WordPress Performance Print

How to Boost WordPress Performance

Note: IT Company Hosting provides a Free Basic CDN
Updated: July 2025
IT-Company

Improving website performance starts with using powerful optimization tools like LiteSpeed Cache and QUIC.cloud CDN.

• LiteSpeed Cache speeds up WordPress by storing pre-rendered pages, reducing server load, and optimizing CSS/JS/images for faster delivery.
• cloud CDN works alongside LiteSpeed Cache to deliver your site’s content through a global server network, reducing latency, improving load times for international visitors, and adding an extra layer of stability during high-traffic periods.

When used together, they can:

• Reduce page load times significantly
• Lower server resource usage
• Optimize images, CSS, and JavaScript for faster rendering
• Improve Core Web Vitals and SEO performance

WordPress performance also depends on factors like hosting quality, caching mechanisms, plugin and theme efficiency, image optimization, and code quality. Proper optimizations such as using fast hosting, minimizing plugins, leveraging caching, optimizing images, and keeping software updated can significantly improve site speed and responsiveness. These enhancements lead to better user experience, SEO rankings, and overall site reliability.

LiteSpeed Cache Dashboard – Overview

The LiteSpeed Cache Dashboard is the main control panel where you can view the performance status of your site and manage cache-related settings. It helps you monitor, control, and optimize your WordPress site using the LiteSpeed Cache plugin.

Main Sections in the Dashboard

1. Status Overview

• Cache Status: Shows whether the cache is enabled or disabled.
• Purge Actions: Quick buttons to clear (purge) different types of cache (e.g., all cache, CSS/JS, images, etc.).
• Last Purge: When the cache was last cleared.

2. Page Cache

• Hit/Miss Rate: Shows how often a cached version of a page is used vs. how often a new one is generated.
• Cache Entries: Number of pages currently cached.
• ESI: Shows if Edge Side Includes (used for dynamic blocks) are enabled.

3. Object Cache

• Status: Shows if object cache is enabled (used to cache database query results).
• Connection Info: Details about Redis or Memcached (if used).
• Hit/Miss: Shows performance of object caching.

4. Browser Cache

• Confirms if browser caching is working (stores static files like CSS/JS in the user’s browser).

5. Crawler

• Status: Indicates if the crawler is running. Crawlers warm up the cache for better speed.
• Queue: Number of pages left to crawl.
• Last Run: When the crawler last ran.

6. Image Optimization

• Status: Shows if image optimization is enabled and working.
• Quota: How many images are optimized vs. your quota.
• Unoptimized Images: Number of images still pending optimization.

7. CDN

• Shows if you're using a Content Delivery Network (e.g., QUIC.cloud).
• Displays data usage, status, and configuration settings.

Important Steps Before Installing LiteSpeed Cache

Before proceeding with the LiteSpeed Cache installation, it’s essential to ensure your website is properly configured with "www" and has a valid SSL certificate. Follow the steps below to prepare your WordPress site:

Step 1: Ensure CNAME Record Exists
Ensure the CNAME record with www is added in the DNS records. If it's added, skip this step and proceed to Step 2. If not added, follow these steps given below.

• Go to your hosting panel and open DNS Management.
• Click on Add Record.
• Choose CNAME Record.
  • Name: www
  • Target: your domain (e.g., example.com)
• Click Save to apply the changes.

Step 2: Set Website URL to Use WWW

To configure your website to use the "www" prefix:

• Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
• In the left sidebar, navigate to:
   Settings → General Settings.
• In the WordPress Address (URL) and Site Address (URL) fields, change the URL from:
   http://example.com
   to
   https://www.example.com
• Scroll down and click Save Changes.

Step 3: Install SSL Certificate (Let’s Encrypt) in DirectAdmin

Secure your website with a free SSL certificate using Let's Encrypt:

• Go to your DirectAdmin panel and click on the Main Menu (top-left corner).
• Select your hosting User account.
• Under the Account Manager section, click on SSL Certificates.
• Choose the “Get automatic certificate from ACME Provider” option.
• In the ACME provider dropdown, select Let’s Encrypt.
• Keep all default settings and click Save.

Once saved, your SSL certificate will be installed successfully, and your website will now be accessible over HTTPS.

Step 4: Installing the LiteSpeed Cache Plugin

Once the above steps are complete, you can install the LiteSpeed Cache plugin in WordPress:

Note: It is also possible that LiteSpeed is already pre-installed on your site by the IT company by default. If it is not installed, you can follow the steps below to install LiteSpeed manually.

