The Loop Log has gone through two migrations since its inception. It started out on the WordPress.com platform under a free account, more or less as a way to see if I wanted to start blogging again. I didn’t want to pay for web hosting unless I felt like I had enough content to justify the cost. Four months into the project, and with a long list of article ideas on the agenda, it became clear that I was getting back into the flow of content creation.
Outgrowing WordPress.com
Moreover, I kept running up against the limitations of the free hosting account on that platform: no server access whatsoever, limited access to WordPress features, and ugly ads inserted into the posts were the top three sticking points for me. Since I had already registered the domain name (thelooplog.com), I needed a home to host it.
Revisiting GoDaddy After 20 Years
I went to GoDaddy’s website to see what kind of hosting was available. I had a Web Hosting Economy account in the early 2000s for a different project. Back then, GoDaddy offered three shared hosting plans: Economy, Deluxe, and Unlimited. GoDaddy did offer other hosting types at the time, including dedicated servers, early virtual dedicated servers (VPS‑style hosting), and their original website builder. Still, the three shared hosting plans were the ones most customers encountered. I had a relatively smooth experience running a single WordPress blog on the Economy plan, so that was my first thought when I decided to transition from WordPress.com.
Choosing Between Shared Hosting and Managed WordPress
Jumping over to GoDaddy’s site, I discovered that they offer many more options than I remember from 20 years ago. I still saw the classic three‑tiered shared hosting plans of Economy, Deluxe, and Unlimited (now called Ultimate), yet I also saw a managed hosting plan called Hosting for WordPress Basic, and an additional four tiers above Ultimate. For my present purposes, even the Ultimate plan would be overkill. Therefore, I was essentially looking at Economy, Deluxe (both of which I was already familiar with), or WordPress Basic. The Economy plan and the WordPress Basic plan cost the same at sign‑up, but when it comes time for renewal, WordPress Basic is slightly more expensive. However, WordPress Basic, being a “managed” hosting account, means that most of the routine maintenance tasks—such as backups, updates, and security monitoring—are all handled by GoDaddy. While I am technically capable of maintaining these tasks on my own, it sounded appealing to let the hosting provider do all of that, freeing me up to focus solely on content creation.
Migration #1: Moving from WordPress.com to GoDaddy Managed WordPress
I signed up for the Managed WordPress Basic plan, ran the integrated Installatron to install WordPress, used the export tool on my WordPress.com account to export what I had already built there, and used the import tool on the new hosting account to read in the posts, categories, and tags from the old site to the new one. All without a single hitch. Migration #1 was a success. I seamlessly moved The Loop Log from the WordPress.com free/ad‑backed platform to a managed hosting account at GoDaddy. The new site was live in a single day. This was November 21st, 2025.
The Login Problem: “Incorrect CAPTCHA” and Locked-Out Users
My first issue occurred on December 16th. I had several failed login attempts (admittedly my own fault) to my WordPress blog. I did a password reset, got the confirmation email that the reset went through, and tried to log in to WordPress using the new credentials via the standard WordPress login URLs (domain.com/wp-login and domain.com/wp-admin). These kept redirecting to https://thelooplog.com/wp-login.php?wpaas-standard-login=1. It was appending this extra string (wpaas-standard-login=1), but still presenting the WordPress login screen. Entering my credentials returned the error “Incorrect CAPTCHA. Please try again.” Yet I was not presented with a CAPTCHA. I had three WordPress user accounts, so I tried to log in with a different one. Same error. And the third. Same error.
I could, however, get into WordPress by logging in to my GoDaddy account, navigating to Manage My Products – Web Hosting – Manage – Edit Website. In other words, I still had access to the WordPress Dashboard, but only if I went through the GoDaddy interface first. If I tried to log directly into my WordPress account, I received the Incorrect CAPTCHA message.
Troubleshooting on My Own
I started troubleshooting. I deactivated the plugins I had running on WordPress. I cleared the cookies and cache in my browser. I disabled extensions. I disabled the popup blocker. I rebooted my machine. I disabled antivirus. I tried two different browsers. I rebooted my router. I tried logging in with more than one WordPress user. Still, whenever I attempted to log in to WordPress directly, I received the Incorrect CAPTCHA error. I figured my previous failed login attempts triggered a lockout on GoDaddy’s servers because I didn’t see any alerts inside WordPress itself. I gave it several hours and tried again. No change.
