1How do you configure caching for WooCommerce?
Use WP Rocket or similar tools to enable page caching for catalog pages while excluding cart, checkout, and account URLs. Turn on delay JS execution, optimize CSS delivery, and preload key pages. Pair with server-level caching (Redis object cache) for dynamic fragments. Test compatibility with WooCommerce sessions before deploying live.
Activate WP Rocket’s heartbeat control to reduce admin-ajax load during peak sales.
2What image and media tactics work in 2025?
Batch convert images to WebP/AVIF via Imagify or ShortPixel, enable adaptive image sizing, and lazy load below-the-fold galleries. Replace GIFs with MP4/WebM. For 360 or AR assets, serve through CDNs with device-based fallbacks.
Use Cloudflare Polish or Bunny Optimizer to offload transformations from WordPress.
3How should you handle database cleanup?
Schedule WP-Optimize (or WP-CLI scripts) to purge post revisions, transients, and orphaned options weekly. Enable WooCommerce High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS) for cleaner order tables. Index meta keys used in queries for large catalogs. Back up prior to cleanup runs.
Monitor autoloaded options size; keep it under 1 MB to prevent slow homepages.
4How do you reduce CSS and JS weight?
Bundle and minify theme assets, use Asset CleanUp or Perfmatters to dequeue unused scripts on specific templates, and split vendor bundles for deferred loading. Replace heavy sliders with CSS-based hero layouts. Leverage HTTP/3 so multiple small files load faster when necessary.
Audit plugin requests monthly; remove marketing scripts that do not return measurable revenue.
5How do you keep performance observable?
Install Query Monitor to flag slow queries, hooks, and scripts per request. Pair with New Relic or Cloudflare Observatory for real-user metrics. Track Core Web Vitals in Search Console; set alerts when LCP exceeds two seconds or CLS spikes. Document improvements tied to each change.
Run scheduled Lighthouse reports (via Chrome UX Report API) after major campaigns to confirm the store remains fast.