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In WordPress, specific code snippets help users change the performance of WordPress backend, front-end interface, or website’s functionality.
WordPress interprets such code snippets in a specific manner without requiring users to learn how to code or program certain aspects of WordPress infrastructure.
In WordPress, the particular code snippets we addressed are called Shortcodes. In this article and shortcodes’ basics, you’ll learn about shortcodes’ speed impacts on a WordPress website.
Introduction to Shortcodes in WordPress
Shortcodes are code tags in WordPress content that help users change the WordPress front-end display. For example, WordPress can quickly display a custom layout with a short code. When a short code is placed in WordPress content, the WordPress front end is populated with the shortcode’s respective box, output, or display on the front end.
WordPress, by default, interprets shortcodes in WordPress content – pages and posts. Shortcodes are small code snippets, such as [ box ], enclosed in brackets.
However, in most cases, to make shortcodes work in WordPress, users need to install a plugin first. After installing a plugin, the shortcodes will work on the WordPress front end.
Do Shortcodes slow down WordPress?
Let’s address the main subject in more detail and see whether shortcodes slow down WordPress page speed.
Shortcodes’ influence on WordPress speed depends on certain aspects, including site cache, shortcodes’ source code, and the number of HTTP requests. There is a simple rule of thumb: anything that outputs on the WordPress front end can slow down WordPress page speed. For example, several images, video clips on the front end, or shortcodes in a piece of content can slow down WordPress speed.
Let’s address more details about the speed measures of WordPress shortcodes.
WordPress Cache
According to experts, the influence of shortcodes’ speed depends on various factors in WordPress.
For example, shortcodes do not influence WordPress page speed if a WordPress site is configured with proper caching. However, shortcode speed issues depend on what shortcodes and plugins do in WordPress. For example, how a shortcode plugin handles WordPress cache can affect the page speed in WordPress, so we can say that the plugin used for WordPress shortcodes plays a vital role in speed.
Also, the speed influence of shortcodes depends on the page-level cache in WordPress. The front-end result of a shortcode is rendered only after the calls of shortcodes are correctly executed on the server.
In this case – shortcodes may slow down page speed if the page hasn’t been cached. However, once the page using shortcodes has been cached, using shortcodes has no significant effect on WordPress speed.
Using different plugins for WordPress cache also matters. A poorly coded plugin for cache may do more harm than improving page speed with the cache.
Poor codes and simple Function Calls
Note: How developers create WordPress assets, such as the page speed, can affect the WordPress infrastructure. Let’s address more details.
Developers believe – that shortcodes make WordPress run simple function calls – and thus don’t affect WordPress speed performance. However, as discussed above, executing poor code with shortcodes may affect WordPress page speed. A simple code script can be created and called multiple HTTP requests. So, in this case – the more HTTP requests work in the background, the more page speed in WordPress is affected.
In this case, you can also choose manual source codes and achieve performance similar to Shortcodes. However, if you need more knowledge of WordPress and HTML, you can hire developers to create custom source codes for WordPress. Users can place simple HTML code snippets for manual codes in WordPress Text Editor mode. Once the code snippets are placed, users can see the output in front-end editor mode without leaving or saving the page’s content.
Sometimes, you can also use a page builder in WordPress to help you achieve custom layouts. In this case, there is a slight difference between the speed measures of page builders and shortcodes. In this case, a page builder helps users add various display elements to a page, providing extra options to set, make attractive, or add content to the elements, thus making simple elements attractive on WordPress front end.
Number of Shortcodes in a WordPress page or post
Depending on the number of shortcodes used on a page, Shortcodes may affect page speed performance. In WordPress, more shortcodes on a page can slow down page speed performance.
For beginners, using a few shortcodes in WordPress content keeps up WordPress speed. For example, using Shortcodes Ultimate, one of the best plugins for WordPress shortcodes, doesn’t slow down page speed if using lots of shortcodes in WordPress is not your only option.
Web Design Rules
According to web design standards – “anything you add to a page slows down the speed with excessive server resources and function calls”. Although a shortcode may affect millisecond speed, poor code can also harm WordPress speed.
Similarly, you can run page speed experiments if you need to use a WordPress plugin for shortcodes. In this case, if choosing a plugin for shortcodes is undeniable, the page speed insights will help – if you can continue with a specific candidate.
Database Queries
Experts also believe shortcodes don’t affect WordPress page speed if not used with many database queries.
Here – there are two cases.
A shortcode may fetch and display database data – internally. In this case, the page speed insights may slightly increase for pages with shortcodes.
On the other hand – if a shortcode plugin in WordPress communicates with external apps, fetches and shows data with API calls – the page speed insights, in this case, may seriously damage WordPress page speed.
Plain HTML vs. Shortcodes
If you can achieve similar results with plain HTML, don’t use shortcodes in WordPress pages and posts.
Here, web browsers parse plain HTML better than shortcodes, positively affecting WordPress page speed.
For example, including a global layout with a shortcode is a bad idea if you can code HTML for a similar front-end layout.
Shortcode plugins in WordPress
In WordPress, specific plugins help you use shortcodes on WordPress pages and posts. Using plugins for shortcodes helps beginners who don’t know how to use manual routines for WordPress shortcodes.
WordPress plugins can slow page speed if coded with poor design, source coding, and function calls.
For example – you can use the Shortcodes Ultimate plugin for WordPress shortcodes. After running an experiment with the plugin, we noticed that adding a few shortcodes to WordPress content slightly increases page speed measures, which is not noticeable in most cases.
Shortcode integration with 3rd party Apps
If a shortcode runs calls with external API, effects on WordPress page speed are apparent.
In this case, we can assume – there are two shortcode categories in WordPress – internal and external.
If a shortcode addresses internal infrastructure, such as database queries, it may not affect page speed. However, integrating a shortcode with external apps affects WordPress’s site speed.
In this case, what a shortcode does in WordPress matters regarding page speed in WordPress.
Effects of Shortcodes on WordPress page speed (Experiment)
In WordPress, as an experiment – we created two pages with slightly different content to see if shortcodes may affect WordPress page speed.
The first page includes plain text, while the other contains multiple shortcodes and text.
The GT Metrix stats show that the page with shortcodes slightly slows down the page speed in WordPress. Although the difference is slight, we can assume that shortcodes affect WordPress page speed, as shown in the screenshot below.
You can see that the structure and LCP stats are increased for the page with shortcodes.
There is another case – too.
A web host can also affect WordPress page speed performance. Here, there is a difference between WordPress sites with different speed measures.
For example, a WordPress site with speed optimization does not affect performance, while a poorly coded WordPress theme can also slow down WordPress, even if the shortcodes are not the real culprits. So, hire WordPress specialists to discover the real reasons behind WordPress speed effects.
Final Thoughts
As discussed above – the relationship between shortcodes and WordPress page speed involves different factors.
However – most users don’t need shortcodes if they don’t add value to the WordPress front-end interface. Also – using a few shortcodes in WordPress doesn’t affect page speed, as shown in the screenshot above.
In most cases, the difference is only noticeable in WordPress once a plugin starts conflicting with the plugin used for Shortcodes. The source code of a plugin used for shortcodes, database queries, and front-end results also matters when measuring page speed in WordPress.
Contact us for more information on using shortcodes in WordPress, improving or fixing page speed issues, and improving WordPress website performance. We also help clients sign up for a one-time fix, monthly support plan, or custom package.