WP Rocket Settings
Introduction to WP Rocket
WP Rocket is one of the most popular and best caching plugins for WordPress. Unlike other caching plugins, however, it does not offer a free or stripped-down “free version” and is available only as a premium version.
The only way to test the plugin is to purchase it and then take advantage of the 14-day money-back guarantee.
In return, the buyer receives extremely comprehensive documentation and, in my opinion, first-class support.
Given the numerous positive reviews of the plugin, it’s important to keep in mind that the author may receive a commission if the purchase is made via the link often included in the article.
That’s not the case for me right now, and this article reflects my own experiences.
Changing the Caching Plugin
If you follow my blog, you’ve probably read the posts about SWIS Performance and SWIFT. I’ve praised both for their performance, and I’m still a fan of both plugins.
So why switch to a different caching plugin?
Because I can :-) Seriously, though: I have lifetime licenses for SWIS, SWIFT, and the EWWW Image Optimizer. So it doesn’t cost me anything to just try something new.
I’ve been running SWIFT Performance for the past few months, and it’s been doing its job without any issues. However, the developers are focusing their efforts on the “successor model,” SWIFT AI. So, after quite some time, I decided to take another look at WP Rocket.
Some Notes
Given the sheer number of plugins available for WordPress, it’s nearly impossible to predict whether all plugins will work together without issues. This applies to themes, security plugins, and caching plugins as well. WP Rocket is no exception. The settings I use—which, in my opinion, yield very good results in speed tests despite having a slider on the homepage—are based on the following combination:
- Enfold Theme
- EWWW Image Optimizer
- WP Rocket
The settings in the theme
If you haven't already, you should use a so-called child theme. Enfold provides a "template" for this. Just check out the developer’s website kriesi.
For this guide, we’ll focus solely on the settings available under the “Performance” section. Here’s what they look like for me:
- CSS File Combination and Compression:
Enable here – Select "Combination and Compression…" - JavaScript file merging and compression:
Select the "Enable" option here as well - Show Advanced Options: ON
- HTTP Security Level:
Use SSL verification (default) - Unique Timestamp of Merged Files…
Select Default Setting - Remove Query Strings From Static Resources:
Removing Query Strings - Custom Font Loading Source:
I have it set to "Load from local server" because I use local fonts - Custom Font Display Behavior:
auto - Disabling Template Creator Elements:
Here, you'll need to test whether the "recommended" setting works for you. For me, the setting is set to "always load all elements." Otherwise, the Masonry layout won't load on the blog. - Self-hosted video and audio features:
Default - Disable Mobile CSS Animations:
Off - Disable external video functions:
Off - Disable blog:
Off - Disable Emoji/Smiley Support:
Off – because WP Rocket automatically disables this feature - Disable jQuery Migrate:
On - Load jQuery in your footer:
On (if you encounter problems on the page, switch it to Off) - Load Google Fonts in the Footer:
Off - Responsive Images and Lazy Loading:
Off—since EWWW Image Optimizer handles this for me - Responsive Images:
On - Image Thumbnails Info:
To
EWWW Image Optimizer Settings
The paid version actually offers much more than the free version of the optimizer. Check AppSumo for a Lifetime Deal or visit the homepage of the developer for current offers.
The following settings are solely related to image delivery and lazy loading. Whether you choose to resize the images—and if so, by how much—depends largely on the purpose of your website.
- Add width/height attributes….:
To - LazyLoad:
To - Automatic scaling:
On - WebP conversion:
To - WebP delivery method:
I implemented this using the provided rewrite rules
WP Rocket Settings
Cache
- Caching for Mobile Devices:
To - Separate cache for mobile devices:
Off - Caching for logged-in users:
Off - Cache duration:
I left it at the default value of 72 hours. If you encounter any problems, set it to 10 hours or less.
File Optimization
- CSS Minification:
Set to "Off" since this is already enabled in the theme settings - Optimize CSS rendering:
Here, you'll need to test which of the two settings works best. I have it set to "Asynchronous." - Minify JavaScript:
Off, since this is also configured via the theme - Delay loading of JavaScript:
On – depending on the plugins used, exceptions may need to be entered here - Delay JavaScript execution:
I currently have this disabled because otherwise my site behaves strangely.
Occasionally, the slider on the home page doesn't load, and then the gallery layout gets messed up. It feels like this:
If I add an exception, problems arise elsewhere. Since I couldn’t detect any significant difference in speed when loading the pages or in the measurements, I’ve disabled the option for now.
Media
- Lazy loading for images:
Off, since it's controlled via EWWW - Lazy loading for iframes and videos, as well as YouTube iframes:
Both enabled - Image dimensions:
Disabled, since this is also handled by EWWW
Fill the cache
- Preloading and preloading for links:
Enable both - Preload fonts:
Here you can enter the paths to the fonts you're using. For me, the paths to my locally stored fonts are listed there.
Advanced Rules
- Never Cache URLs:
This depends on which plugins you're using. If there are no issues on the site when caching is enabled, then logically, you don't need to enter anything here - All other fields:
Are empty for me. Whether you need to enter anything here depends largely on which plugins might be causing problems
Database
Here you can configure whether and what you want to clean up in your database (automatically, if desired). I strongly recommend running a regular backup (e.g., with UpDraft) so that you have a backup on hand just in case.
CDN
Since I'm not currently using a CDN, this section isn't relevant to me.
Heartbeat
Is enabled; all other options are set to their default values.
Add-ons
The only thing that would be interesting is the WebP add-on. Since I have WebP images served via rewrite rules, WP Rocket hides the activation option with a corresponding note.
Image Optimization
You can install the in-house optimizer "Imagify" here. However, I prefer EWWW, so this isn't relevant to me either.
Tools
The import/export feature is very helpful, especially in the beginning when you're frequently changing WP Rocket settings. Here, you can quickly import previously saved settings or, in case of general issues, roll back to a previous version.
Tutorials
It's in English, but extremely helpful.
It’s precisely these tutorials and the documentation available on the website that set WP Rocket apart from other plugins. On the other hand, there haven’t been any truly new features in WP Rocket lately. The developers should be careful here so that competitors like SWIFT don’t take the crown away from them.
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