Limit, disable, block, log all WP HTTP requests. Limit by request count, page load time or lower timeout for each request. Speed up WordPress login and admin pages with free plugin HTTP Requests Manager.
Page performance recorded with time and memory usage when each WP_HTTP request happens. Check points recorded with information containing list of loaded plugins and common WordPress action hook calls.
Table of Contents
Prevent WP HTTP requests to slow down your WordPress website and admin interface
Do you have a slow WordPress admin that takes longer than usual to load? Sometime longer than 5 seconds to load admin or login pages. In rare occasions WordPress may even timeout and show 504 page.
Reason may be slow external HP HTTP requests. This plugin will log all WP HTTP requests with time taken to complete each request. If there are multiple request per page they will be color grouped.
Plugin helps to prevent website slowdown by:
- Sets request timeout period to 1 second. Where default is 5.
- Limit number of request per page by 3. Default is unlimited.
- Limit WP HTTP request if page load time is longer than 3 seconds. Default is unlimited.
- Option to block all external requests or allow only requests to wordpress.org for plugin, theme and core updates.
Screenshot shows latest HTTP requests and reason why they are blocked. Also summary show at the top with total percentage of blocked requests (63% in current view). Hosts card shows that there are 7 different hosts were requests sent. When you hover over card tooltip will show breakdown of hosts in percentage. We can see that 73% or requests were made to api.wordpress.org website. Also we can see that plugins actively using external requests to load data and some promotions from their servers.
Log summary populated for visible logs in selected page. Summary has following information cards:
- Blocked requests percentage. When hovered it will show request breakdown by core, plugins or theme.
- Number of requests per page. When hovered shows breakdown by page type: Frontend, admin, login, cron, ajax, rest_api.
- Request time / Page time percentage.
- Average page time.
- Average request time.
- Number of hosts. On hover shows breakdown of hosts.
Check this video overview of plugin in mobile browser.
What is detected with HTTP Requests Manager?
Plugin only detects and manages requests made using WP_Http class. Which is default method used and advised by WordPress for getting remode data and updates.
Plugin will not detect any requests made by other WordPress classes like WP_Http_Curl or PHP functions like curl_exec, fsockopen, file_get_contents etc.
Do not confuse it with asset (css, js, image) requests done by HTML page. WP_Http requests are performed only inside PHP files and not visible in web browser.
| WP_Http requests | HTML page requests |
|---|---|
| ✔️ Managed by this plugin | ❌ NOT managed by this plugin |
| Requests performed in your web server inside PHP files while generating web page. | Performed in client browser after page generated and loaded to web browser. |
| Load data from Web API; WordPress core, plugin, theme updates; plugin news, plugin addons, stats etc. | Loads page asset files to the browser: JavaScript, CSS, images, fonts, videos etc. |
| Effects Time To First Byte (TTFB) | Effects: First Contentful Paint (FCP), Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) & Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) |
Check this tutorial if you are interested in reducing HTML page requests.
Operation mode
Plugin has single setting to manage WP_HTTP requests.
Here is what each mode does:
- Only log HTTP requests — logs all non cron requests. No blocking done.
- Only log HTTP requests (+ cron requests) — logs all requests including cron. No blocking done.
- Smart block — logs non cron HTTP requests and blocks request using following rules.
- Page processing time exceeded 3 seconds.
- Number of request for single page reached 3.
- Sets timeout for each request (except file downloads) to 1 second.
- Sets number of redirects for request to 1.
- Block external requests — all requests not matching your current domain will be blocked. No updates for WordPress core, plugins and themes. + Smart block features.
- Block external requests (allow WordPress.org only) — all requests not matching your current domain and wordpress.org will be blocked. Allows updates for WordPress core, plugins and themes coming from wordpress.org website. + Smart block features.
HTTP Requests Manager Features
- View blocked requests by this plugin. Show reason why it was blocked.
- View failed requests with error message.
- View what initiated HTTP request: WordPress core, plugin or theme.
- View on which page request was made. Also view page type is frontend, admin, login, cron, ajax or rest_api.
- View list of other requests made on same page view.
- View sent and received data.
- How long it took to get response in seconds.
- Check Point with page time and memory usage for most common hooks like plugins_loaded, init, wp_loaded, setup_theme, after_setup_theme, shutdown. This will give some idea about cause of slow pages.
- Log data stored for a day.
Check what is sent to remote server and which response received. Use this information when choosing or configuring plugins for your website. Avoid using plugins and features that regularly performs unnecessary remote API requests.
Request time and memory usage recorded along with loaded plugin information. You can see which actions slowed down page generation significantly. Ideal page generation time for front end pages should always be below 1 second.
Cron pages can take as long as needed because they are run in background and not visible to site visitors.
Use cases
Case 1: Check if your website slow because of WP HTTP requests. Average page load time, average request time and average number of requests per page shown as summary at the top of reports.
Case 2: Block all external request on development or localhost website. All updates will be blocked. You switch off blocking when you want to perform Core, Plugin, Theme updates. No need to use define('WP_HTTP_BLOCK_EXTERNAL', true); in your wp-config.php. Plugin will prevent requests automatically when you choose “Block external requests” or “Block external requests (allow WordPress.org only)” operation mode.
Case 3: Block non WordPress request. No data will be sent to third parties. They are usually loading other website news, plugin/theme promotions, advertisements, sending usage statistics etc.
Case 4: Prevent your website from timeout. By blocking all requests if page generation time exceeds 3 seconds. Kill slow HTTP request with small timeout of 1 second. Slow request can be because of temporary network problem or remove website can be too busy to respond on time. Slow request is not your fault so your website should not suffer from it.
WP_HTTP request blocked by HTTP Requests Manager plugin because page generation time exceeded 3 seconds defined by “Smart Block” operation mode. Blocking further requests should prevent increasing page generation time.
More info about “HTTP Requests Manager” plugin
- Official home page → https://veppa.com/http-requests-manager/
- WordPress plugin page → https://wordpress.org/plugins/http-requests-manager/
Changelog
1.1.0 – 12 June 2023
- Added: Separate table to log page info like check point with time and memory usage.
- Added: New tab to show Check Points for page with time and memory usage in request details popup window.
- Fixed: Remove plugin tables on uninstall.
- Update: Reduced response body before sending to view in admin panel. This will reduce loaded json data size.
- Update: Clear log button now recreates tables which will eliminate table inconsistency with new versions of plugin in future.
1.0.7 – 5 June 2023
- Initial release. Log HTTP Requests (version 1.4) used as base.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long logs stored in database?
HTTP request logs stored in database 1 day.
Does plugin removes logs and options on uninstall?
Yes, it removes logs and options stored in database.
Conclusion
With HTTP Requests Manager plugin you can view all requests and optimize WordPress to remain fast in frontend and backend. If you have experienced timeouts on WordPress login page or inside admin panel then check WP_HTTP requests.
External HTTP requests can be used to check for updates, loading promotional materials by some plugins, loading information from remote servers or sending statistics without your permission to other third party websites? Learn what is happening in your WordPress with HTTP requests. Prevent any page generation slowdowns or disable external HTTP requests completely using this plugin.
Alternatively reduce number of used plugins to prevent additional server load.
Recorded log records and summary cards will show you whole picture regarding requests within you WordPress website. Choose what to do using simple operation mode switch.
When you find any unexpected external calls to third party servers then you can communicate with related plugin author and ask for adding control to disable those requests or asking permission before sending those requests.
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More projects can be found on projects page.