How to Speed Tune Your Website in Plesk

Step 1: Enable Static File Caching in Plesk

1. Log in to your Plesk control panel
   https://yourdomain.com:8443

2. Go to Websites & Domains

3. Click Apache & nginx Settings for your domain

4. Scroll down to nginx settings

5. Check:

   • Serve static files directly by nginx

   • Enable caching for static files

6. In “Expires header value for static files”, enter:
   7d (or 30d for sites that don't change often)

7. Click Apply or OK

Step 2: Turn on Gzip or Brotli Compression

Compression helps shrink your files before they’re sent to the visitor’s browser.

1. Still in Apache & nginx Settings, scroll down

2. Look for gzip compression or Brotli

3. Make sure compression is enabled

4. Save settings

If you don’t see this option, ask your hosting provider if compression can be enabled via server settings.

Step 3: Optimize Your Images

Large images are one of the most common reasons websites load slowly.

Here’s what to do:

1. Compress images before uploading using free tools like:

   • https://tinypng.com

   • https://imagecompressor.com

2. Use .jpg or .webp instead of uncompressed .png (unless transparency is needed)

3. If you have lots of existing images, consider an image optimization tool or plugin (like ShortPixel or TinyPNG WordPress plugin)

Step 4: Activate a CDN (Optional, but Powerful)

Using a CDN (Content Delivery Network) like Cloudflare helps your site load faster across the globe.

1. Sign up at https://www.cloudflare.com

2. Add your domain and follow the DNS setup

3. Update your nameservers at your domain registrar

4. In Cloudflare:

   • Turn on Caching

   • Enable Auto Minify for HTML, CSS, JS

   • Enable Brotli for compression

This adds a major speed boost — especially for international visitors.

Step 5: Remove Unused Plugins or Features

If you’re running WordPress or a CMS:

1. Log in to your site backend

2. Remove plugins or modules you don’t use

3. Avoid using multiple plugins that do similar tasks

4. Disable features that load heavy scripts or styles (like sliders or social feeds you don’t really need)

The fewer scripts and styles your site loads, the faster it will be.

Step 6: Use a Caching Plugin (If You're on WordPress)

If you're using WordPress on Plesk, add a caching plugin like:

• WP Super Cache (simple, for beginners)

• LiteSpeed Cache (if your server supports it)

• W3 Total Cache (more advanced settings)

Once installed:

• Turn on Page Caching

• Enable Browser Caching

• Enable Minify for CSS/JS/HTML (optional — test first)

Step 7: Test Your Speed

After making the changes, test your site speed with a free tool:

• 🌐 https://pagespeed.web.dev

• 🌐 https://gtmetrix.com

Look for:

• Load time under 3 seconds

• Green or yellow performance score

• Suggestions you can still improve (images, scripts, etc.)