If your WordPress site feels sluggish, you’re not alone. A slow website doesn’t just frustrate visitors—it also costs you conversions, revenue, and search visibility.
Consider this: 53% of mobile users abandon sites that take longer than 3 seconds to load (source). And according to research, every additional second of load time can reduce conversions by up to 20%.
That’s why optimizing your WordPress performance isn’t optional—it’s essential.
One of the most overlooked causes of poor speed? Unused WordPress features quietly hogging resources in the background. From emojis you don’t need to XML-RPC services you’ll never use, these extras can drag down your site.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
- Why disabling unused features matters
- Which built-in WordPress functionalities you should consider turning off
- How to safely disable them without breaking your site
- Recommended plugins and code snippets to streamline your setup
Let’s dive in and help your site run leaner, faster, and better.
Why Disabling Unused Features Improves Speed
WordPress is a powerful, flexible CMS that tries to do everything for everyone. That’s a big part of its appeal—but it’s also why fresh installations come preloaded with features you may never touch.
Every extra script, style, and service:
- Increases page load time
- Uses server resources
- Adds unnecessary HTTP requests
- Creates potential security vulnerabilities
By pruning what you don’t use, you make your site faster, easier to maintain, and more secure.
Common WordPress Features You Can Disable
Below, you’ll find the most common culprits that slow sites down—especially if you don’t need them.
1. Emojis
WordPress automatically loads JavaScript and CSS for emojis, even if you don’t use them. This adds extra HTTP requests and increases page size.
How to Disable:
Use this code snippet in your theme’s functions.php:
Or install a plugin like Disable Emojis.
2. Embeds (oEmbed)
oEmbed lets you easily embed content from YouTube, Twitter, and other sites. But if you don’t embed external content often, you can safely disable it.
How to Disable:
Or use Disable Embeds plugin.
3. XML-RPC
XML-RPC allows remote connections to your site. Unless you’re using the WordPress mobile app or Jetpack, you can disable it for security and performance.
How to Disable:
4. Dashicons
Dashicons are WordPress’s icon font used in the admin dashboard. However, they also load on the frontend for logged-out users.
How to Disable Frontend Dashicons:
5. Heartbeat API
The Heartbeat API provides real-time communication between your browser and the server (e.g., post auto-saving). But it creates extra CPU usage and server load.
How to Limit or Disable:
Install the Heartbeat Control plugin to reduce frequency or disable it entirely.
How to Safely Disable Features Without Breaking Your Site
Before you start removing functionality, keep these tips in mind:
- Always back up your site before editing files or disabling features.
- Test changes on a staging environment to avoid surprises.
- Check compatibility with plugins and themes. Some features, like oEmbed or Heartbeat, might be required by certain tools.
If you’re not sure whether you use a feature, disable it temporarily and see if anything stops working.
Plugins to Help Disable Unused Features
If you’re not comfortable editing code, these plugins make cleanup easier:
- Perfmatters: Premium plugin to disable emojis, embeds, XML-RPC, Heartbeat, and more with simple toggles.
- Disable Emojis: Free and lightweight.
- Disable Embeds: Removes embed functionality.
- Heartbeat Control: Controls Heartbeat API frequency.
- Asset CleanUp: Selectively unload scripts and styles on specific pages.
Measuring the Impact
After disabling unused features, measure your site’s speed improvement. Use:
- Google PageSpeed Insights
- GTmetrix
- Pingdom Tools
Compare load times before and after cleanup. Many sites see 0.5–1 second faster loads, which can dramatically improve conversions.
Additional Tips for Speed Optimization
Disabling unused features is just one part of performance tuning. To go further:
- Use a caching plugin (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache)
- Optimize images with compression (e.g., ShortPixel)
- Enable a CDN
- Use lightweight themes and avoid bloated page builders
- Keep plugins and core updated
Conclusion
A faster WordPress site isn’t about chasing arbitrary scores—it’s about delivering a better experience and driving results.
When you remove the bloat you don’t need, you:
- Improve load times
- Reduce server strain
- Strengthen security
- Create a smoother path to conversion
Ready to make your site faster? Talk to our WordPress experts—and watch your performance (and engagement) improve.