/wp-performance

name: wp-performance
description: "Use when investigating or improving WordPress performance (backend-only agent): profiling and measurement (WP-CLI profile/doctor, Server-Timing, Query Monitor via REST headers), database/query optimization, autoloaded options, object caching, cron, HTTP API calls, and safe verification."
compatibility: "Targets WordPress 7.0+ (PHP 7.4.0+). Backend-only agent; prefers WP-CLI (doctor/profile) when available."

WP Performance (backend-only)

When to use

Use this skill when:

• a WordPress site/page/endpoint is slow (frontend TTFB, admin, REST, WP-Cron)
• you need a profiling plan and tooling recommendations (WP-CLI profile/doctor, Query Monitor, Xdebug/XHProf, APMs)
• you’re optimizing DB queries, autoloaded options, object caching, cron tasks, or remote HTTP calls

This skill assumes the agent cannot use a browser UI. Prefer WP-CLI, logs, and HTTP requests.

Inputs required

• Environment and safety: dev/staging/prod, any restrictions (no writes, no plugin installs).
• How to target the install:
• WP root `--path=<path>`
• (multisite/site targeting) `--url=<url>`
• The performance symptom and scope:
• which URL/REST route/admin screen
• when it happens (always vs sporadic; logged-in vs logged-out)

Procedure

0) Guardrails: measure first, avoid risky ops

1. Confirm whether you may run write operations (plugin installs, config changes, cache flush). 2. Pick a reproducible target (URL or REST route) and capture a baseline:

• TTFB/time with `curl` if possible
• WP-CLI profiling if available

Read:

• `references/measurement.md`

1) Generate a backend-only performance report (deterministic)

Run:

• `node skills/wp-performance/scripts/perf_inspect.mjs --path=<path> [--url=<url>]`

This detects:

• WP-CLI availability and core version
• whether `wp doctor` / `wp profile` are available
• autoloaded options size (if possible)
• object-cache drop-in presence

2) Fast wins: run diagnostics before deep profiling

If you have WP-CLI access, prefer:

• `wp doctor check --all` (add `--spotlight` to show only warnings and errors)
• or name the checks for a perf-focused run: `wp doctor check autoload-options-size constant-savequeries-falsy constant-wp-debug-falsy`

`wp doctor check` with no check names and no `--all` exits with an error instead of running anything.

It catches common production foot-guns (autoload bloat, SAVEQUERIES/WP_DEBUG, plugin counts, updates).

Read:

• `references/wp-cli-doctor.md`

3) Deep profiling (no browser required)

Preferred order:

1. `wp profile stage` to see where time goes (bootstrap/main_query/template). 2. `wp profile hook` (optionally with `--url=`) to find slow hooks/callbacks. 3. `wp profile eval` for targeted code paths.

Read:

• `references/wp-cli-profile.md`

4) Query Monitor (backend-only usage)

Query Monitor is normally UI-driven, but it can be used headlessly via REST API response headers and `_envelope` responses:

• Authenticate (nonce or Application Password).
• Request REST responses and inspect headers (`x-qm-*`) and/or the `qm` property when using `?_envelope`.

Read:

• `references/query-monitor-headless.md`

5) Fix by category (choose the dominant bottleneck)

Use the profile output to pick *one* primary bottleneck category:

• **DB queries** → reduce query count, fix N+1 patterns, improve indexes, avoid expensive meta queries.
• `references/database.md`
• **Autoloaded options** → identify the biggest autoloaded options and stop autoloading large blobs.
• `references/autoload-options.md`
• **Object cache misses** → introduce caching or fix cache key/group usage; add persistent object cache where appropriate.
• `references/object-cache.md`
• **Remote HTTP calls** → add timeouts, caching, batching; avoid calling remote APIs on every request.
• `references/http-api.md`
• **Cron** → reduce due-now spikes, de-duplicate events, move heavy tasks out of request paths.
• `references/cron.md`

6) Verify (repeat the same measurement)

• Re-run the same `wp profile` / `wp doctor` / REST request.
• Confirm the performance delta and that behavior is unchanged.
• If the fix is risky, ship behind a feature flag or staged rollout when possible.

WordPress 6.9 performance improvements

Be aware of these 6.9 changes when profiling:

**On-demand CSS for classic themes:**

• Classic themes now get on-demand CSS loading (previously only block themes had this).
• Reduces CSS payload by 30-65% by only loading styles for blocks actually used on the page.
• If you're profiling a classic theme, this should already be helping.

**Block themes with no render-blocking resources:**

• Block themes that don't define custom stylesheets (like Twenty Twenty-Three/Four) can now load with zero render-blocking CSS.
• Styles come from global styles (theme.json) and separate block styles, all inlined.
• This significantly improves LCP (Largest Contentful Paint).

**Inline CSS limit increased:**

• The threshold for inlining small stylesheets has been raised, reducing render-blocking resources.

Reference: https://make.wordpress.org/core/2025/11/18/wordpress-6-9-frontend-performance-field-guide/

Verification

• Baseline vs after numbers are captured (same environment, same URL/route).
• `wp doctor check --all` is clean (or improved) when applicable.
• No new PHP errors or warnings in logs.
• No cache flush is required for correctness (cache flush should be last resort).

Failure modes / debugging

• “No change” after code changes:
• you measured a different URL/site (`--url` mismatch), caches masked results, or opcode cache is stale
• Profiling data is noisy:
• eliminate background tasks, test with warmed caches, run multiple samples
• `SAVEQUERIES`/Query Monitor causes overhead:
• don’t run in production unless explicitly approved

Escalation

• If this is production and you don’t have explicit approval, do not:
• install plugins, enable `SAVEQUERIES`, run load tests