Contacting GoDaddy Support (Round One)
I called GoDaddy Support. The first person I spoke with wasn’t helpful at all. They walked me through all the tier‑1 steps I had already tried: clearing cache and cookies, disabling browser extensions, disabling plugins, using a different browser, and so on. I know what it’s like being in tech support, so I let them go through their script. At the end, I explained that I believed a security policy on their end had flagged me for failed login attempts and asked them to look into it. They said if I needed more help, I could sign up for premium support, which is $50 a month. Um, no. I ended the call.
More Testing: Narrowing It Down to an IP Issue
I did further testing. I tried logging in with another device. I used my phone as a test, taking it off my home Wi‑Fi so it had a different IP. This worked. I could log in to WordPress with no error. I then tested my laptop using a VPN (again, a different IP). This also worked. All of this told me the issue was IP‑related, taking me back to my initial suspicion that my IP was flagged somewhere in the GoDaddy backend.
I reached out to the WordPress.org Forums to see if anyone else might have encountered this specific issue. I detailed the scenario in a post there. A moderator responded with helpful information, pointing out that my website used Cloudflare on the backend. I didn’t realize Cloudflare was part of the integration. That was never the case in the past when I used GoDaddy hosting, but when I ran a DNS lookup against my domain, sure enough, it returned Cloudflare servers.
Contacting GoDaddy Support (Round Two)
I contacted GoDaddy again. The second agent started down the same path of having me redo all the basic troubleshooting steps. I politely explained that I had already done all of that and summarized my testing, which clearly pointed to an IP‑based block or filter. They insisted it wasn’t them and must be my ISP. I explained that my ISP has nothing to do with logging in to WordPress on a GoDaddy hosting account. An ISP wouldn’t block only the WordPress login page while allowing access to the rest of the internet. It had to be something on the hosting side. The agent then launched into the usual “Is there anything else I can help you with” wrap‑up line. I wasn’t going to get anywhere, so I ended the call.
The Limits of Managed Hosting Support
This is the crux of the issue. Tier‑1 support wasn’t helpful. I was told that if I needed further assistance, I could purchase GoDaddy’s WP Premium Support, which starts at $50 a month and goes up from there. I’m a techie who has worked professionally in IT for over two decades. I rarely have to contact support. I can usually figure things out on my own. But because I had a managed hosting account, I didn’t have access to any backend tools to even look at what might be going on, never mind change anything. I regretted choosing the managed hosting plan. I regretted even more that I had paid for three years upfront. Then I remembered the 30‑day money‑back guarantee. I found my order confirmation email. I was just days within that 30‑day window.
The 30‑Day Escape Hatch
Before initiating a cancellation, I logged into WordPress via the GoDaddy admin portal, ran the export tool, and saved the file. This would allow me to import posts, categories, tags, and other elements into the new instance when I switched hosting.
I called GoDaddy again, this time selecting the billing department. I confirmed my identity, provided my order number, and requested cancellation and a refund of the managed hosting account. This was a smooth process. The billing agent processed the cancellation and gave me the option of a refund to the original payment method or an in‑store credit. I chose the in‑store credit, which appeared almost immediately. The amount was enough to cover three years of a shared hosting account under the Deluxe plan, with a small amount left over.
Migration #2: Returning to Shared Hosting
So now I am back on shared hosting. I have access to cPanel, which gives me an entire suite of tools for administering my account. I am no longer limited to the minimal backend access associated with a managed account. I have access to File Browser, FTP, email account creation/configuration, cron jobs, Perl modules, DNS records, and more. I can also install a host of other applications (not just WordPress), and I can have up to 10 sites associated with this one hosting plan. I am much happier with this setup. This is what I was used to from my previous website in the early 2000s, the ability to go in and perform actual administration tasks as needed.
Managed Hosting Isn’t Bad — But It Isn’t for Everyone
That’s not to say that managed hosting is horrible. It might be exactly what some users are looking for. They just want to get a WordPress site up and let their hosting provider handle everything else. Not everyone has the time, inclination, or skill set to administer their own website. Yet if something goes wrong, you are left at the mercy of support, and if the issue goes beyond basic troubleshooting, you’ll have to purchase premium support on top of what you’re already paying for your domain and hosting plan. Something to consider when you are shopping around for hosting.