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Free Plugin by Kaspars v0.5.2

Widget Output Cache

Improve website performance by caching widget output in WordPress transients.

Widget Output Cache

The facts

Rating
4.9★ from 7
Active installs
200+
Price
Free
Last updated
18 May 2023
Added
Mar 2013
Requires WP
3.0.1
Tested up to
WP 6.2.11
Downloads
15,839

Our analysis

AI-assisted

Widget Output Cache is a WordPress plugin designed to improve site performance by caching widget output. It uses PHP output buffering to extract and store this output in WordPress transients for quicker access. This plugin is particularly useful for sites that use plugins that frequently parse RSS feeds or make remote URL calls, which can slow down page loads.

The plugin includes an option in widget controls to exclude specific widgets from being cached, allowing for more flexibility in managing widget performance. It is suitable for users looking to enhance the speed of their WordPress sites without extensive technical knowledge.

Best for: This plugin is best for WordPress site owners looking to optimise widget performance and speed.

What it does well

  • Improves site performance by caching widget output
  • Uses PHP output buffering for efficient caching
  • Allows exclusion of specific widgets from caching

Where it falls short

  • Limited information on additional features
  • May not suit all types of widgets

Verdict

Widget Output Cache offers a straightforward solution for enhancing widget performance, especially for sites with heavy RSS or remote URL usage. However, its limited feature set may not meet all user needs.

From the developer

Kaspars's own description of Widget Output Cache, lightly tidied.

Use PHP output buffering to extract widget output and store it into WordPress transients for faster retrieval. It also adds a checkbox to widget controls to exclude it from being cached.

It is a quick fix for bad behaving plugins that parse RSS feeds or call remote URLs on every page load.

Read the full description on the official page →

Tagged as

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