A Closer Look at the WordPress 6.3 Performance Improvements

WordPress 6.3, released on August 8, 2023, includes many performance improvements. These improvements are designed to make WordPress websites load faster and more efficiently.

One of the most significant performance improvements in WordPress 6.3 is around client-side performance (TTFB). Client-side performance improved for block themes and classic themes.

Another performance improvement in WordPress 6.3 is the optimization of the way that images are loaded. WordPress 6.3 now adds a fetchpriority attribute to images; this helps with the client-side loading of images.

In addition to these specific performance improvements, WordPress 6.3 includes many other changes that can help improve the performance of WordPress websites. These changes include:

• A reduction in the number of queries that are made to the database.
• Improving how a core JavaScript file is loaded helps improve the front-end loading for site users.
• Several improvements have been made in registering and loading core block styles.

The performance improvements in WordPress 6.3 are a significant step forward. These improvements can help to make WordPress websites faster and more responsive, improving the user experience and making websites more competitive.

Here are some additional details about the performance improvements in WordPress 6.3:

• Improved client-side performance of block themes: The new caching system stores the rendered output of block themes in memory. This can significantly reduce the time loading pages that use block themes takes. For example, one benchmark showed that a page with the Twenty Twenty-Two block theme loaded 27% faster in WordPress 6.3 compared to WordPress 6.2.
• Image Performance Enhancements: WordPress 6.3 now automatically adds a fetch priority attribute to images, improving the LCP for site visitors. Also, the lazy loading has been improved in version 6.3 of WordPress.
• Other performance improvements: In addition to the caching for block themes and deferred image loading, WordPress 6.3 also includes many other performance improvements. These include:
  • A reduction in the number of queries that are made to the database
  • A reduction in how core WordPress JS files are loaded, such as the emoji-loader.js file.

These performance improvements are a welcome addition to WordPress. They can help make WordPress websites faster and more responsive, improving the user experience and making websites more competitive.

In today’s digital era, ensuring your website remains updated, secure, and user-friendly is paramount to its success. Upgrading to WordPress 6.3 offers many enhancements that bolster site security and performance and introduce innovative features to improve user experience and site management.

Embracing this update ensures you benefit from the latest technological advancements while safeguarding your site against potential vulnerabilities.

Staying updated with WordPress 6.3 positions your website at the forefront of the digital landscape, ensuring it meets contemporary standards and delivers optimal user performance.

Useful Links

• https://make.wordpress.org/core/6-3/
• https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/08/07/wordpress-6-3-performance-improvements/
• https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/07/14/improved-caching-for-database-queries-in-wp_user_query/
• https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/07/17/improvements-to-the-cache-api-in-wordpress-6-3/
• https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/07/18/miscellaneous-developer-changes-in-wordpress-6-3/