A Beginner's Guide to Installing and Using the ​Perfmatters WP Plugin

Introduction

WordPress, a popular content management system (CMS), offers numerous plugins to enhance website functionality, user experience, and performance. One such plugin is Perfmatters. It streamlines your website by removing unnecessary features, optimizing code, and implementing a variety of performance-enhancing tweaks. This guide will provide you a detailed step-by-step installation process and show you how to harness Perfmatters to its full potential.

Installing Perfmatters on Your WordPress Site

Purchase and Download the Plugin: Before the installation, you need to purchase Perfmatters from their official website. After successful purchase, you can download the plugin in a ZIP file format.

Upload the Plugin to WordPress: Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard. Navigate to the "Plugins" section on the left-hand sidebar, and click on "Add New". On the top of the next page, you'll find the "Upload Plugin" button. Click on it, and you'll see the option to upload the ZIP file that you just downloaded.

Install and Activate the Plugin: After uploading the ZIP file, click on "Install Now". WordPress will unpack the plugin and install it for you. Once the installation is complete, click on "Activate Plugin". You can find the Perfmatters plugin in your installed plugins list.

Understanding and Using Perfmatters' Features

Script Manager

One of Perfmatters' most powerful features is the Script Manager, which lets you disable scripts on a per-page/post basis. This means you can prevent unnecessary scripts from loading on specific pages/posts, improving load times. 
To use this feature:

Navigate to any post or page in your WordPress admin dashboard.

Click on "Script Manager" in the top admin bar.

You will see a list of all scripts and styles loading on that page/post.

You can disable any script or style by clicking on the "Disable" button.

Performance-Basic Settings

Perfmatters allows you to disable unnecessary WordPress default options that could be slowing your site down. To tweak these settings:
Go to "Settings" > "Perfmatters" in your WordPress admin dashboard.

Here, you will see a list of options under different tabs like "Options", "Extras", "Tools", etc.

Under the "Options" tab, disable features like emojis, embeds, XML-RPC, jQuery migrate, etc. Most of these features are not required for a basic website, and disabling them can improve performance.

For a beginner, it is recommended to keep the default settings in Perfmatters. However, once you are more comfortable with the plugin and have a better understanding of your website's needs, you can experiment with different settings to see what works best for you.

DNS Prefetching

This feature allows you to specify domains for the browser to perform DNS lookups in the background while the user browses. This can reduce latency when the user clicks a link. To enable DNS prefetching:

Navigate to the Perfmatters settings page (go to "Settings" > "Perfmatters").

In the "Extras" tab, you'll find the "Add DNS Prefetch" section. Here, add the URLs you wish to prefetch.

Preloading

Preloading can help prioritize specific resources to ensure they load faster, enhancing user experience. 
To enable preloading:
Navigate to the Perfmatters settings page.

In the "Extras" tab, find the "Add Preload" section. Here, add the URLs you want to prioritize.

Disable RSS Feed

If your website doesn't require an RSS feed, you can choose to disable it. This can help reduce unnecessary requests. To disable the RSS Feed:
Navigate to "Settings" > "Perfmatters" in your WordPress dashboard.

In the "Options" tab, you'll find the "Disable RSS Feed" option. Simply enable this to disable the RSS feed.

Remove jQuery Migrate

jQuery Migrate is a script that helps developers move from older versions of jQuery to newer ones. Most modern WordPress sites do not need this, and removing it can reduce load times. To remove jQuery Migrate:
Navigate to "Settings" > "Perfmatters".

Under the "Options" tab, find the "Remove jQuery Migrate" option and enable it.

Limit Post Revisions

WordPress saves every version of a post or page on your website, which can take up a lot of database space over time. Perfmatters allows you to limit post revisions, saving space and improving database performance. To limit post revisions:
Go to "Settings" > "Perfmatters".

Under the "Extras" tab, scroll to "Post Revisions" and select the maximum number of revisions you wish to keep for each post.

