Fix WordPress High CPU Usage in 10 Easy Ways

Are you getting alerts from your host about CPU spikes? Have visitors commented on slow loading times? 

These are all signs of high CPU strain. When combined with other WordPress errors, they can frustrate everyone involved.

But figuring out the cause can be tricky.Is it a plugin acting up, or perhaps your host’s limitations? Should you consider upgrading your hosting package? What’s really happening behind the scenes with your site?

TL;DR: High CPU usage on a WordPress site can slow it down and frustrate visitors. Fix it by removing resource-heavy plugins and themes, updating your site, and using caching for faster loading. Malware or bots may also be to blame, so protect your site with a security plugin to keep it running smoothly.

WordPress high CPU usage is a common problem, and it can slow down WordPress websites. Pages take a long time to load, or visitors might not get them at all. It’s like trying to squeeze too many people through a small door. You might spot the slowdown yourself or get complaints from users.

In this article, we explore what causes these issues and how you can fix them. By tackling high CPU usage, you’ll make your site faster and more enjoyable for everyone.

Reasons behind WordPress high CPU usage

Several factors can cause WordPress high CPU usage. Knowing what they are can help you fix them efficiently. Here are some common reasons behind WordPress high CPU usage and how they affect your site:

Malware or bot attacks

Malware bogs down your site with malicious processes while bots hammer it with fake traffic and brute-force attacks. These activities eat up CPU resources and slow everything down. Such attacks can also steal data or break your site.

Inefficient or excessive plugins

Having too many plugins is like carrying a heavy backpack. Some plugins run in the background, even when you don’t need them, using up CPU power. For example, if you’ve installed several plugins for similar tasks, they clutter and slow things down.

Resource-intensive themes

Themes with tons of features can look amazing but are like sports cars that guzzle gas. They often drain CPU resources, especially those with many animations or sliders. While they enhance aesthetics, they could be the reason for your WordPress high CPU usage.

Unoptimized database and queries

Over time, your site database may get cluttered due to data such as spam comments or old post revisions. This pile-up in your site database affects your site. Each request to the database takes longer, using more CPU. Moreover, if your requests are poorly written, they only add to CPU stress.

Inadequate caching

Without caching, your server works overtime to serve the same content repeatedly. Multiply that with a large number of site visitors asking for the same content, and it all goes haywire.

Resource-heavy background tasks

You can use wp-cron jobs to schedule tasks in WordPress, like posting updates and sending emails. These jobs take up quite some CPU power. If you have too many scheduled tasks, your site server’s CPU is burdened with running them and everything else slows down. Malware in wp-cron jobs can go beyond this and crash your site.

Outdated software on your site

Running older versions of WordPress, plugins, or themes is like using a rusty car—it won’t function efficiently. Additionally, outdated software is a gateway for vulnerabilities. Hackers love these vulnerabilities and exploit them to pounce on your site at any time.

Poorly configured servers

Sometimes, your site server or your hosting plan just isn’t strong enough. Your server might not have enough resources or your plan might not provide them for your site to process all those requests.

Large and unoptimized media files

Huge images and videos can and will slow your site down. Your users will have to wait longer for content to load, while your CPU works harder.

High traffic volumes

Getting more visitors is great. However, high traffic puts pressure on your server and its resources, including the CPU. If your site server can’t serve everyone efficiently, you lose business.

How to fix WordPress high CPU usage?

Now that you know the reasons behind WordPress high CPU usage, here’s how you can tackle the issue:

Use a security plugin: Malware can sneak onto your site and use up resources. Use a security plugin like MalCare to scan and remove these threats quickly, helping free up CPU usage.

Use a firewall: Firewalls act as a shield against harmful bots that overload your site. They block unwanted traffic, keeping your CPU resources available for real visitors. MalCare includes a robust firewall that keeps hackers and bots at bay.

Audit your plugins and themes: Review what you have installed. Remove any unnecessary plugins. Replace heavy plugins and themes with lighter, efficient options. This reduces the strain on your CPU.

Optimize database: Regularly clean up your database. Remove old data and optimize tables to make queries faster. This reduces the workload on your CPU.

Use caching plugins: Caching helps your server deliver pages more quickly by storing copies. This decreases how much work your CPU has to do for each visitor.

Stop unnecessary wp-cron jobs and schedule critical ones properly: Too many scheduled tasks can be a burden. Limit wp-cron jobs to necessary tasks and space them out to avoid WordPress high CPU usage.

Update all site software: Keep WordPress, plugins, themes, and PHP versions updated. Updates often include performance improvements and bug fixes, which can lower CPU use.

Increase site server resources: If your current plan can’t handle your site’s needs, switch to a plan with more resources. Additionally, increase the PHP execution time limit and memory limit in the server settings. This helps handle more tasks without straining the CPU.

Use CDN to deliver media files: Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) store your media files on servers around the world. They deliver files more quickly to users and ease the load on your server’s CPU.

Optimize site and media files: Use a site optimization plugin like Airlift to minify scripts and compress files. This makes them smaller and faster to load. Also, use WEBP and WEBM formats where possible. These are modern formats for images and videos. They load faster and are lighter on storage, which reduces WordPress high CPU usage.

Final thoughts

Fixing WordPress high CPU usage on your site means finding what’s wrong and making changes. First, try optimizing your site by getting rid of unused or excessive plugins. Keep everything updated to avoid stress on your server. Using caching helps too, as it serves your content faster.

Regularly checking your site can stop these problems before they get out of hand. This way, your visitors enjoy a faster, smoother site experience.

Sometimes malware or bot attacks can be the cause of WordPress high CPU usage. These threats can use up your server’s power and slow down your site. Protecting your site is key, and MalCare can help with that. It offers strong malware scanning and one-click cleaning to fix issues quickly.

With a smart firewall and bot protection, MalCare also guards against intrusions. It also detects vulnerabilities to keep new threats away. Using MalCare helps keep your site running well and safe from most common CPU problems.

FAQs

How do I reduce CPU usage in WordPress?

To cut down WordPress high CPU usage, remove malware with a plugin like MalCare and set up a firewall to block bots. Review and clean up your plugins and themes, keeping only what you need. Use caching plugins and optimize your database. Stop unnecessary wp-cron jobs. Update all your site software. If needed, upgrade your hosting plan or increase PHP limits. Use a CDN for media files and optimize them to be lighter.

Why is 100% of my CPU being used?

Your CPU might hit 100% due to several reasons. Malware or bots could be attacking your site, using up resources. Heavy plugins and themes might be using more CPU power than your server can handle. You may have too many wp-cron jobs running. Your server or hosting plan might not have enough resources for your site’s needs. Large media files and high traffic can also strain your CPU, causing it to max out. Regular site maintenance can help prevent these issues.

How much CPU does WordPress need?

The CPU needs for WordPress vary based on site size and activity. A small website with moderate traffic might run well on a basic hosting plan with minimal CPU. However, larger sites with heavy traffic, lots of plugins, or big media files will need more CPU power. Generally, starting with at least one core dedicated to CPU and the ability to scale up is a good plan. It’s important to monitor your site’s performance and adjust resources as needed.

Is 100% CPU usage bad?

Yes, 100% CPU usage is often bad for your site. It means your server is fully occupied and can’t handle more tasks efficiently. While CPUs are made to run at 100% CPU utilization, this can slow down your site. It causes pages to load slowly or crashes your site. High CPU usage can also frustrate visitors and lead to a poor user experience. It’s important to find the cause and reduce the load to keep your site running smoothly.