WP Rocket Best Settings for the Optimal Performance

WP Rocket starts caching the moment you activate it. Page cache, mobile cache, preloading and, on new installs, CSS and JavaScript minification are already on, so the WP Rocket best settings come down to the few features it leaves off: Remove Unused CSS, Delay JavaScript execution, lazy loading and font preloading.

Those are also the settings that can break a page. Turn on Remove Unused CSS without a safelist and a slider can lose its styles. Turn on Delay JavaScript without exclusions and a chat widget can sit blank until the visitor scrolls or taps. Below is the setup I’d use on WP Rocket 3.23, tab by tab, with the value for each option, when to leave it off and how to test the result.

I ran WP Rocket on gauravtiwari.org when I first wrote this guide, and the PageSpeed Insights report below comes from that setup in July 2023. The site now runs GT Performance, my own caching plugin, so treat the report as the 2023 result it is.

What WP Rocket Does Out of the Box

WP Rocket is a premium caching and performance plugin from WP Media, the Lyon team that also makes Imagify and RocketCDN. Since version 3.16 there’s no Cache tab to configure, because caching switches on at activation. A fresh install already gives you:

• Page cache and mobile cache, with separate cache files for mobile visitors.
• Preload cache, which finds your sitemaps and builds cached pages before visitors ask for them.
• A 10-hour Cache Lifespan, set to avoid problems with WordPress nonces.
• Browser caching and GZIP compression rules.
• CSS and JavaScript minification on new installs since version 3.18.
• Optimize Critical Images and Automatic Lazy Rendering, which prioritize the main above-the-fold image and hold back rendering further down the page without a setting.

That’s why a new install already feels faster. What’s left is the part that needs your judgment.

Current WP Rocket pricing:

• Single: $59.95 a year for 1 site.
• Plus: $119.95 a year for 3 sites.
• Multi: $299.95 a year for 50 sites, up to $599.95 for 500.
• Refunds: 14 days on a new purchase.

WP Rocket Best Settings by Tab

Open Settings and then WP Rocket, and work through the tabs in this order. Change one setting, save, then check a few key pages logged out before you touch the next one.

File Optimization

This tab decides how CSS and JavaScript load. It holds most of the Core Web Vitals gains and most of the breakage.

• Minify CSS files: on. New installs have it on already.
• Optimize CSS delivery: on, with Remove Unused CSS selected. Add a CSS safelist for elements that appear after a click or scroll, such as menus, popups and sliders. My CSS safelist is a starting point.
• Load CSS asynchronously: use it only if Remove Unused CSS keeps breaking your layout.
• Minify JavaScript files: on.
• Combine JavaScript files: off. It switches off by itself when Delay JavaScript execution is on.
• Load JavaScript deferred: on. Exclude only the scripts that break when deferred.
• Delay JavaScript execution: on, with the one-click exclusions ticked for the plugins, themes and services you use.

My 2023 setup left Delay JavaScript execution unchecked. WP Rocket now calls it the most powerful JavaScript optimization it has, and version 3.18 added one-click exclusions for common plugins, themes and services. It’s also the setting most likely to help Interaction to Next Paint, because less JavaScript runs while the page loads. I’d turn it on and immediately test your menus, forms, sliders and cookie banner.

You won’t find Combine CSS anymore. WP Rocket removed it in version 3.15, so skip any older guide that tells you to set it.

If a layout breaks after this tab, check the CSS safelist and the Delay JavaScript exclusions first. Those 2 settings are where breakage usually starts.

Media

The Media tab controls lazy loading, image dimensions and fonts.

• LazyLoad for images: on. Optimize Critical Images keeps the main above-the-fold image out of lazy loading.
• LazyLoad for iframes and videos: on.
• Replace YouTube iframe with preview image: on. The player loads only when someone clicks it.
• Excluded images or iframes: add a filename or a class such as skip-lazy for any image that should load immediately, like a logo.
• Add missing image dimensions: on. It reduces layout shift from images without width and height attributes.
• Preload fonts: on, in the Fonts section. Since version 3.19 it finds the fonts used above the fold by itself, so you don’t list font files.
• Self-host Google Fonts: on if your theme loads Google Fonts. WP Rocket downloads them and serves them from your domain.

If your theme or another plugin already lazy loads images, keep only one of them on. Two lazy loaders on the same image can stop it from appearing at all.

Preload

• Activate preloading: on. It’s on by default.
• Enable link preloading: on. WP Rocket starts downloading a page when a visitor hovers over its link.

The old Prefetch DNS requests box is gone. Since version 3.19, WP Rocket preconnects to external domains by itself, and font preloading moved to the Media tab. You no longer list font or script hosts by hand.

Advanced Rules

Leave this tab alone unless a specific page needs different treatment.

• Never Cache URL(s): pages that must stay dynamic, such as a custom dashboard. WooCommerce cart, checkout and account pages are excluded already.
• Never Cache Cookies and User Agents: only when a plugin’s documentation asks for it.
• Always Purge URL(s): pages that show your posts but don’t refresh on their own, such as a custom landing page with a post grid.
• Cache Query String(s): only for query strings that change content you want cached.
• Cache Lifespan: keep the 10-hour default. If a form or AJAX action fails on a schedule, an expired nonce is the usual cause, and a shorter lifespan fixes it.

Database

Back up the database first. WP Rocket warns that a cleanup can’t be undone.

• Revisions: on, unless you rely on old versions of posts.
• Auto drafts and trashed posts: on.
• Spam and trashed comments: on.
• Transients: on. WP Rocket notes they’re temporary and plugins regenerate them when needed.
• Optimize tables: on.
• Schedule Automatic Cleanup: on, weekly.

