How to Eliminate Render Blocking Issues in WordPress

Learn how to eliminate render-blocking javascript and CSS in above the fold content in WordPress sites.

For most scenarios, whenever you check your website over Google Pagespeed Insights, you will get a prompt to removing the render-blocking scripts along with CSS. 

You can find loads of ways to do it, but unfortunately, there are no ways indicated over the page for the same. There are some selected ways to do it over the WordPress website.

In this article, you will know about the different approaches to fixing the render-blocking issues over a WordPress website. It is essential for you to know those ways to enhance your Google Page Speed Score.

What is Render Blocking CSS and JavaScript?

The render blocking CSS and JavaScript slow down your web pages. Apart from impacting the page speed, they also put an adverse effect on the site SEO. But site speed is an important aspect that helps your website rank well in the eyes of search engines. 

The general usability also depends upon this factor for which removing the render-blocking CSS and JavaScript becomes necessary.

The render blocking CSS and JavaScript will deteriorate your site efficiency, and you will start to lose visitors. You need to adapt all the possible measures to reduce the loading time of web pages. 

The lighter scripts over your website need fewer loading time over the heavier scripts. Online businesses need faster websites so that the visitors or customers do not have to wait much to check out product or service offerings.

There are several ways using which you can achieve that. One of the common ways is to keep the coding aspects less on your website to optimize the page speed. Whether the scripts are essential for the landing page or not is what you have to decide on. Next, you can plan on integrating them for the other webpages.

Remove Render Blocking CSS and JavaScript Using WP Rocket

WP Rocket is a renowned plugin that is embedded onto the WordPress websites for optimizing the site speed. There are loads of features integrated within this plugin that helps in suppressing the CSS and JavaScript. Apart from that, the WP-Rocket Plugin is helpful for rectifying the bigger image loading aspects as well.

WP Rocket Plugin is worth paying the price for and is reasonable as compared to the features it offers. Hint: Wait for WP Rocket Black Friday 2021 Deals and enjoy 25% Off on all plans.

Below are the steps you must follow while installing the plugin and fixing the render-blocking CSS and JavaScript:

1. Get the WP Rocket Plugin and install it onto your WordPress website by visiting the repository. 

After you have downloaded it, go to your plugins section over the WordPress website and then click on ‘Add Plugins.’

Find the source and choose the WP Rocket plugin to activate it right away.

2. Now, check out the settings section, and you will get to see all the feature options of the plugin that will be helpful for site optimization. 

3. Find the tab that says ‘File Optimization’ and then locate CSS Files. Now, enable “Optimize CSS Delivery” to remove the render-blocking CSS issues in WordPress sites.

4. Just below it check for ‘JavaScript Files’ options. Soon after you have found it, turn the ‘Load JavaScript Deferred’ tab on. It is eventually designated to eliminate Render Blocking JavaScript.  Enable the ‘Safe Mode’ as well to protect your website from breaking down.

Follow these steps, clear cache and then prefer checking your page speed once again to ensure there are no render blocking issues interrupting your page performance.

You can go to Google Page Insights and enter your website URL onto it to get statistics about your website loading speed or Page Speed.

With these statistics, you will be able to determine whether the plugin integration was fruitful for optimizing the website or not. If the process still shows some amounts of render blocking issues then you can go for certain advanced settings of the plugin.

While WP Rocket is paid all in one WordPress Speed up plugin, below comes the settings from a free plugin called AutoOptimize.

Fix Render Blocking CSS and JavaScript with Auto Optimize

AutoOptimize Plugin is yet another successful alternative for freeing your WordPress websites for heavy Render blocking CSS and JavaScript. 

There are certain steps that you need to follow post-installation of the AutoOptimize to eradicate the troubles affecting the page loading speed. 

Here are the steps:

The first step is to make sure that you have downloaded the AutoOptimize plugin and got it activated on your WordPress website.

Now, go to the settings and select the AutoOptimize plugin tab to check out all the options you have. All the options available over the plugin are meant for optimizing your website to increase the loading speed.

Next, you need to look for two options, i.e., ‘Optimize JavaScript Code?’ and ‘Optimize CSS Code?’. These two options are pre-defined for clearing the render blocking CSS and JavaScript code from the website or web pages.

After you check those boxes, click on the ‘Save Changes and Empty Cache’ tab to activate the changes for clearing the render blocking CSS and JavaScript.

This process embedded by the AutoOptimize plugin is enough to suppress the heavy scripts for ensuring better page speed aspects. After you have implemented these steps, make sure you run the Page Speed Insights once again to check for any JS and CSS blocking that is still present. 

If you follow all the above steps, there is a minor chance you would find any render blocking scripts on your WordPress website.

Conclusion

The above-mentioned ways are highly preferred for rectifying the render blocking issues on a WordPress website. There are different plugins available for integration, but WP Rocket and AutoOptimize are two plugins with efficient functionalities and performance. 

Thus, if you own a WordPress website and want to improve your page speed, then integrate these plugins to optimize your webpages.