Perform – Optimize Performance
Optimize WordPress performance with asset controls, page caching, CDN rewriting, and cleanup tools.
Solid choice
Perform – Optimize Performance is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 67/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (200+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & support
Daily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Perform stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| assets | #39 |
| caching | >100 |
| cdn | >100 |
| Optimize | #45 |
| performance | #52 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
Rating breakdown
★★★★★★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
About Perform – Optimize Performance
From the official readme · v1.7.0Description
Perform helps site owners reduce unnecessary frontend work in WordPress. It combines asset controls, cache features, CDN rewriting, and small cleanup modules in one settings area.
Version 1.7.0 focuses on safer, easier-to-understand controls for real sites: a dashboard overview, dashboard-only runtime diagnostics, page cache exclusion and lifecycle controls, an Assets Manager reset action, consistent settings layouts, and Cache Stats integrated into the main settings tabs.
Key capabilities:
- Inspect scripts and styles on the current page with the Assets Manager.
- Disable selected CSS or JavaScript globally or keep it enabled for specific pages.
- Enable full-page caching with cache validation, stale regeneration, preload scheduling, and cache stats.
- Add DNS prefetch and preconnect hints for external resources.
- Rewrite static asset URLs to a CDN when a CDN URL is configured.
- Cache classic WordPress navigation menus on non-block themes.
- Remove common frontend extras such as emojis, embeds, query strings, feed links, REST links, shortlinks, and jQuery Migrate.
- Adjust Heartbeat, autosave, post revision, and self-pingback behavior.
- Apply WooCommerce-specific asset and cart fragment controls when WooCommerce is active.
How Perform works:
- Most modules are disabled until you turn them on.
- Asset changes are reversible from the Assets Manager.
- Existing settings from older Perform versions are preserved during migration.
- Developers can customize selected behavior through Perform filters.
Support
Project site and release updates: https://performwp.com/
For help and troubleshooting, use our WordPress.org support forum: https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/perform
Contributions and bug reports welcome on GitHub: https://github.com/performwp/perform
Contributors
performwp, mehul0810, ankur0812
Installation
- Upload the
performfolder to the/wp-content/plugins/directory, or install Perform from the WordPress plugin directory. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ screen in WordPress.
- Go to Settings > Perform to review and enable the modules you want to use.
Frequently asked questions
Will Perform break my theme or plugins?
Perform is conservative by default. Asset unloading, page cache, CDN rewriting, and integration-specific controls only run when you enable them. If an asset change causes a layout or behavior issue, re-enable that asset from the Assets Manager.
Is this compatible with other caching plugins?
Perform can run alongside many host-level and plugin-level caching setups, but avoid enabling two full-page caches for the same page response unless you understand the cache order. Clear all caches after changing cache, CDN, or asset settings.
Does Menu Cache work with block themes?
Menu Cache is designed for classic themes that render menus through wp_nav_menu(). Block themes generally do not need this module because navigation is rendered through block theme paths.
Does Assets Manager scan the whole site?
Assets Manager scans the current frontend page while you are logged in as an administrator. Use it page by page for safer asset decisions, then test important templates before applying broad changes.
Are settings preserved when updating to 1.7.0?
Yes. Perform 1.7.0 preserves existing public option keys and migrates legacy settings into the current settings shape where needed.
Changelog
Review Assets Manager, cache exclusions, Cache Stats, and runtime diagnostics after updating. Cache Stats now appears under Settings > Perform, and its export and clear actions report progress and results.
1.7.0 – 2026-07-26
- Added a dashboard overview for faster at-a-glance site status.
- Added a dashboard-only runtime diagnostics panel for environment and plugin inspection.
- Added page cache exclusion controls for URLs and content that should bypass cache.
- Added an Assets Manager reset action for safer repeated scans.
- Standardized the General, Bloat, Assets, CDN, Cache, and Advanced settings with shared responsive field layouts and consistent accessible iconography.
- Moved Cache Stats into the main Perform settings tabs while preserving the previous URL for administrators.
- Added clear progress, success, failure, and retry feedback for Cache Stats CSV export and activity clearing.
- Improved full-page cache invalidation after content, comment, taxonomy, settings, theme, and plugin changes, with bounded cleanup and CDN retry handling.
- Hardened sitemap preload traversal and CDN module load gating.
- Improved internal module loading and Assets Manager settings persistence without changing existing setting contracts.
- Aligned the dashboard and public metadata surfaces with version 1.7.0 and refreshed WordPress.org readme wording.
1.6.0 – 2026-05-22
- Redesigned Assets Manager with a more resilient scanner interface and WordPress-native admin controls.
- Added full-page cache controls with safer cache writes, response validation, stale regeneration, preload scheduling, and observability stats.
- Improved settings storage compatibility by preserving existing option keys while migrating legacy settings into the consolidated settings shape.
- Improved release validation with PHPUnit, PHPStan, JavaScript/CSS linting, production build checks, Playwright smoke coverage, and Node 24 tooling.
- Changed Menu Cache to run on classic themes by default, with a developer filter for hybrid themes that still render classic menus.
- Fixed Assets Manager save handling for current-page exceptions, missing option indexes, and admin-only frontend overlay assets.
- Fixed public feed compatibility when hiding the WordPress version.
- Fixed uninstall cleanup so multisite removals include Perform runtime cache and Assets Manager options.
1.5.1 – 2025-12-06
- Added compatibility to WordPress 6.9
- Upgraded Freemius SDK to 2.13
- Upgraded WPCS to 3.3
- Resolved load text domain warning
1.5.0 – 2025-11-01
- Upgraded Settings UI to look and feel premium.
- Optimized code around settings screen.
1.4.1 – 2025-04-26
- Added Freemius integration.
- Moved to PostCSS build and wp-scripts.
- Added PHPStan static analysis.
1.3.1 – 2024-11-13
- WordPress 6.7 compatibility.
- Raised minimum PHP version to 7.4.
Screenshots
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FAQ
Perform – Optimize Performance: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Sep 28, 2026
Is Perform – Optimize Performance free?
Yes. Perform – Optimize Performance is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Perform – Optimize Performance safe to use in 2026?
Perform – Optimize Performance is a solid plugin choice in 2026, with a few things worth checking first. It runs on 200+ sites, is rated 5/5 and was last updated 2 months ago, and scores 67/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Perform – Optimize Performance?
Perform – Optimize Performance is active on 200+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 6,997 times since it launched in March 2019. It was downloaded 173 times in the last 30 days.
Does Perform – Optimize Performance work with WordPress 7.1?
Perform – Optimize Performance is officially tested up to WordPress 7.0.6, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Perform – Optimize Performance need?
Perform – Optimize Performance requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Perform – Optimize Performance last updated?
The latest version, 1.7.0, was released on August 7, 2026 (2 months ago).
Who makes Perform – Optimize Performance?
Perform – Optimize Performance is developed and maintained by Mehul Gohil.
What are the best alternatives to Perform – Optimize Performance?
The most popular alternatives to Perform – Optimize Performance are Site Assets (400+ installs), Custom Upload Folder (300+ installs) and Disable Version Caching (200+ installs).
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