HTTP Requests Manager

Prevent WP HTTP requests from slowing 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 WP_HTTP requests. HTTP Requests Manager plugin will log all WP HTTP requests with time taken to complete for each request. If there are multiple requests per page they will be color grouped.

Check plugin overview on YouTube | Watch plugin tutorials

Plugin tested with PHP version 5.6, 7.x and up to 8.5.

Do not confuse WP_HTTP request with HTML requests that loads page assets like js, css, image, font

Plugin only detects and manages requests made using WP_Http class. Which is default method used and advised by WordPress for getting remote 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 HTML requests (loading assets like css, js, image) done by HTML page. WP_Http requests are performed only inside PHP files and not visible in web browser.

Learn more about difference between WP_HTTP requests and HTML requests

How plugin prevents slow pages containing WP_HTTP requests?

Plugin helps to prevent website slowdown by:

• Sets request timeout period to 2 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.

Operation mode

Plugin has following operation modes in 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.
  1. Page processing time exceeded 3 seconds.
  2. Number of request for single page reached 3.
  3. Sets timeout for each request to 2 second.
  4. Sets number of redirects for request to 1.
  5. Apply custom rules for “Smart block” defined in settings.
  6. Prevent some built in requests: happy browser, maybe update, self pings, do_enclose.
  7. Skip some limitations listed above for: file downloads (plugin, theme, other), requests inside cron jobs.
• 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.)

Read the full description on the official page →