Reduce WordPress HTTP requests: How to optimize your website speed

WordPress HTTP requests determine how quickly your pages appear because every request for CSS, JS, images or fonts takes time. I'll show you how to reduce the number of requests, avoid render blocking and optimize the website immediately noticeable accelerate.

Key points

The following focal points will quickly lead you to a lower number of inquiries and a better LCP with stable Function:

• Caching use: Browser, page and object cache significantly reduce repeated requests.
• CSS/JS optimize: Minify, bundle, integrate critical CSS, avoid render blocking.
• pictures modernize: WebP/AVIF, lazy loading, fixed dimensions, no hero sliders.
• Scripts delay: defer/delay for analytics, pixels, external resources.
• CDN/Hosting choose: HTTP/3, edge caching, short TTFB for global users.

What are HTTP requests in WordPress?

Each resource on the page generates its own request, i.e. CSS files, JavaScript, images, icons and Fonts. Modern themes and plugins quickly add many small files, which increases the number of Inquiries drives. Each request involves DNS lookup, TCP handshake and transfer, and it is precisely this overhead that adds up. Without optimization, I often see 70+ requests per page, which noticeably delays the display. Target values are clearly below this: under 50 is good, under 25 is excellent for top speed. A small reduction per page type has a broad impact because templates, headers and footers load everywhere.

Why every request counts

Any additional file can block rendering, especially synchronously loaded CSS and JavaScript. If these resources remain render-blocking in the page header, users wait for white spaces and bounce. This has an impact on Core Web Vitals: LCP lags, TBT grows, and CLS increases without fixed measures for images or ads. I therefore consistently check which resources are really critical and which I can delay. If you're not sure why requests are slowing down despite small file sizes, read my guide Why block HTTP requests for practical explanations.

Quick start: measures with the greatest leverage

I start with caching, minification and lazy loading because these steps deliver great effects and can be implemented quickly. are. A good caching plugin creates static HTML pages and saves the Database. Minification removes spaces and comments, combines files and significantly reduces downloads. Lazy Loading moves off-screen images to the back, which helps First Paint and LCP. With just a few clicks, direct improvements can be achieved without changing the theme.

Optimization measure	Reduction requests	Tools/plugins
Caching (browser, page, object)	50-80% for return visits	WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, W3TC
Minify & Combine	20-50% fewer transfers	Autoptimize, Perfmatters
Lazy Loading pictures	30-60% initial	WP Rocket, core function
CDN with HTTP/2/3	to 40% more efficient	Cloudflare, QUIC.cloud

Clever use of caching

I first activate browser caching so that returning users can save assets locally from the Cache and not again from the Server load. Page caching generates static HTML for visitors and saves PHP execution and database queries. With object caching (e.g. Redis), frequent queries remain in memory, which reduces the load on admin and store pages. Gzip/Brotli additionally reduce the transfer, which reduces transfer time and data volume. I then check the expiry times (cache control, expires) and whether query strings unnecessarily exclude marketing scripts from caching.

CSS and JavaScript: Minify, combine, load

Many small files mean many Requests, therefore I summarize styles and scripts as few as possible. Bundles together. Minification reduces the size, but the most important thing is fewer files for the critical path. I include critical CSS inline so that above-the-fold content receives styling immediately. I load non-critical styles asynchronously or via media attribute. I set JavaScript to defer or delay, but test the sequence so that dependencies do not break.

Images and media: big savings

Images often cause the largest proportion of Inquiries, therefore I convert to WebP or AVIF and define fixed Dimensions. Lazy loading delays offscreen images, but I preload the hero image specifically for a fast LCP. Responsive srcset ensures that mobile devices load small variants. I avoid sliders in the hero because they cause a lot of files and repaints. I also use modern format specifics to keep artifacts to a minimum.

Fonts, third-party providers and external scripts

I load external fonts locally so that I have full control over Caching and Preload have. I combine font styles sparingly, often regular and bold with variable fonts are sufficient. For analytics, tag managers and pixels, I set delays until after the first interaction or only load them after the onload event. This keeps the critical path free of unnecessary files. I also check social media widgets and replace them with static previews that I reload on click.

