WordPress Optimization Techniques Using .htaccess

Optimizing WordPress using the .htaccess file involves implementing directives to enhance site performance, security, and functionality. Below are key techniques with examples:

1. Enable GZIP Compression

Compress files to reduce their size and speed up loading times.

<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html text/plain text/xml text/css text/javascript application/javascript application/json application/x-javascript application/xml application/xhtml+xml application/rss+xml application/atom_xml application/font-woff application/font-woff2 image/svg+xml
</IfModule>

2. Leverage Browser Caching

Cache static resources in the user's browser.

<IfModule mod_expires.c>
ExpiresActive On ExpiresByType image/jpg "access plus 1 year"
ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 1 year"
ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 1 year"
ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 1 year"
ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 1 month"
ExpiresByType text/javascript "access plus 1 month"
ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 1 month"
ExpiresByType application/pdf "access plus 1 month"
ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 1 month"
ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 1 year"
ExpiresDefault "access plus 2 days"
</IfModule>

3. Prevent Hotlinking

Stop other sites from embedding your images.

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
  RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^https://(www\.)?yourwebsite\.com [NC]
  RewriteRule \.(jpg|jpeg|png|gif)$ - [F,NC,L]
</IfModule>

4. Block Bad Bots

Prevent access from known malicious bots.

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} ^.*(badbot|evilbot|maliciousbot).*$ [NC]
  RewriteRule .* - [F,L]
</IfModule>

5. Disable Directory Browsing

Prevent listing files in directories.

Options -Indexes

6. Limit Access to wp-config.php

Secure your critical WordPress configuration file.

<Files wp-config.php>
order allow,deny
deny from all
</Files>

7. Protect .htaccess File

Prevent others from modifying the .htaccess file.

<Files .htaccess>
order allow,deny
deny from all
</Files>

8. Redirect HTTP to HTTPS

Force your website to use HTTPS.

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteCond %{HTTPS} !=on
  RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</IfModule>

9. Limit Post Request Size

Prevent large requests to mitigate DoS attacks.

LimitRequestBody 10485760

10. Enable CORS

Allow resources to be shared across domains (useful for APIs and fonts).

<IfModule mod_headers.c>
  Header set Access-Control-Allow-Origin "*"
</IfModule>

11. Restrict Access to Admin Area

Restrict wp-admin access to specific IPs.

<FilesMatch "wp-login.php">
  order deny,allow
  Deny from all
  Allow from 123.456.789.0
</FilesMatch>

12. Enable Keep-Alive

Improve connection handling.

<IfModule mod_headers.c>
  Header set Connection keep-alive
</IfModule>

13. Remove ETags

Reduce overhead by disabling ETags.

<IfModule mod_headers.c>
  Header unset ETag
</IfModule>
FileETag None

14. Optimize Default WordPress .htaccess

Include clean permalink rules and other optimizations.

# BEGIN WordPress
<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
  RewriteEngine On
  RewriteBase /
  RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
  RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
  RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
</IfModule>
# END WordPress

These optimizations should be tested thoroughly to ensure compatibility with your WordPress setup and server configuration. Back up your .htaccess file before making changes.