wp_head Cleaner: Site Booster Module
The Ocean Site Booster's wp_head Cleaner module enables you to control what's output in your website's <head> HTML element.
To access wp_head Cleaner, click on the cog icon, then toggle to enable the module.
Cleaning what gets output in a website's <head> element brings insignificant speed boost, but does influence the security boost by removing the information attackers are usually after, such as the WordPress platform itself, WordPress version and more.
Enable (or disable) any option you would like to use, then save changes at the bottom of the module page.
Available wp_head Cleaner options include:
- Disable Really Simple Discovery Link,
- Disable WordPress Generator Meta Tag,
- Disable Windows Live Writer Link,
- Disable Rest API Link Tag,
- Disable Rest API in HTTP Headers,
- Disable S.W.ORG DNS Prefetch.
Disable Really Simple Discovery Link
This option enables you to remove the Really Simple Discovery (RSD) link from your website's <head> element and source code.
The RSD option serves a purpose if you plan to use third-party software, such as Windows Live Writer, to edit your website, instead of accessing, editing and/or writing on your website directly.
The RSD link looks like this: <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" ... />
The RSD link can be viewed when inspecting any page on your website or viewing the source code using the available browser options.
Disable WordPress Generator Meta Tag
This option enables you to remove the WordPress meta tag from your website's <head> element and source code.
This meta tag contains info that your website has been built with WordPress, as well as the current WordPress version you are running.
The WordPress meta tag looks like this: <meta name="generator" content="WordPress 6.7.1" />
The WordPress meta tag can be viewed when inspecting any page on your website or viewing the source code using the available browser options.
Disable Windows Live Writer Link
This option enables you to remove the Windows Live Writer link from your website's <head> element and source code.
Windows Live Writer (Microsoft) is a discontinued desktop blog-publishing app. If you don't have this app or don't plan to use it to edit your website, you can remove the unnecessary link.
The Windows Live Writer link looks like this: <link rel="wlwmanifest" type="application/wlwmanifest+xml" ... />
The Windows Live Writer link can be viewed when inspecting any page on your website or viewing the source code using the available browser options.
Disable Rest API Link Tag
This option enables you to remove the Rest API link tag from your website's <head> element and source code.
The WordPress REST API provides an interface for applications (themes, plugins or third-party software) to interact with your WordPress site by sending and receiving data as JSON objects.
Removing the Rest API link tag from your website's source code can boost security by not disclosing the information that your website's functionality relies on Rest API functionality:
In most cases, removing the REST API links from the HTML `<head>`does not break the core functionality of your WordPress site or the REST API itself. These links simply _advertise_ the presence and location of the REST API:
- The link in the <head> (<link rel="https://api.w.org/" href="...">) is largely informational for browsers or tools scanning the page.
However, there is a small chance that certain themes or plugins might rely on these advertised links for front-end scripts or discovery purposes. If so, removing them _might_ affect their functionality.
But in a typical setup, most WordPress sites will continue to function normally, and the REST API will still be available at its usual /wp-json endpoint regardless of whether these links are present.
The Rest API link tag looks like this: <link rel="https://api.w.org/" ... />
The Rest API link tag can be viewed when inspecting any page on your website or viewing the source code using the available browser options.
Disable Rest API in HTTP Headers
This option enables you to remove the Rest API link from your pages' HTTP header.
The WordPress REST API provides an interface for applications (themes, plugins or third-party software) to interact with your WordPress site by sending and receiving data as JSON objects.
Removing the Rest API link in HTTP headers can boost security by not disclosing the information that your website's functionality relies on Rest API functionality:
In most cases, removing the REST API links from the HTTP headers does not break the core functionality of your WordPress site or the REST API itself. These links simply _advertise_ the presence and location of the REST API:
- The Link: header (Link: <https://example.com/wp-json/>; rel="https://api.w.org/") is similarly there to let clients know where the REST endpoint is located.
However, there is a small chance that certain themes or plugins might rely on these advertised links for front-end scripts or discovery purposes. If so, removing them _might_ affect their functionality.
But in a typical setup, most WordPress sites will continue to function normally, and the REST API will still be available at its usual /wp-json endpoint regardless of whether these links are present.
The Rest API link in HTTP header looks like this: < ... rel="https://api.w.org/>
The Rest API link can be viewed when using the browser inspector via the Networks tab, by refreshing the page then checking the first entry on the list, which is usually the current website's page URL.
Disable S.W.ORG DNS Prefetch
This option enables you to remove S.W.ORG DNS prefetch link from your website's <head> element and source code.
DNS prefetch is used as an attempt to resolve domain names before a user follows a link. The main reason for DNS prefetch usage is to speed up website pages load when using various domains for page resources.
The S.W.ORG DNS prefetch link looks like this: <link rel='dns-prefetch' href='//s.w.org' />
The S.W.ORG DNS prefetch link can be viewed when inspecting any page on your website or viewing the source code using the available browser options.
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