If your site was recently loading faster, then a recent change may have affected the load speed. If this is the case, you can undo the change and see if that helps the site load faster. If you aren’t sure what caused the slowdown, you can disable the various features of your site and add them back until the problem occurs again.
The following are some of the most common features that can increase latency.
1. Plugins
Each plugin that you add to a WordPress site can increase the latency of the site. You can activate and deactivate the the plugins on your site to see if it improves the load time.
To activate a plugin
- Log in to WordPress.
- Click Plugins.
- Click Add New.
- Search for the plugin you want to use, and then click Install Now.
- Click Activate Plugin.
How you manage and use the plugin depends on its developer. You can view all of the currently installed plugins by clicking Plugins on the menu.
Some WordPress plugins can slow your site’s performance. Deactivating plugins and then testing your site’s performance again can help you troubleshoot speed issues.
To Deactivate WordPress Plugins
- Log in to WordPress.
- Click Plugins.
- Select all of the plugins you want to deactivate, and then from the Bulk Actions menu, select Deactivate, and then click Apply.
2. Theme
The coding of a WordPress theme can also contribute to site latency, particularly when using a third-party theme. To see if your theme is slowing your site down, try changing your theme.
- Log in to WordPress.
- Install a theme if the theme you want to use has not yet been installed.
- From the Appearance menu, click Themes.
- Hover over the theme you wish to activate.
- Click Activate.
Your new theme will now be live on your WordPress site.
3. .htaccess
The .htaccess file does not normally impact the speed of a website, but if something has been misconfigured then it can happen. Try disabling it by renaming it to something like 1.htaccess, .htaccess.bak, .htaccess_disabled.
If this fixes the problem, you will need to edit your .htaccess file to correct the error. Otherwise, if you leave the original .htaccess file disabled, then you will need to reset the Permalinks on your WordPress site. You can use the steps below to reset the permalinks in WordPress.
- You should always backup your site before performing any troubleshooting.
- Log in to WordPress.
- Go to Settings > Permalinks.
- Change the permalink structure to Plain.
- Click Save Changes.
- The URL on your website’s pages should display the permalink settings you selected.
4. Website content
The content of your website can also affect the performance of your website. If the objects on a page are poorly optimized, then more data will be sent than what is required. For example, large images can take a long time to load over slower connections, and external sources may not be properly optimized. Follow the link for more on Optimization How to Optimize WordPress Images & Database.
5. Network latency
Sometimes network issues can also increase the load times of a website. To test this, you need to try accessing the site from a different network
To check for network latency, you can use a tool called traceroute. This traces the path from the computer to the server you are accessing.
When reviewing traceroute, look at the time it takes each hop to complete. This number should be fairly consistent. Any extreme variations can indicate a network problem. Contact your Internet Service Provider for assistance reviewing the traceroute if needed.
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