[WordPress] Remove Version Query Strings From JavaScript JS and CSS Stylesheet Files

Clynt.com

Sep 2, 2020 • 2 min read

What are version query strings and why should you remove them from your WordPress site's files?

A WordPress site's files can contain, "version query strings." These are unnecessary characters that are added to file names, and they can cause problems with how those files are cached by browsers. By removing version query strings from your WordPress site's files, you can improve your site's performance and make sure that visitors always see the most up-to-date version of your site. In addition, removing version query strings can help to prevent conflicts between different cached versions of your site's files. As a result, it is always a good idea to remove version query strings from your WordPress site's files. Doing so will help to ensure that your site runs smoothly and that visitors always see the most recent version of your site.

How do you remove version query strings from your WordPress site's files using a plugin or manually editing the code yourself?

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that runs on PHP. Every time you update your WordPress site, a new version query string is added to your site's files. Fortunately, there are ways to remove these unwanted strings. One way is to install a plugin like Querystrings remover. This plugin will automatically remove any version query strings from your files. Another way is to manually edit your code yourself. You can do this by going to the "Appearance" section of your WordPress dashboard and clicking on "Editor." Then, locate the "functions.php" file and add the following code:

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[php]
function _remove_script_version( $src ){
$parts = explode( ‘?’, $src );
return $parts[0];
}
add_filter( ‘script_loader_src’, ‘_remove_script_version’, 15, 1 );
add_filter( ‘style_loader_src’, ‘_remove_script_version’, 15, 1 );
[/php]

This code will remove any version query strings from your CSS and JS files. If you're not comfortable editing your code, you can always hire a developer to do it for you. Either way, removing version query strings is a good way to keep your WordPress site running smoothly.

Tips for optimizing your website speed and performance after removing the version query strings from your WordPress site's files.

WordPress is a content management system (CMS) that powers millions of websites around the world. One of its key features is the ability to automatically update your site's files, which can help to keep your site secure and improve its performance. However, each time WordPress updates a file, it also adds a version query string to the end of the file's URL. This can cause problems for some caching plugins, which may try to cache an outdated version of the file. As a result, your website's speed and performance may suffer. To avoid this issue, you can remove the version query strings from your WordPress site's files. Doing so will allow your caching plugin to cache the latest versions of your site's files, resulting in improved speed and performance.

Version query strings can be a major contributor to a slow website. By removing them from your WordPress site's files, you can speed up your website and improve its performance. We've shown you how to do this using a plugin or manually editing the code yourself. After following these tips, test your website's speed and performance again to see if there is an improvement. If there is, congratulations! You've just made your WordPress site faster and more efficient.