Jetpack Boost offers a powerful starting point, but performance can also depend on your theme, plugins, third-party scripts, hosting, and how your site content is structured. If you’ve already enabled Boost and followed the guide to improve your site speed score, this guide shares additional steps to help you go even further.
Where to start
A good first step is to test your site using tools like Google PageSpeed Insights. These tools help identify specific issues and offer actionable suggestions. You can use your Jetpack Boost score as a reference, but it’s more important to focus on how the site feels to visitors and to address the real bottlenecks these tools highlight.
Optimize theme and plugin setup
Some themes and plugins add extra code to every page—even when it’s not needed. A lightweight setup can make a big difference.
- Use a fast, well-coded theme. Themes vary widely in performance. If your current theme loads slowly, try switching temporarily to a default theme like Twenty Twenty-Five and comparing your PageSpeed score and visual loading time.
- Remove unused plugins and themes. If you’re not using it, it’s best to delete it. This helps reduce CSS and JavaScript bloat.
- Turn off Jetpack modules you don’t need. From Jetpack → Settings, disable features not essential to your site.
Cut down on third-party scripts
Scripts from external sources—like analytics, ad networks, social feeds, or marketing tools—can delay page rendering.
- Audit what’s loading. Use tools like PageSpeed or your browser’s DevTools to spot third-party scripts that might slow things down. In Chrome: right-click the page → Inspect → Network tab → refresh. Look for items loading from other sites (like ads or fonts). If something looks unfamiliar or unnecessary, it may be worth disabling a plugin or checking with your theme or host for advice
- Limit embeds and popups. Things like videos, social feeds, or popups often load extra scripts that can slow down your site. Only use what’s really needed, and avoid adding too many at once.
Use a caching plugin (if needed)
Jetpack Boost includes basic page caching, and some hosts provide their own. If you’re not using Boost, or your host doesn’t cache pages automatically and if you are looking for more advanced caching options, you can try WP Super Cache.
Optimize your images manually
Jetpack Boost’s Image CDN resizes and compresses images automatically. But if you’re not using it—or want even more control—you can:
- Resize images before uploading them.
- Use tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim.
- Choose the right format (JPEG for photos, WebP if supported).
- Replace oversized or full-width images when not necessary.
Use a CDN for static files
If you’re not using Jetpack Site Accelerator or Boost’s Image CDN, consider enabling them or using a service that provides this service. A CDN delivers your site’s static content (images, scripts, stylesheets) from servers closer to your visitors, reducing load time.
Reduce layout shift
If your page moves around while loading, your Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) score will suffer. Here’s how to fix that:
- Avoid inserting content above existing content after page load.
- Use themes that load in a stable, predictable way.
Offload resource-heavy features
Features like search or related posts can slow down your site if handled on your own server. Jetpack offers cloud-powered options for both:
- Jetpack Search replaces WordPress’s built-in search with fast, scalable results.
- Related Posts can be served from Jetpack’s servers instead of being calculated on the fly.
Clean up your database
Old revisions, spam comments, and transients can slow your site down. You can use a plugin from the WordPress.org Plugin Directory to tidy up. These plugins typically offer one-click cleanup tools, and they explain what each item does before deleting anything. Be sure to back up your site first.
Check your server
A slow server can limit everything else you’ve optimized. If PageSpeed says your server is slow (look for ‘Reduce initial server response time’), talk to your hosting provider. Some may offer better performance plans or built-in caching.
If performance doesn’t improve, consider switching to a host optimized for WordPress.
Need help?
Jetpack Support is here for Boost-specific questions. While we can’t offer hands-on help with broader performance tuning, this guide is here to help you take the next steps and every improvement adds up.
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