Manage WordPress file delivery and caching

JCH Optimize Pro is the paid edition of JCH Optimize. It delivers HTML, CSS, JavaScript, image and caching optimizations intended to reduce browser downloads and the requests needed to render a page. These changes can support efforts to improve First Contentful Paint, Largest Contentful Paint, Speed Index, Cumulative Layout Shift, Time to Interactive and Total Blocking Time. The settings provide controls; actual results depend on the website and its configuration.

Automatic settings apply recommended performance strategies. Pro options add more control over resource delivery for sites that need specific adjustments.

File optimization and loading controls

The plugin can minify CSS, JavaScript and HTML by removing unnecessary whitespace and other characters. It can combine CSS and JavaScript files and manage the combined output. Critical CSS and JavaScript can be placed inline, while non-critical resources can be deferred to reduce render-blocking activity.

• Lazy-load offscreen and hidden pictures.
• Add image width and height attributes to help reduce layout shifts.
• Enable text compression with server instructions placed in the website's .htaccess file.
• Preload critical resources identified for individual pages.
• Use page caching to reduce initial server response time and improve time to first byte.

Pro options and support

Pro capabilities include HTTP/2 support, unused CSS removal, lazy-loading for iframes, image optimization and use of multiple domains with a CDN. The edition also provides access to the Optimize Image API. Other utilities include the Sprite Generator, image attributes, lazy-loaded images, CDN or cookieless domain settings, and CSS delivery optimization.

A subscription includes premium technical support through a ticket system, help configuring the extension to resolve conflicts and improve performance, and access to downloads of new versions. Exclusion settings let you leave out files or extensions that do not work well with combination settings.

Configure and check changes

1. Install and activate JCH Optimize Pro.
2. Temporarily deactivate existing page caching features and extensions.
3. Start with Automatic Settings, from Minimum through Optimum, to configure CSS and JavaScript combining and related groups.
4. Test the site, then add optimization capabilities individually according to its needs.
5. Use exclusions where a file or plugin conflicts with combination settings.
6. Flush all caches before re-enabling other caching features and plugins.

To check whether combining is active, view the page source in a browser and look for the aggregated CSS and JavaScript file URL in place of the original file links.