WordPress Optimizer: Site Booster Module

The Ocean Site Booster's WordPress Optimizer module enables you to control core WordPress features that may be redundant or present a security issue for your website.

To access WordPress Optimizer, click on the cog icon, then toggle to enable the module.

By disabling WordPress core features you don't need or use, you're boosting your website's performance (disabling processes that continuously run in the backend using your server resources), as well as your privacy and security.

Enable (or disable) any option you would like to use, then save changes at the bottom of the module page.

Available WordPress Optimizer options include:

• Heartbeat Settings,
• Disable WP Cron,
• Autosave Settings,
• Disable Feeds,

Heartbeat Settings

Heartbeat Settings option allows you to either disable the Heartbeat API or choose a custom Heartbeat interval.

Available Heartbeat Settings options include:

• Default (15 seconds),
• 60 seconds (1 minute),
• 120 seconds (2 minutes),
• Disabled.

The Heartbeat API provides a communication protocol using AJAX calls between the browser and the server. Each pulse (heartbeat) utilizes website's CPU, and this can be troublesome for people on shared hosting with limited CPU quota.

Likewise, high CPU usage can also cause overload, which among some hosting providers is grounds for account suspension.

Before disabling Heartbeat API, consider the following:

• Do you have any use of the periodical autosave feature on the website?
• Do you have any use of the notifications that a post or page you want to edit is already being edited by someone else?
• Do you have any use of any other real-time or live notification on your website, be it backend or frontend?
• Do you use the post scheduling option on your website?
• Do you use any other optimization or caching plugins which are already controlling the Heartbeat API functionality in any way?
• Is your website an eCommerce website of any kind?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, do not disable Heartbeat API.

With most hosting providers, even when it comes to large, frequently visited and even eCommerce websites, there's no true need to disable the Heartbeat API. However, you can set a custom Heartbeat interval.

For more information, on the Heartbeat API, its functionality and use-cases, also see the following resources:

• WordPress Developer Handbook: Heartbeat API;
• WordPress Heartbeat tutorial by Hostinger;

Disable WP Cron

This option enables you to disable all WP Cron related actions.

WP-Cron is how WordPress handles scheduling time-based tasks. Several WordPress core features, such as checking for updates and publishing scheduled post, utilize WP-Cron.

WP-Cron works by checking, on every page load, a list of scheduled tasks to see what needs to be run. Any tasks due to run will be called during that page load.

If your website doesn't depend on any WP Cron jobs, ie. you want to manually check updates, manually update necessary plugins, and you are not utilizing any plugins or specific plugin features which rely on WP Cron, then you can disable this option.

Autosave Settings

Autosave Settings option enables you to disable the autosave feature without disabling the entire Heartbeat API, or choose a custom autosave interval instead.

However, if you have already disabled Heartbeat API, this feature is already disabled since it depends on the Heartbeat API.

Available Autosave Settings options include:

• Default (60 seconds),
• 2 minutes,
• 5 minutes,
• Disabled.

The autosave feature functions in the exact same manner autosave in any document editor - such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs functions - periodically.

The autosave option will run and save all your changes to a specific post, page, etc, without the need for you to constantly use the Save Draft or Update option. In case of any power or server issues, the autosave feature prevents the loss of your work.

If you don't have the need for this feature, you can disable it or apply a custom interval to reduce the CPU load.

Disable Feeds

This option enables you to disable all feeds, RSS, Atom and RDF that can be found using these URLs on your website:

1. https://yourwebsite.com/feed/
2. https://yourwebsite.com/feed/rss/
3. https://yourwebsite.com/feed/rss2/
4. https://yourwebsite.com/feed/atom/
5. https://yourwebsite.com/feed/rdf/

Replace yourwebsite.com in the examples with the actual URL of your website.

Feeds enable users and applications to receive regular updates from / about your website without actually visiting the website.

If you want to avoid various applications and third-party website to harvest information from you in this manner (for example, if you're trying to build a subscribers list), or simply have no need for it, you can disable it.

For more information on WordPress feeds, their functionality, pros and cons, see the following:

• WordPress RSS feed tutorial by Hostinger;
• RSS beginners guide by WPBeginner.

That's it!

Boost your WordPress website on all levels with OceanWP and Ocean Site Booster.