How to minimize the WordPress plugins usages

If you’ve been using WordPress for a while, chances are you’ve heard this kind of advice: minimize the WordPress plugins you used. This way, your site won’t get slower or at least it prevents it from being slower. That’s true. But, how much performance gain you get, depending on many other factors. Regardless of how much is it, here’s how to minimize the WordPress plugins usages.

Use plugins that can do as much.

Example of these plugins: Jetpack. It replaced so many smaller plugins. I am aware that some people will say: it’s bloated. Well, they are not completely wrong. Let’s see what Jetpack offers.

• It blocks brute force attacks on your wp-login page. When I installed Jetpack, I can remove the Loginizer plugin.

• It gives you free CDN for your images, even if you’re on the free plan.

• It automatically shares your new post to major social networks like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Tumblr.

• It integrates your self-hosted WordPress to WordPress.com (if you’re using self-hosted WordPress)

• It does a daily backup automatically. This is available from its “Personal” plan for $3.5 per month.

• It allows your visitors to post a comment using their WordPress.com account, Twitter or Facebook account.

• It gives you a nice related posts widget.

• It gives your visitors a way to subscribe to your blog when they left a comment there.

• It offers you with share buttons to a myriad of social networks and you can customize them.

• and other features I haven’t mentioned there.

Re-check existing plugins for overlapped functions.

Today, after going through the installed plugins on this blog, I realize two plugins do similar functions. They are “Redirection” and “Pretty Link”.

Both of the plugins add a redirect from a path on this blog to the destination URL. However, the “Pretty Link” doesn’t provide me with 404 error logs. So, I choose the “Redirection” and remove that “Pretty Link” plugin.

You can apply the same pattern with other plugins. For example, Jetpack already blocked malicious login attempts. Therefore, there is no need for the Loginizer plugin anymore. Another one: Jetpack does the daily backup automatically using its VaultPress plugin (I am on JetPack “Personal” plan). So, I remove the Updraft plugins from the site.

Another overlapped function I notice is the SEO plugin I used already provided the way to install Google analytics. However, I don’t realize it earlier and install another plugin to add Google analytics tracking script.

Think again if you need all existing plugins.

I used “Classic Editor” plugins because I don’t want to use the Gutenberg editor. However, after I learn more about Gutenberg, I am in love with that. There’s no reason for me to keep “Classic Editor” anymore.

Another case of mine is installing plugins for my convenience. A month ago, when I just set up Cloudflare in front of this blog’s server, I am tempting to install Cloudflare plugins too.

Soon, after installing it, I remove it. I realize it’s just for my convenience to access the Cloudflare dashboard. Instead, I can open a new tab of my browser and go there directly.

The same case is with Google Analytics. I’ve installed a plugin that let me access the Google Analytics dashboard directly within the WordPress admin dashboard.

Remove duplicated plugins.

I often heard or read that people have multiple cache plugin installed on their WordPress site. Some of them believe it will make their site even faster.

Then, I explain to them. having some plugins that do the same functions is wasting resources. It’s better to choose one of the caching plugins that work well for their site.

Only install the plugin for critical functions.

Those critical functions can vary from site to site. But, the most critical ones, are usually the same:

• Security

• SEO

• Performance: Caching, CDN