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WordPress Guide → SEO → Lazy Load
WordPress lazy load: A quick ‘how to’ guide
If you’re looking to improve your site’s performance and enhance user experience, lazy loading is an effective strategy. This technique delays the loading of images and other media until they’re needed, which can significantly speed up page load times and reduce server load.
How to manually implement lazy loading on WordPress
To manually implement lazy loading on your WordPress site, you’ll need to add some custom code to your theme. Follow these steps:
- Edit your theme’s functions.php file: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Appearance and then Theme Editor. Open the functions.php file.
- Add the lazy loading script: Insert the following script to enable lazy loading for images:
function add_lazyload_to_images($content) { if (is_feed() || is_preview()) { return $content; } if (false !== strpos($content, 'data-src')) { return $content; } $content = preg_replace('/3. Save changes: After adding the script, save the changes to your functions.php file. Your images should now load lazily as users scroll down the page.
How to implement lazy loading with a plugin
Using a plugin is a more streamlined way to enable lazy loading on your WordPress site. One popular choice is WP Rocket, known for its user-friendly interface and robust features. Here’s how to get started:
- Install the WP Rocket plugin: Purchase and download WP Rocket from their official website. In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins, click Add New, upload the WP Rocket zip file, and activate the plugin.
- Access WP Rocket settings: Navigate to the WP Rocket settings by clicking on Settings in your dashboard menu, then select WP Rocket.
- Enable lazy loading: In the WP Rocket settings, go to the Media tab. Check the boxes for Enable for Images and Enable for Iframes and Videos to activate lazy loading for all images and embedded content on your site.
- Save changes: Click the Save Changes button at the bottom of the page to apply your new settings.
What is lazy loading?
Lazy loading is a web performance technique that defers the loading of non-critical resources until they are needed. It’s particularly beneficial for websites with heavy media content such as images and videos. By only loading media when it comes into the viewport, lazy loading can improve page load times and reduce server load.
How does lazy loading work?
When a user visits a webpage, the browser initially loads the essential content. As the user scrolls, JavaScript triggers the loading of images and videos that are yet to be displayed. Here’s how it works:
- Placeholder or Low-Quality Image – Initially, a lightweight placeholder or a blank space is loaded in place of the actual resource.
- Intersection Observer API (or Scroll Event Listener) – The browser detects when the user scrolls close to a lazy-loaded resource.
- Resource Loading on Demand – When the resource enters the viewport (or a predefined threshold), the real content is fetched and displayed.
Benefits of lazy loading on a WordPress site
Implementing lazy loading on your WordPress site offers several significant benefits.
- Reduced Bandwidth Usage: Resources load only when needed, reducing unnecessary data transfer. This saves users’ mobile data, making it ideal for bandwidth-conscious visitors.
- Improved Server Performance: It reduces initial server load by deferring requests for off-screen assets. This helps servers handle more concurrent users efficiently.
- Better User Experience: Pages become interactive faster, preventing laggy or incomplete page loads. This keeps visitors engaged, reducing frustration from slow-loading pages.
- SEO Benefits: Faster load times improve search rankings, as speed is a Google ranking factor. This reduces bounce rates by ensuring a smoother browsing experience.
- Lower Resource Consumption on User Devices: It saves CPU and memory usage, especially on low-powered devices. This prevents browser slowdowns from excessive resource loading.
Additional considerations
While lazy loading can greatly enhance your WordPress site’s performance, it’s important to be aware of some potential drawbacks.
Poor implementation can actually reverse many of the benefits. Images or videos then take too long to load, which has a negative effect on UX and SEO.
Additionally, some users may have JavaScript disabled, which could prevent lazy loading from functioning correctly. This could result in a significant portion of your audience not seeing images or videos, affecting their experience on your site.
Lastly, while many plugins facilitate lazy loading, not all are created equal. Some may conflict with other features or plugins, leading to unexpected issues. Thoroughly testing your site after implementing lazy loading is crucial to ensure everything works smoothly.
Upgrade your WordPress hosting for better speeds
Optimizing your WordPress site doesn’t stop at lazy loading; upgrading your hosting can significantly enhance speed and performance. A reliable hosting provider ensures your site loads quickly, even during high traffic periods, improving user experience and search engine rankings.
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Additional resources
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Amanda Valle is Global Director of Organic Search at Liquid Web and a seasoned SEO, user acquisition, digital marketing leader. She has 20+ years of experience in digital marketing, SEO, and content marketing, and holds certifications from SEMrush and Google Analytics. When she’s not driving revenue, she enjoys spending time with her girls.