Choosing CDN and hosting wisely

A CDN brings assets closer to users and reduces latency and the number of round trips noticeable in the first appeal. HTTP/2/3 enables multiplexing, prioritization and faster TLS handshakes. Edge caching of HTML makes international target groups in particular faster. On the server, I pay attention to NVMe storage, current PHP versions and short TTFB. Good hosters offer tools such as Brotli, Early Hints and QUIC, which I actively use.

Special cases: REST-API and Admin-Ajax

Many installations generate background requests through the REST API or admin-ajax.php, for example for forms, search or dynamic Widgets. I identify these calls in the network tab and check whether polling intervals can be reduced or requests can be combined. Where possible, I cache API responses on the server side and set rate limits. For more in-depth optimizations, I refer you to my guide to REST-API performance, which shows typical brakes and solutions. This is how I reduce repeated background queries without losing functions.

Measuring and monitoring for sustained speed

I test every change with PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse and GTmetrix so that I get the real Effect see and no regressions capture. Targets: less than 50 requests per page, LCP under 2.5 s, TBT under 200 ms and CLS under 0.1. I also look at the waterfall chart to visualize blocking resources, DNS lookups and queues. Remember: the number of requests often counts more than the pure file size; this is exactly what I explain in the article on the Focus on inquiries. With continuous monitoring, optimizations remain stable and measurable.

Advanced: HTTP/2/3, Unused CSS and DB maintenance

With HTTP/2/3, I benefit from multiplexing, priorities and faster Handshakes, which means waiting times for parallel loaded Files shortened. I remove unused CSS to make stylesheets smaller and reduce requests. For recurring layouts, critical CSS per template is worthwhile, not per page. In the database, I delete revisions, expired transients and cron corpses so that the back-end and dynamic functions remain fast. Such steps noticeably speed up the process, especially for large projects with many plugins.

Plugin and theme hygiene

I regularly check which plugins duplicate functions or are rarely used. become, and replace heavy packages with lighter ones Alternatives. Lean themes such as Astra or GeneratePress generate very few requests and can be optimized cleanly. Within the theme, I deactivate modules that I don't need, such as icon collections or sliders. I also configure page builders in a minimalist way so that they only load widgets that are used. Feature flags and modular enqueues help to avoid file waste.

Targeted use of resource notes and priorities

In addition to caching and bundling Resource Hints the decisive finishing touches. I only use Preload for really critical resources: the LCP image, the main CSS (if not inline as Critical CSS) and the primary Webfont-file. Too many preloads block prioritization and can have the opposite effect. For fonts I set font-display (swap/optional) to avoid FOIT, and create a preload with correct as-attribute so that the browser does not load the file twice.

DNS prefetch and Preconnect I use it sparingly for mandatory third-party providers (e.g. payment providers in the checkout). Preconnect saves me the TLS handshake, However, this only makes sense if the resource is definitely needed. Prefetch I use for resources that will probably be needed in the next step (e.g. next pagination page). In connection with Early Hints the server can signal preloads early - this reduces the time to the first byte while the connection is being established.

• Preload: Only for LCP image, main CSS, critical font file.
• Preconnect: For secure, unavoidable third-party domains.
• Prefetch: For resources/pages that are potentially needed soon.
• DNS prefetch: For small but inexpensive preparatory work with external hosts.

Where possible, I also use Priority hints (fetchpriority=“high“ for the LCP image) so that the browser understands what really needs to come first. This reduces loading time and Request sequence more precise control.

WordPress assets: only load what you need

Many pages load styles and scripts globally, although they are only necessary on a few templates. I identify such candidates and load them conditional - For example, form scripts only on contact pages, slider CSS only where sliders exist, and WooCommerce assets only on store, product and checkout pages.

Particularly rewarding clean-up work:

• Emoji-Deactivate scripts and styles in the frontend, as modern systems have native emojis.
• oEmbed-functions if no external content is embedded.
• Dashicons in the frontend if the theme does not require them.
• jQuery Migrate remove if no old scripts are hanging.
• Gutenberg block-library Only load CSS if block styles are actually used in the frontend.

