How to Fix 'Can NOT find LSCWP path for object cache initialization' in WordPress

If you open wp-admin on a WordPress website hosted on LiteSpeed (very common on hosts like Hostinger) and see this admin notice pinned to the top of your screen:

Can NOT find LSCWP path for object cache initialization in /home/uXXXXXXXXX/domains/yoursite.com/public_html/wp-content/object-cache.php

Do not panic. Your site is not broken, and your database is intact. This is a non-fatal warning from the LiteSpeed Cache (LSCWP) plugin indicating that its drop-in object cache handler (object-cache.php) cannot resolve the underlying plugin directory path.

While many generic tutorials suggest blindly deleting files or reinstalling plugins, the correct fix depends on which of two distinct root causes is present on your server.

The Two Root Causes Behind the LSCWP Path Error

The LiteSpeed Cache plugin uses WordPress "drop-in" scripts stored directly inside the /wp-content/ directory—specifically object-cache.php and advanced-cache.php. These drop-ins execute early in the WordPress boot sequence before standard plugins load.

When object-cache.php executes, it looks for the absolute path of the LSCWP plugin directory (/wp-content/plugins/litespeed-cache/). If that path fails to resolve, the error fires.

flowchart TD
    A[wp-admin Admin Notice Fired] --> B{Is LiteSpeed Cache Plugin Active?}
    B -- No / Deleted --> C[Scenario A: Stale Drop-in Files Left Behind]
    B -- Yes / Active --> D[Scenario B: Stale Object Cache Reference Path]
    C --> E[Delete wp-content/object-cache.php via File Manager]
    D --> F[Toggle Object Cache OFF -> Save -> ON -> Save in wp-admin]
    E --> G[Warning Cleared & Site Clean]
    F --> G

Scenario A: LiteSpeed Cache Was Removed or Deactivated, But Drop-ins Remain

If you recently uninstalled, deactivated, or migrated away from LiteSpeed Cache, WordPress may have failed to delete the custom object-cache.php file from /wp-content/.

Because the file still exists, WordPress attempts to initialize object caching on every request, but the referenced LiteSpeed plugin code no longer exists in /wp-content/plugins/.

The Fix for Scenario A:

1. Log into your hosting control panel (such as Hostinger hPanel or cPanel) and open File Manager (or connect via SFTP).
2. Navigate to public_html/wp-content/.
3. Locate object-cache.php (and advanced-cache.php if present).
4. Delete object-cache.php.
5. Refresh wp-admin. The error will immediately disappear.

Scenario B: LiteSpeed Cache Is Active, But the Feature Path Is Stale

This is the most common scenario on active sites (such as custom Elementor or CoachPress builds on Hostinger). The plugin is active, page caching is working, but a background update or server path change broke the reference inside object-cache.php.

You do not need to delete files or risk breaking plugin configurations.

The Fix for Scenario B (30-Second Admin Fix):

1. Log into wp-admin.
2. Go to LiteSpeed Cache → Cache → Object in the sidebar.
3. Locate the Object Cache toggle switch.
4. Turn Object Cache to OFF and click Save Changes.
5. Turn Object Cache back to ON and click Save Changes.

Why This Happens Frequently on Hostinger Hosting

If your server path contains a string like /home/u674249501/domains/..., your site is running on Hostinger.

Hostinger integrates its own server-level caching layer (accessible in hPanel → Website → Cache Manager). When Hostinger pushes automated plugin or environment updates in the background, the server path stored in object-cache.php can become desynced from the active PHP runtime directory.

How to Prevent Recurrence

To prevent this admin warning from returning on your client or production sites:

1. Disable Auto-Updates for LiteSpeed Cache: Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins and disable auto-updates specifically for LiteSpeed Cache. Update it manually during planned maintenance windows so you can verify site performance immediately.
2. Post-Update Protocol: Whenever you manually update LiteSpeed Cache, perform a 10-second Object Cache toggle (Off → Save → On → Save) as part of your standard post-update health check.
3. Evaluate Object Cache Necessity: On standard marketing or coaching sites built with Elementor, static page caching provides over 95% of performance gains. If Object Cache repeatedly causes environment conflicts on shared hosting, keeping Object Cache toggled OFF while retaining main LiteSpeed page caching is a recommended architectural choice.

Tradeoffs & Implementation Breakdown

Naveen Gaur is a WordPress Performance Specialist & Full-Stack Consultant helping business owners and agencies build, fix, and maintain high-performing web platforms.