The WordPress Speed Checklist

Work through this list from top to bottom. The early steps usually make the biggest difference, so you can stop when the site feels fast enough.

Before you start

• Take a full backup of files and database
• Run your homepage and one key inner page through PageSpeed Insights
• Write down the mobile scores and the Largest Contentful Paint time so you can compare later

Step 1: Hosting and PHP

• Check which PHP version your host is running. Use a currently supported version
• Check server response time in PageSpeed Insights ("Reduce initial server response time")
• If the server itself is slow even on a simple page, talk to your host or consider an upgrade

Step 2: Images

• Find the three heaviest images on the homepage
• Resize them to the largest size they're actually displayed at
• Convert photos to WebP
• Make sure the main hero image is not lazy-loaded
• Lazy-load images further down the page

Step 3: Caching

• Turn on page caching (through your host or a single caching plugin)
• Use only one caching plugin. Two can conflict
• Clear the cache and test the site, including forms and the cart if you have one

Step 4: Plugins

• List every active plugin and what it's for
• Remove plugins you don't need
• Replace heavy plugins that load scripts on every page for a small feature
• Delete deactivated plugins you won't use again

Step 5: Theme and page builder

• Check whether your theme loads large CSS and JavaScript files on every page
• If you use a page builder, turn on its performance options (such as loading assets only where used)
• Avoid sliders and animations above the fold

Step 6: Fonts and third-party scripts

• Limit custom fonts to two families and only the weights you use
• Host fonts locally where possible
• Review chat widgets, trackers, and embeds. Each one adds weight
• Load non-essential scripts after the page is interactive

Step 7: Database tidy-up

• Clear old post revisions, spam comments, and expired transients
• Back up before any database clean-up

Measure again

• Re-run the same PageSpeed Insights tests
• Compare against your notes from the start
• Check the site on a real phone, on mobile data if you can

If the scores are still poor after these steps, the cause is usually the theme, the hosting, or a specific plugin, and it's worth getting a closer look.