This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem: The client is experiencing a decrease in page speed after installing WPML on their website. Solution: We recommend the following steps to improve your site's performance: 1. Disable "Adjust IDs for multilingual functionality" under WPML -> Languages -> Make themes work multilingual, especially if you are using well-known themes like Astra. 2. Reduce the overall page size by compressing media files using plugins like EWWW. 3. Install and configure a page caching plugin such as Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, or WP-Rocket. 4. Implement object caching with Redis to enhance backend performance. This requires support from your hosting or VPS and can be set up using the Redis Cache plugin. Note that some caching plugins like W3 Total Cache also provide object caching. 5. Ensure that the Query Monitor plugin is only active during testing phases to identify slow queries and not enabled in production as it can degrade performance.
If these steps do not resolve the issue or if the solution seems outdated, we highly recommend checking related known issues at https://wpml.org/known-issues/, verifying the version of the permanent fix, and confirming that you have installed the latest versions of themes and plugins. Should the problem persist, please open a new support ticket.
This is the technical support forum for WPML - the multilingual WordPress plugin.
Everyone can read, but only WPML clients can post here. WPML team is replying on the forum 6 days per week, 22 hours per day.
Background of the issue:
I am trying to optimize page speed for my site after installing WPML. Here is the link to the page where the issue can be seen: hidden link
Symptoms:
After installing WPML, my site’s page speed has significantly decreased.
Questions:
Could you please help me configure my WPML settings to increase the speed?
Languages: English (English )Portuguese (Brazil) (Português )
Timezone: America/Sao_Paulo (GMT-03:00)
Hello,
I would like to request temporary access (wp-admin and FTP) to your site to take better look at the issue. You will find the needed fields for this below the comment area when you log in to leave your next reply. The information you will enter is private which means only you and I can see and have access to it.
Our Debugging Procedures
I will be checking various settings in the backend to see if the issue can be resolved. Although I won't be making changes that affect the live site, it is still good practice to backup the site before providing us access. In the event that we do need to debug the site further, I will duplicate the site and work in a separate, local development environment to avoid affecting the live site.
- Please make a backup of site files and database before providing us access.
- If you do not see the wp-admin/FTP fields this means your post & website login details will be made PUBLIC. DO NOT post your website details unless you see the required wp-admin/FTP fields. If you do not, please ask me to enable the private box. The private box looks like this: hidden link
Please, let me know if you need any additional details. Have a nice day.
Languages: English (English )Portuguese (Brazil) (Português )
Timezone: America/Sao_Paulo (GMT-03:00)
All right,
I ran some tests and have some findings to share.
Firstly, checking the difference in the performance when WPML and its addons are not enabled gave me such results:
• Without WPML and its addons
Home page total load time: 3.5 seconds
Memory usage: 121.0 MB
DB queries run time: 0.2144s
• With WPML and its addons
Home page total load time: 4.5 seconds
Memory usage: 149.8 MB
DB queries run time: 0.2843s
Even when WPML is disabled, I'm experiencing some performance issues, and by enabling WPML, the load time and queries number increase slightly, but in a way that is under the acceptable and expected of WPML.
I was able to get the total load time to stay bellow the 4s window(pretty close to when WPML is not on) by going to WPML -> Languages -> Make themes work multilingual and disabling "Adjust IDs for multilingual functionality". For known themes like Astra, this functionality can be disabled without causing issues to your site.
Here are some recommendations that might help increase the performance of the site in general:
- Lower the weight of the page size in MB. Please consider using compress media solutions (EWWW or similar), minimize the media quantity through the pages.
- Consider using the plugin Index WP MySQL For Speed
- Try to use page caching plugin like Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, or WP-Rocket.
- Try to implement object caching with Redis. This significantly improves performance on backend. It requires support on hosting or VPS and a plugin like this one: https://wordpress.org/plugins/redis-cache/. Some page caching plugins like a W3 Total Cache can provide object caching too. In this case, Redis Cache plugin is not needed.
- Make sure that Query Monitor is not enabled for production and only enabled during testing times to determine slow queries (the plugin usually overloads and creates more performance issues).
