Optimizing WordPress Performance: Critical Steps For Developers And Site Owners

ByThe WPDevr Team

Improving WordPress Speed and Performance

Enabling caching plugins is a critical step to optimizing WordPress performance. Caching stores rendered web pages so that repeated requests can be served the cached page instead of rendering the page from scratch. This dramatically reduces server load and speeds up response times. Popular caching plugins like WP Fastest Cache create static HTML files from dynamic WordPress content. The static files are then served to visitors instead of making intensive database queries each time. Developers should enable caching early in the development process for maximum optimization.

Enable Caching Plugins

Caching plugins create static files from dynamic WordPress content. Some of the top performing caching plugins include:

  • WP Fastest Cache – Creates static HTML files and stores them for a set time. Provides page, database, object and fragment caching.
  • W3 Total Cache – Supports page, database, object and fragment caching. Integrates with content delivery networks.
  • WP Rocket – Optimizes files, leverages browser caching, and condenses CSS/JavaScript.
  • LiteSpeed Cache – Lightweight plugin made specifically for LiteSpeed servers. Features page, object and database caching.

Developers should research which caching plugin works best for their Stack and server configuration. Most caching plugins have basic functionality for free and premium add-ons for advanced optimization features. Site owners should enable caching early and configure settings appropriately.

Optimize Database Queries

Unoptimized database queries can drag WordPress performance down significantly. Complex queries, repetitive queries and improperly indexed databases lead to poor load times. Optimizing database performance should include:

  • Database Optimization – Remove duplicate/unused tables, optimize tables and table indexes.
  • Efficient Queries – Simplify query logic, limit results, enable persistent connections.
  • Query Caching – Database caching stores frequently used queries in a cache rather than running intensive database lookups.

Query performance can be monitored using debugging tools. Developers should aim to simplify SQL queries, filter unnecessary results and leverage query caching for common lookups. Site owners can enable database caching plugins and reach out to their host for database configuration guidance.

Compress Images

Image compression reduces file sizes which enables faster page loading. There are two main ways to optimize images:

  • Lossless Compression – Compresses images without losing image quality. Used for logos and images with text.
  • Lossy Compression – Removes unnecessary image data to achieve much smaller files sizes. Causes some quality loss.

Developers have several programmatic options for image compression including TinyPNG, Kraken, ImageOptim and tools like RIOT. Images can also be compressed manually or by enabling WordPress plugins. Site owners should audit their media library periodically and compress new images before uploading.

Minify CSS and JavaScript

Minification removes unnecessary characters from code like white space, line breaks and comments. This speeds up code transmission achieving faster render times. To implement:

  • Manually minify CSS and JS files before deployment.
  • Enable WordPress plugins like Autoptimize.
  • Use build tools like Grunt, Gulp or Webpack for automated minification.

Developers should enable minification tools early in the development process so all enqueued CSS and JS files are always minified. Many caching plugins provide minification functionality as well. Always test code after minification since it can sometimes break functionality.

Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A content delivery network (CDN) stores cached static files in distributed geographic nodes enabling faster content delivery. Integrating a CDN can significantly improve site performance. There are several methods to implement a CDN:

  • CDN Plugins – Easy WordPress integration services like Cloudflare and KeyCDN.
  • Upload Media – Store media files on CDN services like AWS CloudFront or Google Cloud Storage.
  • Proxy CDN – Advanced configuration that proxies site traffic through a CDN provider’s servers.

Developers can often implement CDN caching for CSS, JS and media files relatively easily. Site owners can research affordable CDN plans from providers like Cloudflare and BunnyCDN. For advanced control, a reverse proxy cache can be configured for entire site delivery.

Upgrade to PHP 7 or Greater

Upgrading from dated PHP versions like 5.x to PHP 7+ can substantially improve WordPress performance and security. Benefits include:

  • 2X Faster Performance – PHP 7+ doubles rendering speeds with better execution and syntax parsing.
  • Error Handling – Improves error handling and provides new debugging tools.
  • Security Updates – No longer receiving updates for older versions leaves sites vulnerable.

Developers should build sites using the latest PHP version whenever possible. Site owners can check with their host to determine the available PHP versions. If legacy versions are running, owners should research migrating to 7.1 or higher for maximum speed and security.

Limit Plugins and Remove Unused Themes

Too many plugins lead to performance drag, compatibility issues and security vulnerabilities. Plugin guidelines include:

  • Audit Necessity – Remove unused and unnecessary plugins.
  • Research Reviews – Vet plugins for performance impacts and compatibility issues.
  • Limit Active Plugins – Only enable plugins actually needed for site functionality.

The same principle applies to Themes. Unused themes increase code bloat that can negatively impact performance. Sites should have one active theme with all other themes removed from the file system. Developers should thoroughly vet any plugins used in client sites and carefully test for impacts.

Optimize Web Hosting Configuration

Web hosting environment settings substantially impact WordPress performance. Optimizations include:

  • Linux OS – Linux servers outperform Windows for WordPress.
  • NGINX – Offloads and accelerates PHP requests faster than Apache.
  • PHP-FPM – Improves PHP stability and memory usage.
  • HTTP/2 – Enables faster transmission of web resources.
  • MariaDB – High performance open-source database.
  • Latest TLS – TLS 1.3 delivers better HTTPS performance.

Developers building new WordPress sites should leverage Linux-based stacks with NGINX web servers if possible. Site owners can research hosts utilizing PHP-FPM, HTTP/2, MariaDB and the latest TLS versions. Upgrading hosting accounts or migrating hosts can provide substantial speed and scalability improvements.

Analyze Site Performance

Analyzing current performance metrics is required to determine where improvements can be made. Useful analytics include:

  • Page Load Times – Quantify current homepage and critical path speeds.
  • Google PageSpeed – Free test provides optimization recommendations.
  • WebPageTest – Detailed report measuring rendering, connections and requests.
  • GTMetrix – Grades performance and highlights positive/negative factors.

Developers should benchmark site performance early using PageSpeed or WebPageTest. These tools measure real-world visitor experiences revealing optimization opportunities. Site owners can monitor analytics dashboards and periodically retest with GTMetrix after upgrades. Having clear metrics is key for measuring performance gains from updates.

Cache Optimization Code Examples

Leveraging code snippets for advanced cache configuration optimizes default plugin behavior. Common customizations include:

  • Excluding Pages from Cache – Login, member profile pages.
  • Custom Expiration Times – Set custom duration for cached files.
  • Selective Cache Clearing – Only purge certain cached data as needed.
  • Cache Tagging – Organize cache invalidation by tags or identifiers.

Below are several code examples for advanced cache configuration in WordPress:

Exclude Page from Cache

function exclude_page_from_cache($cache_settings){

  if ( is_page(42) ) {
    $cache_settings['enabled'] = false;
  }
  
  return $cache_settings;
}
add_filter('wpfc_cache_settings', 'exclude_page_from_cache');

Set Custom Expiration Time

function my_cache_expiration(){

  return 3600; // 1 hour cache

}
add_filter('wpfc_cache_time', 'my_cache_expiration');

Clear Image Cache on Media Upload

function clear_images_cache() {
  if ( is_admin() && ! empty( $_POST['action'] ) 
    && $_POST['action'] == 'upload-attachment') {

      wp_cache_flush();
      wpfc_clear_all_cache(); 

  }
}
add_action( 'add_attachment', 'clear_images_cache');

See documentation for each caching plugin for more examples of hooking into key events to customize default caching behavior for advanced optimizations.

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