Slow page loading

Hi there,

first off try the Optimization tips for Autoptimize provided here:

https://generatepress.com/fastest-wordpress-theme/

Secondly check your background images / background overlay images in Elementor - some of there are being requested from HTTP instead of HTTPs, which creates a redirect. Simply remove the image and then re-add them ... it should update the URL to HTTPS.

Hi David,

Thank you for your quick response.I will look at the Autoptimize now however I thought I should let you know that as part of getting my image size all images, including background overlay have been removed and re-added earlier today. Do you have any further thoughts on that aspect? Also can you tell which ones are requesting from http?

Thanks
Richard

I just added a GT Metrix report in the Site URL field ( in first original topic ). If you check the Pagespeed tab > Minimize redirects you'll see the images being served over HTTP.

You may need to update the URLs on your site - plugins like this help:

https://en-gb.wordpress.org/plugins/velvet-blues-update-urls/

Thanks David, I'll take a look now,

I added Autoptimize and ythat has made an improvement - still not in the green for either desktop or mobile yet.

I noticed that the default settings for "Exclude CSS from Autoptimise" are different to those in the recommended settings - they are wp-content/cache/, wp-content/uploads/, admin-bar.min.css, dashicons.min.css

Should I replace these default setting with your recommended ones, add them to the end of this list or ignore the recommending settings in favour of the defaults?

Thanks
Richard

Hi David,

From last reply I'm sorry but I'm struggling to understand what you mean by:

"I just added a GT Metrix report in the Site URL field ( in first original topic ). If you check the Pagespeed tab > Minimize redirects"

I'm not an expert on Pagespeed, I've only just come across it...

Thanks
Richard

Unless its a very specific need i leave the Autoptimize CSS Exclusions as the Default.

In your original topic: ie. https://generatepress.com/forums/topic/slow-page-loading/#post-1142681

Click the Users Website link to see the GT Metrix Report

I'm sorry but I am still not getting this - I can't for the life of me see a Users Website Link.

I have clicked on the link in the post which takes me back to my initial post ... but I don't see it

So I have run Velvet Blues with all options ticked except GUID updating, http://<my url> to https://<my url> this gave the following:

Success! Your URLs have been updated.

Results
94 Content Items (Posts, Pages, Custom Post Types, Revisions)
0 Excerpts
0 Links
68 Attachments
1 Custom Fields

Unfortunately, no change in PageSpeed scores.
Still not been able to find the Users Website link - I know it'll be so obvious when I find it :)

Maybe you can't see the link .... which would be odd.
Go to:
https://gtmetrix.com

Sign Up for a free account, which will allow you to change the test server to the UK ( under Analyze Options ) and then run a test on your site.

It'll provide a lot greater detail then the just the Pagespeed test.

On the Waterfall tab you'll see the biggest issues is the Waiting Time of the first request - which is something you will need to speak with your host about.

Hi David,

Thanks. I went directly to the gtmetrix site and ran a test there (just using the Canada server). I can see that despite running Velvet Blues the redirects (http > https) to my images are still happening.

It is odd because all of those images are ones I have loaded today and the site has been running https for some time now. Any mote thoughts on that?

I suspected my server is a bit slow - I do have an upgrade option but I would prefer to get my site reasonably optimised with all the obvious stuff resolved first before taking that route.

Should I be using CDN image caching?

Thanks
Richard

You'll probably need to update those background images again as they are added using CSS which Velvet Blues won't update. But by re-adding them should fix it.

The autoptimize is generally enough for most sites aside of keeping things to a minimum.

CDN is good if you're targeting visitors that are not in the same country as your Servers. If thats not the case then its pretty pointless.

Hi David,

I have removed and re-added but it still adds with http rather than https. There doesn't appear to be a way to edit the permalink for the image.

You mention its added by CSS, do I need to make a change to that - where does it pick the information from to use http rather than https?

Thanks
Richard

The CSS is generated by Elementor - so you cannot edit it.
If you go to Media Library and select one of those images - check the URL it provides. If it still says HTTP: then delete the image and re-upload it with a different filename ( WP doesn't like images with the same name ) ... then re-add that to the Elementor background overlay.

Thanks

I've just found that the permalinks for my pages also begin with http rather than https. Does this suggest I have an overall setting that is incorrect somewhere?

To see this I have gone into Pages-><my page> and then the settings block on the right hand side

Cheers
Richard