how to remove unused css in WordPress

Identifying Unused CSS in WordPress

Unused CSS in WordPress can slow down your website, affecting user experience and SEO. It’s critical to streamline your stylesheets to improve load times. Begin by using tools to identify unused CSS:

1. Chrome DevTools Coverage Tab: Open your website in Google Chrome. Right-click, select ‘Inspect’, go to the ‘More tools’ and choose ‘Coverage’. Red bars indicate unused CSS.

2. PurgeCSS: This tool automatically removes unused CSS from your files. It integrates well with build tools like webpack.

3. UnCSS Online: A web-based tool that analyzes your pages and produces a report of unused CSS.

Removing Unused CSS Manually

Once you’ve identified the excess CSS, manually editing comes next. This method is meticulous but allows full control:

• Open the identified CSS files.
• Carefully remove the unused selectors. Double-check to ensure that you are not removing CSS that affects other parts of your site.
• Save changes and recheck the site functionality through various devices and browsers.

Using WordPress Plugins

Several plugins can help you manage CSS files effectively:

1. Asset CleanUp: This plugin scans your pages and detects the CSS and JavaScript files loaded. You can selectively disable CSS files that aren’t necessary on specific pages.

2. WP Rocket: Already well-known for caching, WP Rocket also offers Critical Path CSS generation and unused CSS removal from your pages.

3. Perfmatters: Allows you to disable scripts and styles on a page-by-page basis. This is helpful for reducing the number of requests and thus speeding up your website.

Employing Autoptimize for Inline CSS

Autoptimize is another powerful plugin that can aggregate, minify and cache scripts and styles, injects CSS in the page head by default, and can move and defer scripts to the footer. It also has an option to inline “above the fold CSS” while loading the main CSS file asynchronously. Use the ‘inline and defer CSS’ option to optimize the delivery of CSS that’s critical to the content at the top of your pages.

Implementing Critical CSS

Critical CSS refers to the CSS needed to render the above-the-fold content:

• Use online tools like Critical Path CSS Generator to generate critical CSS.
• Incorporate the critical CSS directly into the header of your WordPress theme or through plugins like Autoptimize.

Setting Up a Development Environment

Instead of directly making changes on your live site, set up a local WordPress environment:

• Use tools like Local by Flywheel or Docker to mimic your live site locally.
• Make all your modifications in this environment.
• Once all changes are verified, push them to your live site.

Regularly Monitor and Update

Webpage needs evolve, so regular monitoring and updating of CSS are necessary:

• Plan monthly reviews of your website’s performance metrics.
• Use browser developer tools and online services periodically to check for CSS that becomes unused.
• Keep your plugins and themes updated to ensure compatibility and continued optimization.

Conclusion

Streamlining your WordPress CSS can significantly impact your page load times and overall user experience. By manually and automatically managing CSS, using the right tools and plugins, and developing a habit of regular maintenance, your website will remain optimized, responsive, and SEO-friendly.