For fine-grained asset management, I rely on modular enqueues (per template/block) or use an optimization plugin that can deactivate resources per page. This shrinks the Request list quickly from tens of files to a handful of really necessary assets.

WooCommerce, forms and other dynamic areas

Stores have their own special cases: The well-known cart fragments-script can cause many repeated requests via admin-ajax.php. I only load this function in areas where it makes sense (product, shopping cart, checkout pages) and deactivate it in blogs or landing pages. I cache mini-carts where possible and only update them when there is real interaction. For product images, I consistently use srcset and preloade the first visible image.

For forms I reduce Polling-intervals, send validations in bundles and use debouncing so that input is not transmitted with every keystroke. I implement searches and filters via cached endpoints (e.g. REST) wherever possible so that repeated identical requests are served from the cache. This reduces the server load, the number of HTTP requests and improves perceived speed.

Further refine images, iframes and media

For the LCP image I use fetchpriority="high" and set a precise preload. At the same time, I pay attention to width/height or a CSSaspect-ratio, so that there is no layout shift. I provide images with decoding="async", to avoid blocking the rendering, and set lazy only where it makes sense: The first Picture should not be lazy, all others should be.

I replace external iframes (YouTube, Maps, Social) with light previews. Instead of loading the entire widget immediately, I show a static preview image and only load the real embed after clicking. This way, I eliminate numerous initial requests that are unnecessary for the first interaction. For my own videos, I use poster images, modern codecs and stream adaptively so that no large files block synchronously.

Clean cache headers and cache busting

Many requests arise because browser or CDN caches do not work optimally. I define for static assets (CSS, JS, fonts, images) long TTLs with Cache control and set the flag immutable. To roll out updates securely, I use Versioning in file names or WordPressver-parameters. Important: The CDN must cache query strings correctly, otherwise you will lose ?ver=-parameters lose their effect and it is reloaded unnecessarily.

ETag and Last-Modified so that revalidations run quickly and if-none-match/if-modified-since-responses help to save data volume. With stale-while-revalidate the site remains responsive while updates are carried out in the background. Together, this results in fewer round trips and cleanly scheduled updates without cache chaos.

Avoid mistakes: When bundling and minify are too much of a good thing

At HTTP/2/3 I don't have to squeeze every bit into a single file. Bundles that are too large make cache hits, because every change invalidates the entire block. I find a middle way: a few, logically separated bundles that keep the critical path small and still allow reuse (e.g. a global core bundle, a template bundle, a rarely changed vendor bundle).

Minification can also cause problems: Uglify/Minify can damage functions in some plugins. I therefore test step by step and exclude critical scripts from Minify/Combine if necessary (e.g. inline JSON, payment scripts, Captcha). The goal is a more stable, short critical path, no risk bundle that breaks with every update.

Measurement methodology: reliable testing instead of guesswork

I measure with reproducible profiles: Desktop and mobile separately, with realistic bandwidths and CPU throttling. In the DevTools I use Coveragein order to Unused CSS/JS and the waterfall chart to see which requests are waiting, stacked or slowed down by priorities. I compare First View and Repeat View, to check whether cache headers really work and whether the number of requests is actually halved or better when revisiting.

I also set up guardrails: maximum number Requests per page type, LCP target, budget for third-party providers. New features only go live if they meet the budgets. This keeps the site fast in the long term - not just directly after an optimization round.

Server-side subtleties: TTFB and TLS

In addition to the pure number of requests, the server response time also counts. I keep OPcache active, tune PHP-FPM, ensure lean plugins and minimize databaseround trips. With TLS, I ensure a short certificate chain, current TLS 1.3 and activated OCSP Stapling. Together with HTTP/3, this reduces handshake times and speeds up initial requests considerably - especially for mobile users.

Briefly summarized

I reduce the number of requests by activating caching, bundling CSS/JS, modernizing images and delaying external scripts. load. I host fonts locally and preload critical resources cleanly and targeted. A CDN with HTTP/2/3 and fast hosting reduce latency and TTFB. I use measurements in PageSpeed, Lighthouse and GTmetrix to check whether LCP, TBT and CLS are slipping into the target corridor. This process often makes the leap from sluggish 70+ requests to speedy pages that are well below 50 in just a few hours.