Heartbeat Control

The WordPress Heartbeat API provides real-time backend and frontend notifications, but it can also cause high CPU usage. Perfmatters allows you to control the frequency of these heartbeat pulses. To control the Heartbeat:
Go to "Settings" > "Perfmatters".

Under the "Extras" tab, you'll find the "Heartbeat" section where you can reduce, disable, or modify the heartbeat frequency.

Delay JavaScript

This feature delays the loading of JavaScript until user interaction, which can significantly improve your site's initial load time. To activate this:
Navigate to "Settings" > "Perfmatters" in your WordPress dashboard.

Go to the "Extras" tab and locate the "Delay JavaScript" option.

Enable this feature and add the scripts you wish to delay.

Preconnect

Preconnect allows the browser to set up early connections before an HTTP request is actually sent to the server. This optimizes the connection process. To utilize this:
Go to "Settings" > "Perfmatters", then to the "Extras" tab.

Scroll down to "Add Preconnect" and add the URLs you want to preconnect to.

Lazy Loading

Perfmatters lets you implement lazy loading, which means images, videos, and iframes are loaded only when they come into the user's view. This reduces the initial load time. To enable lazy loading:
Navigate to "Settings" > "Perfmatters".

Go to the "Extras" tab, find "Lazy Loading" and enable this feature. You can choose to lazy load images, videos, and iframes.

Database Optimization

Over time, your WordPress database can accumulate unnecessary data. Perfmatters provides an easy way to clean up and optimize your database. To use this:
Navigate to "Settings" > "Perfmatters".

Under the "Tools" tab, you'll find "Database". Here, you can choose what type of data to clean, like revisions, drafts, and comments.

Once you've selected what to clean, click on "Optimize Now".

Disable Password Strength Meter

WordPress loads a password strength meter script on pages where it's not even needed. Disabling it can reduce unnecessary load. To do this:
Navigate to "Settings" > "Perfmatters" in your WordPress dashboard.

Under the "Options" tab, find the "Disable Password Strength Meter" option and enable it.

Disable Comments

If your website doesn't require user comments, you can disable this feature completely, reducing the load on your server. To disable comments:
Go to "Settings" > "Perfmatters".

Under the "Options" tab, you'll find the "Disable Comments" option. Enable this to turn off comments on your site.

Remove REST API Links

These are used by developers and most websites do not need them. Removing them can clean up your WordPress headers. To remove REST API links:
Go to "Settings" > "Perfmatters".

Under the "Options" tab, find the "Remove REST API Links" option and enable it.

Disable Google Maps

Google Maps scripts can slow down your website, and if you're not using them, disabling is a good idea. To disable Google Maps:
Navigate to "Settings" > "Perfmatters".

Under the "Options" tab, enable the "Disable Google Maps" option.

Google Analytics Optimization

Perfmatters offers options for improving Google Analytics' performance, like local hosting of Google Analytics scripts, adjusting tracking code position, and disabling display features. To optimize Google Analytics:
Go to the Perfmatters settings page.

In the "Google Analytics" tab, you'll find various options. We recommend enabling "Local Analytics" for most sites. This hosts Google Analytics' script locally on your server, reducing external requests.

WooCommerce Optimizations

If your website uses WooCommerce, Perfmatters can provide specific optimizations, like disabling scripts and styles, and cart fragments on non-WooCommerce pages. To enable these:
Go to the Perfmatters settings page.

In the "Options" tab, scroll down to find the "WooCommerce" section. Here, enable the desired optimizations.

Conclusion

Please remember to use these settings judiciously, as improper use might disrupt your website's functionality. Always back up your website before making major changes, and tweak settings one at a time, so you know how each change impacts your site.

This guide has given you the basic tools to get started with Perfmatters. By implementing the strategies outlined here, you'll be well on your way to a faster, more streamlined website.
Each feature should be enabled based on the specific needs of your site. It's crucial to ensure that you understand what each feature does before enabling it to avoid any unwanted effects on your site's functionality. Experimenting and learning what works best for your site is the key to effectively utilizing the Perfmatters plugin.