How to reduce HTTP requests in WordPress?

We foundReducing HTTP requestsrightLoading speedThere are implications. Whenever someone visits a Web site, their browser sends a request to the Web server to download the data needed to display the page'sAll files, including images, stylesheets and scripts. Each HTTP requests all add time to the loading processThe

When there are too many requests, the load on the server increases, which can cause the site to load slower. It can affect the website's SEO Rankingand user experience.

In the article, we will share some practical ways to help you reduce HTTP requests in WordPress and improve the performance of your website.

Why should I reduce HTTP requests in WordPress?

Each page on a website usually contains multiple elements. These elements can includeImages, CSS and JavaScript files, video embedsetc.

When someone visits a web page, their browser needs to load each element separately in order to display the page. If a website contains a lot of images or other resources, this can lead to slower loading times.

In addition to files on the server, the site may have external sources loading resources such as Google Analytics scripts, social media widgets, or advertising pixels.

While these elements can enhance the functionality and user experience of your website, they can also slow down loading speeds if not optimized.

Slow websites can make visitors lose patience, causing them to leave before the page fully loads. According to a study by Strange Loop, a one-second delay can result in a 71 TP3T drop in conversions, 111 TP3T fewer page views, and 161 TP3T drop in customer satisfaction.

Strange Loop Speed Study

Reducing HTTP requests in WordPress is a great way to improve your site's performance and is one of the key ways we can speed up page loads on our site.

How to recognize HTTP requests

In learning how toReduce HTTP requests in WordPressBefore that, a description of how to recognize these requests.

HTTP requests made by a website can be viewed through your browser's developer tools. A list of all files required to load the page is displayed.

In Google Chrome, for example, you can open Developer Tools by going to"view" ""developer"" ""check""orRight-click on the page and select "Check" from the menu.The

Then, navigate to "reticulation" tab. After reloading the page, you will see a list of all resources loaded, including internal and external HTTP requests.

Recognizing HTTP requests with your browser's developer tools

If you only want to see external HTTP requests, you can use the "Third-party requests"Filters. If you only care about certain types of files that may affect load times, such as JS (JavaScript) or CSS, you can use the button at the top to filter the list.

Keep an eye out for files that load slowly. You can check "timing" column to get an idea of how long each resource takes to load. The column header can then be clicked to sort by time, and another click will load the slowest file at the top.

When looking at the fourth column "initiator" when you sometimes see the name of the plugin or theme that loaded the file. Make a note of any plugins or themes that may be causing slow loading.

How to Reduce HTTP Requests in WordPress

1. Merge CSS and JavaScript files

One of the best ways to reduce HTTP requests is to reduce the number of files that need to be accessed. Multiple files can be merged to reduce HTTP requests without affecting functionality.

For example, multiple CSS files related to different parts of the site design can be combined into a single file. This single file will contain all the necessary style code, and the browser will only need to make one request instead of many.

Similarly, it is possible to reduce the number of requests required to load interactive elements of a website by combining multiple JavaScript files into one.

Multiple WordPress PluginIt is possible to automate this process. Common options include WP Rocket (paid version)and Autoptimize (free version).

Compressing CSS, JavaScript and iFrames in WP Rocket

In addition to merging files, these plugins also compress them. Compression removes unnecessary characters from the code, such as spaces and comments, making the files smaller without compromising on functionality. This further improves loading speed by reducing the amount of data that needs to be downloaded.

2. Delayed loading of images and videos

Delayed loading is another great way to improve the loading performance of your website, especially if the pages contain a lot of images or videos.

Typically, WordPress will load all media files before displaying the page, even if these images or videos are located at the bottom of the page and not immediately visible to the user. This can significantly increase the loading time of the initial page.

Delayed loading optimizes this process by delaying the loading of images and videos until they are about to scroll into the user's view.

Enabling Delayed Loading in WP Rocket

3. Use of content delivery networks (CDNs)

Content Delivery Network(CDN)is another way to increase the loading speed of your WordPress site, especially for users who are far away from the site's web server.

Unlike the previous method, CDNs do not reduce the number of HTTP requests, but rather optimize the way these requests are handled.

Typically, website files are stored on a single web server and users from all over the world need to request files from that location. CDNs store website files on high-speed servers around the globe and move them from a location far away from the user's computer to a location far away from the user's computer.The nearest server to send to their browserThe

How CDNs Work

We use Cloudflare to improve page load speed, you can follow our tutorial:How to set up Cloudflare free CDN in WordPressThe

4. Utilizing browser caching

By utilizing browser caching, it is possible to reduce the number of HTTP requests to a website, especially for returning users who visit the site frequently.

When a user visits a website for the first time, their browser downloads all the necessary resources, such as images, stylesheets and JavaScript files. Browser caching allows the browser to store copies of these files locally on the user's computer.

The next time a user visits a website, the browser checks the local cache before sending an HTTP request to the server. If there is an unexpired copy of the file in the cache, the browser will use the local file instead of downloading it again.

This approach reduces the number of HTTP requests received by the server, thus providing faster loading speeds for returning users.

However, if the content of the website is updated frequently, it is important to set an appropriate expiration time for the cached resources. This ensures that users get the latest version of the files.

This can be done in WordPress by adding the Expires headers to control how long resources are cached. These headers tell the browser when the cached file should be considered expired and need to be re-downloaded from the server.

5. Reduction in the use of external resources

Many WordPress plugins and themes load resources such as scripts, stylesheets, and images from external websites, which may come from Google Analytics, Facebook, and font providers, among others.

These external HTTP requests may affect the loading speed of the website, as the browser needs to connect to multiple servers to get all the necessary components.

Even if these external resources are optimized for speed, using too many of them can still degrade the performance of your website.

How to reduce external HTTP requests

1. Disable and remove unnecessary plugins and themes
   First, deactivate and remove plugins and themes that you don't actually need.
2. Replace slow loading plugins or themes
   Consider looking for alternative plugins or themes to replace any that load slower files. You may have noticed some related issues when identifying HTTP requests before.
3. Choose a performance-first plugin
   When choosing WordPress plugins, pay attention to the external resources they load. Prioritize plugins that focus on performance and avoid plugins that load too many external scripts or styles.
4. Using plug-in management tools
   If finer control of the plugin is needed, consider using a plugin like the Plugin Organizer Such a plugin management tool. It allows you to selectively load plugins only on the pages that need them.

Managing plugin loading

Finally, custom web fonts are often loaded from external providers such as Google Fonts, which can significantly increase HTTP requests. This can be optimized in the following ways:

• Limit the number of font families and font weights.
• Consider using system fonts (already installed on the user's computer) to minimize the loading of external resources.