Offering an optimized web page also entails different uses of settings that allow speeding up the loading process. This is because a platform makes use of the cache memory that all devices and web pages have. For that, many dare to use , an ideal plugin for WordPress. Today we tell you how to configure W3 Total Cache!
Before we go into them a bit more in a w3 total cache tutorial, it’s important to know what cache is. Because, It is a wide variety of data that is stored automatically when entering a web page.
All web pages and devices have it, helping the user to keep the most frequently stored data. And in turn, can decrease the time it takes to load access to such data. However, when a web page is in WordPress, the work of the cache memory is easier with W3 Total Cache.
What is W3 Total Cache and what is it for?
Now that you know the importance of the cache for a web page, it is necessary to recognize that it plays an essential role in WordPress. Thanks to the cache it is possible to save a preview that has already been loaded from a web page, making it load faster.
Namely, that when a user decides to visit the same web page several times, the page is not loaded from scratch, but rather speeds up the process. This due to the cache that allows you to save a preview.
For that reason, W3 Total Cache is known as an ideal WordPress plugin for handling caching and page optimization. And by having an interface that is quite easy to understand, it can be your greatest ally in gaining control of your page. Their functions are:
- Lower the amount of resources used by your web server.
- Prioritize requests made to the server.
- Provide faster charging speed.
- Increase web positioning.
- Avoid the fall of the web due to excess traffic.
Configure W3 Total Cache step by step
In addition to being free, W3 Total Cache offers great benefits that will help you improve your page’s cache. Therefore, next… You will be able to read a step by step to learn how to configure W3 Total Cache on your WordPress website.
Install W3 Total Cache
To start this simple W3 Total Cache tutorial you need to install the plugin through the administration menu in WordPress. Thanks to the facilities it offers, just search for “W3 Total Cache” in the search bar and select the “Add Plugin” option and install.
Although you can make use of the free version of W3 Total Cache, it is also possible to find a PRO version that offers improvements. Nevertheless. It is not at all necessary! But it works for when you want to enjoy more control.
General configuration
On some occasions, there are plugins that do not need a change in the general configuration and in the same way, W3TC works. So, If you have finished installing it… Entering “General Settings” is essential to continue with the tutorial.
Page Cache Settings
A WordPress page is known to receive user requests in real time, but when it comes to pages without dynamic content rendering is important. That is, you need to enable page caching in the W3 Total Cache settings by choosing “Disk: Enhanced” in the caching method option.
Minify configuration
Another essential step to optimize through the W3TC settings is minimizing the amount of unnecessary assets to decrease the weight of your page. In that way, you can guarantee a shorter loading time by selecting the “Minimize” option of the plugin, selecting the “Automatic” mode.
However, they may result in some code breaking so it is important to study the website for bugs after the change. If so, choosing to work with Minify’s “Manual” option helps you identify problematic assets and disable their minification.
Database Cache Configuration
For this feature to offer benefits, it must be disabled, because the database of this plugin known as W3 Total Cache saves each query made. And in turn, this data is stored in a manager known as MySQL. That is why it is better to use the object cache.
Object Cache Configuration
Taking into account that the cache is a memory that can be accessed through configurations. Everything to speed up the process of loading a page and the object cache is not something very different.
Simply, for WordPress it is a built-in tool but with limited functionality as it is the default option. While the other non-WordPress options manage to retain data across many more pages.
Enable this important setting in W3 Total Cache and enjoy the benefits it brings to your WordPress page. One of them is to speed up the different requests to your database to perform different queries. Just insert your modified caching script into your directory and you’re good to go.
Browser Cache Configuration
By enabling browser caching found in the basic settings of the W3TC, it is much easier to speed up your page. And it is that, allows you to store some static assets locally for a long time, with one year being the default period of time.
Configuration User Agent Groups
Thanks to this function you will be able to manage the traffic of a web page according to the device used by the user. Namely, that you can modify the way in which a page is displayed if you enter from a computer and in another way if it is from a smartphone.
It also allows users to be redirected to a subdomain in case the mobile web design is located there. Although the current standard configuration states that it is better if a page performs immediate adaptation without dependencies.
Referrer Groups Configuration
Basically this configuration allows to create the behavior generated by an HTTP sender. These referrers are sourced based on the link a user clicked, thus creating a referral. With these references, a configuration can be carried out to facilitate the user experience.
In addition, it is also a configuration that allows users to be redirected thanks to a Reference Group, directly to other domains if they wish.
Cookie Group Settings
Like the previous configuration, you can create a behavior based on the request made by a user and the cookies of said request. It is important to highlight that cookies store the information of a user on a web page.
Taking both points into account, said configuration allows controlling the behavior of the web according to the user’s group of cookies. Thus they can be divided into categories or grouped, to determine the next function.
CDN configuration
With the help of the following steps, you can activate the important options for the correct functioning of the configuration:
- Enable your attachments corresponding to the host.
- Activate the host “wp-includes/Files”.
- Activate your host’s theme files.
- Enable the option “host minified CSS and JS files.
- Add your custom file paths to W3 Total Cache with CDN.
And keep settings disabled like:
- Just purge the CDN manually.
- Disable CDN on SSL sites.
- Use of CDN links in the media library of the administrator pages.
Chunk Cache Configuration
The most important thing about this type of setup is that it works perfectly on dynamic WordPress pages. Its function is to store the heaviest parts of a page in cache, instead of saving it so that they load faster. For that reason, it must be enabled.
User Experience Configuration
Being able to customize this configuration is the last step to be able to enjoy the benefits offered by W3 Total Cache, taking into account the following actions:
- You need to enable tag processing on HTML images.
- Enable the process of background images, so that they load with lazy loading.
- The “exclude words” option works to prevent lazy loading by excluding certain images based on their tag.
- Customize the script loading for lazy loading with the “Script Insertion Method” option. It has the default method that works generally and the method for single pages, known as “async” and “inline” respectively.
Now that you know what the essential settings are for W3 Total Cache to work, you can use them to improve your website. Increase the performance of your page, in a matter of few essential adjustments for a better development.
In case you want to configure W3 Total Cache from scratch, it is possible to enter the general plugin settings. There you will find the Import/Export configuration option and you must select “restore default configuration”.
If you are interested in learning more about what they are, you should not miss our blog. What are you waiting for to discover it?
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