On an active blog, revisions and transients are what pile up. A weekly schedule keeps those tables small without you remembering to run it.

Content Delivery

The old CDN tab is now called Content Delivery, and it has 3 modes: RocketCDN Free, RocketCDN Pro and Other CDN.

• RocketCDN Free: up to 3 pages, unlimited bandwidth and 10 points of presence. Use it on your busiest pages.
• RocketCDN Pro: every page across 100+ points of presence. See RocketCDN for current pricing.
• Other CDN: enter your pull zone’s CNAME, for example a Bunny CDN hostname.
• Cloudflare: don’t enter it here. WP Rocket’s documentation says not to put Cloudflare CNAMEs on this tab; use the Cloudflare add-on instead.

My roundup of WordPress CDN services compares the pull-zone options.

Heartbeat

Turn on Control Heartbeat and set the backend, post editor and frontend to Reduce activity. That changes the Heartbeat API from 1 request a minute to 1 every 2 minutes. Don’t disable it: WordPress uses Heartbeat for autosave and post locking, and WP Rocket warns that disabling it can break plugins and themes.

Add-ons

The Add-ons tab now holds 6 switches:

• Cloudflare: connect it if Cloudflare proxies your site. The setup is below.
• Varnish: only if your host runs Varnish, so WP Rocket clears it too.
• Sucuri: only if you use Sucuri’s firewall.
• WebP Compatibility: it creates a separate cache for browsers that get WebP images. It’s greyed out when Imagify, EWWW, ShortPixel or Optimus already serve WebP, and then you don’t need it.
• User Cache: only for membership or course sites where logged-in visitors make up much of the traffic.
• Rocket Insights: on. It’s free since version 3.21 and tracks up to 10 URLs with GTmetrix-powered tests and scheduled monitoring.

Cloudflare Add-on

1. Turn on the Cloudflare add-on and click Modify options.
2. Enter your Global API key, account email and Zone ID. The add-on doesn’t accept scoped API tokens.
3. Turn on Optimal settings on a live site. Leave Development mode and Relative protocol off.
4. Click Clear all Cloudflare cache files, then save.

The Global API key has full access to your Cloudflare account, so keep it out of screenshots and shared admin logins. My Cloudflare for WordPress setup covers the Cloudflare side.

Image Optimization and Tools

The Image Optimization tab only points you to Imagify, WP Media’s image plugin. Its free plan covers 20 MB of uploads a month, paid plans start at $4.99 a month billed yearly and it converts images to WebP and AVIF.

The Tools tab exports and imports your settings, rolls back to the previous version and has a Safe mode for troubleshooting. Since version 3.23.1, WP Rocket also backs up your settings automatically on every plugin update.

Version 3.23 added an MCP server, so an AI assistant such as Claude can clear the whole cache, clear single pages and check cache status for you.

How to Test Your WP Rocket Settings

Measure before you change anything, then again after each tab.

1. Record a baseline in PageSpeed Insights for your homepage, a post and your busiest landing page. Note the real-user field data separately from the lab score.
2. Add the same URLs to Rocket Insights so you keep a history of every test.
3. Change one setting, save and clear the cache.
4. Open each page logged out in a private window. Open the menu, submit a form, play a video and accept the cookie banner.
5. View the page source and look for WP Rocket’s footer comment: “This website is like a Rocket, isn’t it? Performance optimized by WP Rocket,” followed by a “Debug: cached@” timestamp.
6. Re-run the tests.

A lab score can move in minutes. PageSpeed Insights field data covers the previous 28 days, so give a change 4 weeks before you judge its effect on Core Web Vitals.

WP Rocket vs Alternatives in 2026

WP Rocket isn’t the only way to get these results. The alternatives differ mostly in price, hosting requirements and how much setup they expect.

• FlyingPress: a lighter plugin focused on Core Web Vitals. I compared them directly in FlyingPress vs WP Rocket.
• LiteSpeed Cache: free. Its optimization features work on any server, but page caching needs a LiteSpeed server or QUIC.cloud. On LiteSpeed hosting, test both.
• W3 Total Cache: free and far more granular, which also means far more to configure.
• NitroPack: a hosted optimization service. It’s free for 1,000 pageviews a month, and paid plans start at $8 a month.
• Perfmatters: removes unneeded scripts and bloat but doesn’t cache pages, so it pairs with WP Rocket. See WP Rocket vs Perfmatters.

If you need a CDN beside WP Rocket, Bunny CDN charges $0.01 per GB in Europe and North America, which is $10 per TB, with a $1 monthly minimum.

My guide to the best WordPress caching plugins covers the full comparison.

Where WP Rocket Falls Short

• Uncached pages stay slow on slow hosting. Logged-in users, carts, checkouts and account pages still run PHP and database queries on every visit.
• The strongest settings need upkeep. A new plugin, popup or slider can need a safelist entry or a Delay JavaScript exclusion.
• The Cloudflare add-on needs your Global API key, which has full account access.
• It’s a yearly license. The plugin keeps working after it expires, but updates and support stop.

Each of these is manageable: test after every change and keep the license current.

FAQs on WP Rocket Settings

What to Do Next

Start with File Optimization, since it holds the 2 settings with the biggest upside and the biggest risk. Turn on Remove Unused CSS and test, then turn on Delay JavaScript execution and test again.

After that, Media and Database take about 10 minutes, and the other tabs can stay at their defaults on most sites. My WP Rocket review covers whether it’s the right plugin for you in the first place.

Disclaimer: This site is reader-supported. If you buy through some links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend tools I trust and would use myself. Your support helps keep gauravtiwari.org free and focused on real-world advice. Thanks. - Gaurav Tiwari