# Speed Optimizer

### What is Speed Optimizer?

The "Speed Optimizer" WordPress plugin by SiteGround is a free, all-in-one performance tool designed to dramatically improve website speed and user experience. It offers powerful caching, frontend and media optimizations, and real-time speed testing to boost SEO rankings and Core Web Vitals. With a user-friendly interface, it enables even non-technical users to apply advanced optimizations like minifying code and compressing images in just a few clicks.

<p class="callout info">We only use this for websites hosted on SiteGround, since it's required for the cache purge feature.</p>

#### Install &amp; Activate the plugin

Name: Speed Optimizer  
Author: SiteGround

[![image.png](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/NbBimage.png)](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/NbBimage.png)

### What can you optimize?

Just about everything! If you can see it on a website, you can optimize it. That includes CSS, JavaScript, HTML, images, videos, and even the WordPress environment. Using this tool can speed up a website significantly, saving your users seconds on each page load.

##### **Here's how we configure the plugin:**

#### **1. Caching**

Dynamic Caching: Enabled  
Automatic Purge: Enabled

[![image.png](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/iolimage.png)](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/iolimage.png)

#### **2. Environment**

HTTPS Enforce: Enabled  
Fix Insecure Content: Enabled

[![image.png](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/lOeimage.png)](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/lOeimage.png)

#### **3. Frontend Optimization**

##### CSS

Minify CSS Files: Enabled  
Combine CSS Files: Enabled  
Preload Combined CSS: Enabled

[![image.png](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/qYGimage.png)](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/qYGimage.png)

##### JavaScript

Minify JavaScript Files: Enabled  
Combine JavaScript Files: Enabled  
Defer Render-blocking JavaScript: Enabled

[![image.png](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/dNtimage.png)](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/dNtimage.png)

##### General

Minify the HTML Output: Enabled  
Web Fonts Optimization: Enabled

[![image.png](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/x8dimage.png)](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/x8dimage.png)

#### **4. Media**

##### Compression Settings

Use WebP Images: Enabled

<p class="callout info">WebP Compression may take up to 30 minutes if the website has a lot of images that need to be converted to WebP. Usually, expect it to take 5 minutes or less.</p>

##### Media Optimization

Lazy Load Media: Enabled

<p class="callout warning">This can occasionally cause issues, if you find an image/video isn't showing up, or loads too slowly, try turning this off. It's an optional setting but usually improves performance.</p>

[![image.png](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/scaled-1680-/ugPimage.png)](https://bookstack.webmarketersdev.ca/uploads/images/gallery/2025-08/ugPimage.png)