Web publishing is increasingly focusing on providing a quality user experience to site visitors. This objective is embodied in Google’s Core Web Vitals metrics, which measure significant user experience factors. However, the WordPress coding ecosystem does not seem to have addressed these concerns.
WordPress may not fully understand what publishers need to enhance user experience. Consequently, the WordPress development community appears to have no plans to provide publishers with the necessary tools.
A WordPress publisher initiated a support thread questioning why their WordPress site scored poorly on Core Web Vitals. Google’s PageSpeed Insight provides feedback on issues that need fixing to enhance user experience as indicated by the Core Web Vitals metrics.
Many of the user experience shortcomings in WordPress highlighted by Google stem from standard coding practices typical of WordPress installations. These coding issues arise through no fault of the publisher themselves.
The problems are embedded in WordPress itself, the themes, and the plugins. However, these issues are not due to negligence on the part of the WordPress developer ecosystem.
Common issues include sliders that add code bloat, forms that add code bloat, and the new WordPress Gutenberg site design and publishing platform, which is inherently bloated.
The Gutenberg bloat occurs because WordPress loads every script needed for every single Gutenberg block that could potentially be used, irrespective of whether the block is used or not. This happens because it is simpler for developers to add all the necessary code into one file. It’s not due to laziness or inconsiderate behavior; rather, it is a common coding practice that has been long-established.
However, the internet is evolving to embrace a set of user experience standards encompassed by the Core Web Vitals metrics. The Internet is moving in one direction, but WordPress coding practices have not yet adapted to this trend.
This reality is reflected in a recent WordPress support thread where a publisher sought help with their low Core Web Vitals score. The response from WordPress was that the publisher shouldn’t seek help from WordPress but rather from Google.
The publisher approached the WordPress support forums for assistance regarding the shortcomings in the coding practices inherent in the WordPress core. However, a volunteer WordPress enthusiast (not an official developer) advised the publisher to seek help from Google instead.
In another instance, within a WordPress Facebook group, someone inquired about the performance hit caused by the Jetpack WordPress plugin. Jetpack, developed by Automattic, adds numerous functions such as social sharing, customization tools, security tools, backup tools, among others.
The individual asking the question was involved in developing a non-profit site. They expressed concern that using Jetpack might introduce unnecessary site bloat and negatively impact the user experience due to the excessive code a user would need to download.
Some WordPress site developers who joined the discussion believed that Jetpack wasn’t inherently bad but admitted to avoiding it due to the code bloat and other activities initiated by the Jetpack plugin, which they deemed unacceptable.
One publisher in the discussion mentioned preferring plugins that performed a single task over those that included functionalities they did not need.
Automattic responded to concerns about Jetpack by stating that the code for each feature is not loaded until activated. This allows users to control how much code is loaded onto their site, ensuring it isn’t more bloated than an average plugin, as confirmed by independent benchmark tests. For users needing multiple features, Jetpack can actually improve site performance compared to using multiple plugins.
Many publishers are increasingly valuing lean code, faster websites, and a quality user experience. Thus, it’s encouraging that Jetpack addresses the issue of code bloat.
The complexity of a site can increase the cumulative impact of site-wide scripts loading, affecting user experience. More plugins to solve problems inherent in the WordPress core also raise the likelihood of conflicts between different plugins.
With Page Speed and Core Web Vitals metrics quickly becoming crucial concerns, publishers are right to focus on providing a quality user experience.
