CleanTalk is killing initial server response

Hello @billium99

I see the plugin is disabled on the specified site.

How can we reproduce the GTmetrix score in this way? This could help us to know what could slow the site down.

As a quick possible solution – disable the option “Add a CleanTalk Pixel to improve IP-detection” or change its statement.

That pixel option is currently set to Off. OK the plugin is re-enabled.

So that brings it from a 98% to 63% with an 800ms server response time. So even worse this morning.

Hello @billium99
Now when our plugin is enabled the TTFB is 1.1S (878ms) on GTMetrix.com.
The following options will reduce the load of your website’s pages:
WordPress Admin Page —> Settings —> Anti-Spam by CleanTalk —> Advanced settings:
? —> set the option “Set Cookies” —> set “Use alternative cookies mechanism” to “On”
? —> set the option “Add a CleanTalk Pixel to improve IP-detection” to “Off” —>
? —> set the option “Use AJAX for JavaScript check” to “Off” —>
? —> Save Changes.
Please try to set these options as suggested and let us know the results.

Hi – no this seems to have pushed the failure down the chain to the time of content load. I have Cleantalk turned off at the moment, to let my webhost prove they can deliver an A grade on server performance without it running. But I was at a C with Cleantalk running and now at a B without it, even after the changes you recommended above.

Thanks

Bill

@billium99

I was at a C with Cleantalk running and now at a B without it

You should know, the plugins do no effect on the site if they are disabled. Something else drops the grade to B.

Please, let us see a GTmetrix score with the plugin enabled and disabled then. A better way is to contact us via a ticket https://cleantalk.org/my/support/open to keep your personal data in safety.

We haven’t received your reply in a few days, so I’m going to mark this topic as “resolved”.
If you have any further questions, you can start a new topic anytime.

You can pretend this is resolved, but it’s not. The server response delay is true across my approximately 25 sites running CleanTalk. I take a full letter-grade hit, despite Katereji’s recommendations and despite Alexander’s insistence that it’s not your plugin. Disable your plugin, my grade goes way up.

I’ve moved one of my sites to Cloudflare, which has much faster server load times, and claims to offer similar protection. I’ll be moving the rest when I can.

Thanks anyway.

Hi @billium99,

Thank you for the update and great feedback.

If you have chance, please try to switch off the SpamFireWall option. The option is here,
WordPress Console -> Settings -> Anti-Spam by CleanTalk.

Is the performance better while the SpamFireWall is switched off?

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by CleanTalk Inc.

Hi @billium99,

Thank you for the update and great feedback.

If you have chance, please try to switch off the SpamFireWall option. The option is here,
WordPress Console -> Settings -> Anti-Spam by CleanTalk.

Is the performance better while the SpamFireWall is switched off?

Hi @billium99,

Have you had any chance to get a better site response with turned SpamFireWall off?

Hi Denis,

Yes this helps, but isn’t this the heart of your service?

@billium99,

No, the SpamFireWall is not the heart, heart is the Cloud. Cloud decides SPAM or Not a SPAM.

SpamFireWall blocks most active spam bots before they hit a website. Actually, SpamFireWall must improve site response because it doesn’t allow bots download content from a site.

Let us a few days to figure out this issue. I will keep you up to date.

Thanks – we just went from a C to an A by making that change.

Okay, I will keep it mind.

Hello,

Could you try to deactivate the plugin with the “Complete deactivation” option enabled and then activate it again?

1. Enter the Antispam by Cleantalk plugin settings. (WordPress Dashboard -> Settings -> Antispam by Cleantalk -> Advanced settings)

2. Check the last settings “Complete deactivation” and save changes.

3. Deactivate the plugin on the “Plugins” page in WordPress Dashboard.

4. Then activate it.

5. Proceed to the plugin’s settings. (See item 1.)

Did it help?