If you are looking to speed up your WordPress website, you have probably come across WP Rocket, one of the most popular caching plugins. It is a premium plugin that can help you to optimize your website performance and provide a much smoother experience for your visitors. Should you install this plugin? This WP rocket review has the answer.
In this article, we are going to take a comprehensive look at WP Rocket, what it is, what it does, and why you should use it. We will also provide detailed instructions on how to install and activate WP Rocket, the settings and configuration, the pricing, and some common issues and troubleshooting tips. Finally, we will discuss some WP Rocket alternatives, caching, file optimization and minification, media optimization, and database optimization.
Overview of WP Rocket
WP Rocket is a caching plugin for WordPress that helps to speed up your website. It is a premium plugin that is easy to install and use, and it can make a huge difference in the performance of your website.
Site speed really impacts your rankings in Google. That is why you need to have a website that is loading fast on both desktop and mobile. However, sometimes that is very hard to achieve on your own, unless you know how to code. That is why having plugins such as WP Rocket can get rid of the stress within few minutes.
It can also help to reduce the load on your server. In turn, it will result in better performance and lower hosting costs.
WP Rocket was created as a plugin that is easy to use. Yet powerful enough to make a difference in website performance. It has since become one of the most popular WordPress caching plugins. It is used by millions of WordPress users around the world.
I have been using WP Rocket for my own WordPress blog, and my site had 56/100 score on mobile. Yikes! After I installed WP Rocket and did all the setting necessary, my SEO optimization for mobile jumped to 97/100.
What is WP Rocket?
WP Rocket is a caching plugin, at its core, for WordPress that can help to speed up your website. It is a premium plugin that can help to reduce the load on your server, improve the speed of your website (Vin Diesel Fast and Furious Speed), and reduce loading times. However, it can do much more for your website.
It can also help to reduce the number of requests that your website makes to the server. This overall improve the performance of your website and your website looks much better in the eyes of Google (love at first sight).
WP Rocket works by caching the contents of your website, so that when a visitor visits your website, they are served a cached version of the page, instead of having to wait for the page to be generated every time. This can drastically reduce the loading time of your website, and provide a much smoother experience for your visitors.
Features of WP Rocket
WP Rocket has a lot of features that make it one of the most popular plugins for WordPress. It is actually number 1 plugin for caching. Is it really that great?
It has features like caching, file optimization, minification, media optimization, database optimization, and more language that the basic blogger do not really understand. I will explore each feature in more detail later in this WP Rocket review.
Caching is one of the most important features of WP Rocket and that is why it’s the number one plugin for WordPress. But to continue with explaining what caching is; caching helps to store a cached version of your website, so that when a visitor comes to your website, they are served a cached version of the page, instead of waiting for a page to be generated every time.
What you get from this? Reduced loading time of your website.
What the user gets from caching? A much smoother experience. And that is what you want for your website.
But let’s explore everything in depth.
Caching
Caching is the most important WP Rocket feature. Here is how it works in a nutshell: WP Rocket creates a static HTML file (caches your site) and makes this file easily available to visitors. Your website loads faster, improving the overall user experience. Plus, your website ‘sparkles’ in the eyes of Google because Google only cares that your website is fast and filled with useful content.
WP Rocket has a lot of caching options, such as caching for mobile devices, caching for logged-in users, and caching for specific pages.
It also applied browser caching. What is that? Well, it asks browsers to store commonly used files that are rarely used in their local cache memory.
File Optimization
Your website probably has many files. The more you write, the more files you need to optimize because otherwise, your website has slow load times.
WP rocket can do the following:
- file reduction
- minification (that reduces the size of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files)
- JavaScript delay (impacts loading performance and interactivity)
You can adjust these settings to your needs. You won’t need to apply everything to your site. But you have options that greatly impact your load times.
Media Optimization
Images, infographics, and graphics are a big part of content creation. Every article or blog post will have some media file included. All these media files really can decrease the performance of your website.
WP Rocket uses LazyLoad system which defers the loading of images or iframes. This optimizes real and perceived performance, and it saves users’ bandwidth.
To simplify, some of your images stay ‘’off-screen’’ until your website visitors really need them. Instead of loading all images at the same time, lazy loading uncovers images as they are called.
Preloading
Cache preloading makes sure that your site visitors get the faster cached versions of your page as soon as possible (user says Shazam! and your site is loaded :). As soon as you turn on WP Rocket, the caching of your content will begin. You can either preload it yourself or let WP Rocket do it for you, and this process will be done in the blink of an eye.
Moreover, the sitemap-based preloading option will detect and preload the sitemaps your SEO plugins generate automatically.
Database
A neatly organized database works faster and it also accelerates your website’s performance. WP Rocket offers a dedicated selection of settings to streamline your database and make sure it stays in perfect condition.
You can delete comments (‘how rude‘), posts, optimize your database tables, or set up regular cleanups: all in two simple steps.
CDN
A CDN (Content Delivery Network) helps make your website load faster for people around the world.
When you’re targeting a global audience, a CDN is a must for enhancing the loading speed of your website for faraway visitors (even for your rich royal relatives in Genovia). Integrating a CDN in WP Rocket’s dashboard is easy and you can do it in few clicks.
On the other hand, RocketCDN, WP Rocket’s personalized CDN, provides you with a hassle-free configuration for achieving the best performance.