A: Install the Plugin

• In your WordPress Dashboard, go to:
   Plugins → Add New
• In the search bar, type: LiteSpeed Cache
• Locate the plugin in the results and click Install Now

B: Activate the Plugin

• After installation, click the Activate button to enable the plugin.

Step 5: Lite Speed Cache Settings

A: Presets – Where the Real Optimization Begins

The Presets section is where the core LiteSpeed Cache optimization process begins. This screen allows you to quickly apply predefined settings or transfer configurations between websites for a faster and more efficient setup.

The "Extreme" preset is designed for advanced performance optimization and will be applied by default. However, it may conflict with certain themes or plugins, which could potentially break your website.

⚠️ Choose wisely — always test the preset that best suits your website's setup and compatibility.

Important Note on LiteSpeed Cache Presets

LiteSpeed Cache offers predefined presets that automatically apply a set of page optimization settings based on performance goals. When a preset is selected, it configures various optimization features such as CSS/JS minification, image optimization, lazy loading, and more all tailored to improve your website’s speed and performance.

While these presets are designed to enhance performance, they may not be compatible with all themes or plugins. In some cases, aggressive optimization settings (especially in the "Extreme" preset) may cause layout issues, broken functionality, or conflicts with dynamic elements on your site.

If you notice any problems after applying a preset, such as:

• Broken styling or design
• Missing page elements
• Plugin functionality not working properly
   You can always manually adjust individual optimization settings under LiteSpeed Cache > Page Optimization to resolve the issue.

Recommendation:
 Start with a moderate preset (e.g., "Essentials" or "Advanced") and gradually test higher levels of optimization. Always clear your cache and thoroughly test your website after any changes.

B: Cache Settings

Steps to Configure LiteSpeed Cache in WordPress

• Log in to Your WordPress Admin Panel
   Access your WordPress dashboard using your administrator credentials.
• Navigate to LiteSpeed Cache Settings
   From the left-hand menu, go to LiteSpeed Cache > Cache.
• Enable All Caching Options
   In the Cache tab, ensure that all available cache settings are turned ON for optimal performance.
• Enable Object Cache with Redis
  • Navigate to the Object tab within LiteSpeed Cache settings.
  • Set Object Cache to Enable.
  • Select Redis as the object cache method.
  • If Redis is not available or you encounter any errors, contact your hosting provider and request that Redis be enabled for your domain.
• Configure Browser Cache
  • Go to the Browser tab.
  • Enable Browser Cache to leverage client-side caching and improve page load times.

Step 6: How to Enable QUIC.cloud Services CDN in WordPress (Step-by-Step)

Why QUIX Cloud CDN is Used?
 QUIX Cloud CDN is implemented to improve website performance by delivering content faster to users through a global network of servers. It reduces latency, decreases server load, and enhances security by mitigating DDoS attacks and optimizing traffic distribution.

To use QUIC.cloud services (such as image optimization, page optimization, and CDN), you need to connect it to your WordPress website through the LiteSpeed Cache plugin.

A: Enable QUIC.cloud Services

• Log in to your WordPress Dashboard.
• Go to LiteSpeed Cache > General > Online Services.
• Click the “Enable QUIC.cloud Services” button.

QUIC.cloud will detect your server information and attempt to pair your site automatically. Wait a few seconds for it to complete.

B: Create a QUIC.Cloud Account (Optional but Recommended)

• If you only plan to use services like image optimization and page optimization (non-CDN), you can choose "Stay Anonymous" and your setup is done.
• If you want access to the CDN and advanced management features, click “Create Account”, enter your email, set a password, and confirm your email.

Benefits of Creating an Account:

• Access usage statistics and errors
• Manage CDN settings
• Manage multiple domains from one dashboard
• Add credits to increase usage limits

If you already have an account, simply log in, and your site will be linked automatically.

C: Finish Link Setup (Without CDN)

If you do not wish to use the CDN:

• Click “Finish Link Setup”
• You’ll return to LiteSpeed Cache > General > Online Services, where it will show QUIC.cloud Integration: Enabled

You’re now ready to use all non-CDN features, like:

• Image Optimization
• CSS/JS/Page Optimization
• Critical CSS generation
• Low-quality image placeholders (LQIP)

D: Enable QUIC.cloud CDN

To use QUIC.Cloud’s global CDN follow these steps:

After creating your account, click “Enable CDN and Continue with Setup”

Choose “I want to use Cname” and click Continue

Go to DNS Management >Add Record > select Cname Record, then Update Existing record with the record provided by Quic Cloud.

After the record is added to DNS management, CDN will verify the record, and CDN will be set up completely.