WordPress 6.4 is the latest major update of the popular content management system, and it comes with many exciting features and enhancements. One of the main focuses of this release is improving the performance of WordPress sites, both on the front-end and the back-end. In this article, we will explore some of the performance improvements that WordPress 6.4 brings to the table.
Template Loading Performance
WordPress 6.4 introduces a new way of loading templates for themes, both block-based and classic. Instead of loading all the possible templates for a given request, WordPress 6.4 only loads the relevant templates, based on the query and the theme hierarchy. This reduces the number of database queries and file system operations, resulting in faster page load times.
Script Loading Strategies
WordPress 6.4 also improves the way scripts are loaded on the front-end, by using the defer and async attributes for script tags. These attributes tell the browser to load the scripts in a non-blocking way, meaning that they do not interfere with the rendering of the page. This can improve the perceived performance and user experience of WordPress sites, especially on mobile devices.
WordPress 6.4 also adds new functions and filters for developers to control the script loading strategies for their own scripts, as well as core, block, and theme scripts. This gives more flexibility and power to optimize the performance of WordPress sites.
Autoloaded Options
WordPress 6.4 introduces a new function, wp_get_default_autoloaded_options, that returns an array of option names that are autoloaded by default. Autoloading means that the options are loaded into memory on every page load, regardless of whether they are needed or not. This can cause performance issues, especially on sites with many plugins and options.
WordPress 6.4 also adds a new filter, pre_option_{$option}, that allows developers to override the value of any option before it is retrieved from the database. This can be used to prevent unnecessary database queries for options that are not needed on certain pages.
Other Performance Improvements
WordPress 6.4 also includes many other performance improvements, such as:
Reducing the number of attachment pages generated by default, which can improve the SEO and crawlability of WordPress sites.
Improving the caching of block assets, such as stylesheets and JavaScript files, which can reduce the bandwidth and server load.
Updating the bundled themes to use modern performance best practices, such as responsive images, lazy loading, and web fonts.
Adding new hooks and filters for developers to fine-tune the performance of WordPress sites. WordPress 6.4 is a significant update that brings many performance benefits to WordPress users and developers
Useful Links
https://wordpress.org/news/2023/11/shirley/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/10/23/wordpress-6-4-field-guide/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/6-4/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/tag/6-4/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/08/22/roadmap-to-6-4/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/10/18/image-loading-optimization-enhancements-in-6-4/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/10/17/improvements-to-template-loading-in-wordpress-6-4/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/10/17/improvements-to-object-caching-in-wordpress-6-4/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/10/17/script-loading-changes-in-wordpress-6-4/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/10/17/miscellaneous-editor-changes-in-wordpress-6-4/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/10/16/changes-to-attachment-pages/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/10/17/html-markup-improvements-to-the-login-and-registration-page/
https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/10/17/new-option-functions-in-6-4/
