
• Connect an SMTP service and send a test receipt and reminder.
• Push to live, then repeat the webhook and reminder tests on production.

Sources & verification

Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.

1. MemberPress Docs: How to set up popular caching plugins with MemberPress Accessed 30 Oct 2026
2. MemberPress Docs: Reminders not sending Accessed 30 Oct 2026
3. SiteGround KB: Dynamic Caching configuration Accessed 30 Oct 2026
4. SiteGround Tutorials: Speed Optimizer caching Accessed 30 Oct 2026
5. SiteGround Tutorials: Replace WP-Cron with a real cron job Accessed 30 Oct 2026
6. SiteGround KB: Acceptable use of SiteGround's email service Accessed 30 Oct 2026
7. SiteGround: Shared hosting features Accessed 30 Oct 2026
8. WordPress Plugin Handbook: Cron Accessed 30 Oct 2026