About this plugin
Speed Optimizer adjusts the server settings that Google PageSpeed/Lighthouse regularly flags:
- GZIP/Deflate compression
- Brotli compression (where the web server supports it)
- Browser caching (Expires + Cache-Control) per file type
- Removed ETags
- Removed emoji scripts and query strings on static files
- Throttled Heartbeat API
- Manually maintained preconnect/DNS prefetch hints
- “defer” attribute for scripts via a list of handles
Performance Doctor
” without technical knowledge:
- One click measures a page of your own site: server time, time until the first byte, memory, database queries, the time each plugin, theme and WordPress itself needs, and calls to other servers.
- It explains what it found in plain words with the measured numbers, what you can do, how much effort it is and how risky.
- “The most important steps” on top, a traffic light for each area, and “Done” / “Later” for every recommendation.
- For compression, browser caching, Heartbeat, emoji scripts and version numbers in file addresses, “Fix now” changes the matching setting through the safe.htaccess mode (backup, self-test, automatic rollback).
- Measure the admin area by hand: switch measuring on for your browser, click through the slow pages, then evaluate.
The Performance Doctor only measures when you ask it to and changes nothing by itself. Database queries are stored without their values.
htaccess is backed up automatically beforehand and checked with a self-test afterwards. If the test fails, the plugin automatically rolls back to the last working state. The backup can also be restored manually at any time.
Free version vs. Pro
htaccess mode, all cleanup features and the Performance Doctor with 15 recommendations.
Speed Optimizer Pro adds:
- Preload manager for critical resources (images, fonts).
- Automatic delivery of existing WebP/AVIF files to supporting browsers (no conversion; for that, see Media Cleaner Pro).
- Advanced cache rule editor for custom file patterns, e.g. long-term caching of hashed build assets.
- PageSpeed check right in the admin area via the Google PageSpeed Insights API, including a history of recent checks.
- Automatic update notifications right in the WordPress admin area.
- Performance Doctor Pro: all 24 recommendations, a series over several pages with the median, history with before/after comparison, scheduled checks with an e-mail report, reports as a file or printable page, and an optional loader that measures from the first plugin on.