How to Install and Activate WP Rocket
Getting WP Rocket set up is a super straightforward process. All it takes is to purchase, download and upload it to your WordPress website.
From there, go to the plugins section in your WordPress dashboard and hit the “Add New” button, then upload the plugin.
Don’t forget to click the “Activate” button when it’s done.
Finally, you’ll need to adjust the configuration settings. We’ll dive into this in the following section.
Settings and Configuration
Once you have installed and activated WP Rocket, you will need to configure the settings. WP Rocket immediately sets the default settings that immediately improves your site. That is what the dashboard will say that ‘your website should be loading faster’.
On the left site you will see a menu where you can optimize the following:
- cache (mobile; user; cache lifespan). You can specify time after which the global cache is cleared; 10 hours or less is the default.
- files (CSS, and JavaScript)
- media (LazyLoad; image dimensions)
- preload (cache; links; Prefetch DNS Requests; fonts)
- advanced rules (Never Cache URL(s); Never Cache Cookies; Never Cache User Agent(s); Always Purge URL(s); Cache Query String(s))
- database (post cleanup; comments cleanup; transients cleanup; database cleanup; automatic cleanup)
- CDN
- control heartbeat
Installing WP rocket will set the above list to the appropriate levels. You can check the speed of your website immediately after installing WP rocket. If your site is still slow, then you can start configuring each setting. There is an explanation under each setting that tells you how this feature will impact your website. And there is also ‘need help’ next to each setting which opens a new article that explains each setting in more detail.
How to Improve Your Mobile PageSpeed Score
Page speed on mobile has to be fast. Otherwise, Google or other search engines won’t improve your rankings. Optimizing for mobile is necessary as optimizing for desktop. Here is how you can set your WordPress site to load faster on mobile with WP Rocket (which WP Rocket settings will have the most impact):
Under Cache, enable caching for mobile devices
Preload any fonts listed in Preload Key Requests
In WP Rocket, enable Remove Unused CSS
Under File Optimization:
Remove Unused CSS – Enable Optimize CSS delivery (CSS Asynchronously)
Enable Load JavaScript Deferred and Delay JavaScript Execution
Enable Delay JavaScript Execution
On the Media tab, enable LazyLoad for images (Defer offscreen images)
You can now check your site speed and optimization for mobile here.
Benefits of using WP Rocket
The advantages of using WP Rocket on a WordPress website are numerous. It can help enhance the website’s performance, lighten the load on the server, and speed up the loading time. This eventually leads to SEO optimization.
Moreover, it is effortless to install and utilize on any WordPress site. To top it off, WP Rocket can also help save on hosting expenses by lightening the burden on the server, thereby cutting the costs.
WP Rocket Pricing
WP Rocket is a premium plugin which has various pricing plans available.
Starting from only $59 per year for one website, $119 for 3 websites, up to $299 per year for unlimited websites. Each plan includes a great range of features, such as caching, optimizing files, minifying media, database optimization, and more.
Plus, you get updates and help from the support team to keep your plugin up-to-date and running smoothly. And, to top it off, you get a money-back guarantee when you purchase one of the plans, so you know your investment is safe.
Common Issues and Problem Fix
Despite being user-friendly, WP Rocket can have some common issues. Here are some of the most frequent difficulties and their solutions.
If page loading is slow, check the caching setting in WP Rocket. Make sure caching is enabled and the expiration time is appropriate.
If issues come up while optimizing & minifying files, make sure the optimization & minification settings are enabled and the level of optimization is appropriate.
To fix media optimization problems, be sure the media optimization settings are activated and the optimization level is set correctly.
When struggling with database optimization, make sure the database optimization settings are enabled and the optimization frequency is suitable.
Should you still experience difficulties, contact the WP Rocket support team. They can offer assistance with troubleshooting and resolving any issues. Or you can read this WP rocket review again.
WP Rocket Alternatives
If you are searching for options to WP Rocket, there are a few other plugins you can take into consideration. A few of the most oft-used alternatives to WP Rocket include W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, WP Fastest Cache, Nitropack, and FlyingPress.
W3 Total Cache is a well-known caching plugin for WordPress. It offers a great many features including caching, minification, and database optimization. It is also free, so it is an ideal choice if you are looking for a free plugin.
WP Super Cache is another popular caching plugin for WordPress. It offers the same features as W3 Total Cache. It is also free, so it is a nice option if you want a free plugin.
WP Fastest Cache is another well-known caching plugin for WordPress. It has the same features as the previous two options and is also free.
Nitropack and FlyingPress are offerings that specialize in website optimization and performance enhancement. Nitropack is tailored to individual users, providing a selection of optimization services including caching, code minification, and image compression.
On the other hand, FlyingPress is focused on delivering automated solutions that are easy to set up and maintain. Such services include image optimization, asset optimization, auto-scaling, and more. When deciding which is the most suitable for your website needs, it is best to compare the strengths and features of each service.
Final Verdict
WP Rocket is an ideal solution for those seeking to maximize the potential of their WordPress websites. It is user-friendly, fast-loading and comes furnished with a plethora of features that can boost any website’s performance.
With WP Rocket, users can rapidly and effortlessly enhance their website’s page speed, raise their SEO rankings and reduce the loading time of their site. WP Rocket is a competent and budget-friendly approach for those wanting to guarantee their WordPress website functions as optimally as possible and is certainly worth the expenditure. For $59 per year, your website will run smoothly and you won’t need to worry about load times.
