Installing W3 Total Cache Plugin

2 years ago
admin
5 minutes

Why using the W3 Total Cache plugin ?

The first reason is that it’s free and very effective. The W3 Total Cache plugin has been around for years and is successfuly used by millions of websites. However, it can be a little tricky to setup when you start using it, that’s why we propose this simple guide for the Customizr theme.

Using W3 Total Cache plugin enables the process of storing data from existing requests to be re-used for subsequent requests.  Caching prevents repeating database request and serving of same information, by storing data that has already been asked for and serves it up instantly.

W3 Total cache will also help you reduce the sizes of your page by  compressing it (HTML, CSS, Javascript) before it’s actually renders by your browser.

This results in faster page load times, and an improved user experience. In the following guide, you’ll learn how to get excellent speed performance scores as measured by several online tools like, GT Metrix, PingDom, Google Speed Insight, and WebPageTest.

  1. Login to your WordPress Dashboard.
  2. Go to Plugins -> Add New.
  3. Type W3 Total Cache in the search box and enter.
  4. Click Install Now button and follow by activate plugin link.

Setting up the plugin

In your WordPress admin, go to Performance -> General Settings

General

  1. Toggle all caching types on or off (at once):
    • Don’t use this check-box, we will be going though settings and enable only those that we need.
  2. Preview mode:
    • Lets you test configuration changes before they impact on your users. 
    • Switch to Enabled to safely test changes prior to deploying in a live environment. 
    • Remember to deploy after you are done setting.

Page Cache

This option will create and store a static version of visited pages on your server, so that it can be served immediately to browser.
Saves time needed to retrieve content from database, and therefore speeds up loading.

  1. Page cache:
    • Check on the check-box to enable this option.
  2. Page cache method:
    • Select Disk: Enhanced from the drop-down, this is the preferred setting that will work properly on Shared Hosting.
      We will be using this setting for this documentation.
    • Other settings will require installing of PHP extensions, such as Alternative PHP Cache (APC). You will only be able to add PHP extension on Dedicated Server or Virtual Host, either with the help of your Web Hosting company or if you are familiar with server software.
  3. Click on Save all settings button.

Minify

This option will minify (compress) HTML, CSS and Javascript files. It is the process of removing all unnecessary characters from source code without changing its functionality.

  1. Minify:
    • Check on the check box to enable this option.
  2. Minify Mode:
    • Select Auto (radio button)
  3. Minify cache method:
    • Select Disk from the drop-down, this is the preferred setting that will work properly on Shared Hosting.
    • Same as Page Cache option mentioned above, other settings will require installing of PHP extensions.
  4. HTML minifier:
    • Select Default from the drop-down.
  5. JS minifier:
    • Select Default from the drop-down.
  6. CSS minifier:
    • Select Default from the drop-down.
  7. Click on Save all settings button.

Database Cache

This option saves data retrieved from database.

  1. Database cache:
    • Check on the check-box to enable this option.
  2. Database cache method:
    • Select Disk, from the drop-down, this is the preferred setting that will work properly on Shared Hosting.
    • Other settings will require installing of PHP extensions.
  3. Click on Save all settings button.

Object Cache

This option saves common operations.

  1. Object cache:
    • Check on the check-box to enable this option.
  2. Object cache method:
    • Select Disk, from the drop-down, this is the preferred setting that will work properly on Shared Hosting.
    • Other settings will require installing of PHP extensions.
  3. Click on Save all settings button.

Browser Cache

This option uses the cache in the visitors browser.

  1. Browser cache:
    • Check on the check-box to enable this option.
  2. Click on Save all settings button.

CDN

This option is for setting a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

CDN is a large distributed system of proxy servers deployed in multiple data centers via the Internet. You can host your static files, such as Javascript and Stylesheet files on a CDN. The CDN wlll deliver the content of these files from a server that’s nearest to your visitor’s location, this will speed up page load. 

You will have to sign up for a CDN service, such as MaxCDN (recommended by W3 Total Cache plugin).

That’s all for the general settings, skip the remaining options and proceed to setup the remaining of the minify settings.

Minify (Continue)

In your WordPress admin, go to Performance -> Minify

General

  1. Rewrite URL structure:
    • Check on this check-box to enable
  2. Leave other settings intact.
  3. Click on Save all settings button.

HTML & XML

This setting will minify Javascript and CSS that is written within HTML body.

  1. HTML minify settings:
    • Check on the check-boxes of Enable, Inline CSS minification, and Inline JS minification.
    Click on Save all settings button.