Essential addons for performance

[Amin Sabet]

These are some of the addons I consider essential for my XenForo sites' performance:

1) [bd] Cache:
- Copies css.php results to a static file in external data directory for faster serving, making it possible to put stylesheets behind CDN
- Also allows you to cache pages for guests and to defer javascript, though I don't currently use it for either of those purposes

2) Defer JS
- Collects javascript in post-view output and moves it to the bottom of the page, which noticeably improves page loading times.

3) GoodForNothing Kraken
-Allows you to use kraken.io or jpegoptim to optimize/compress image attachments.

4) Lazy Load
- Lazy loads images posted using and [attach] tags in threads and conversations.

5) [URL='https://xenforo.com/community/resources/font-awesome-local.4314/']Font Awesome Local[/URL][/URL]
[URL='https://xenforo.com/community/resources/lazy-load-img.3979/']- Lets you host Font Awesome icons locally.

Am I missing any great performance addons? What are you using to improve the performance of your XenForo forums?[/URL]

 

[m1ne]

Why host FA locally? It's better off in the cloud. I don't use MaxCDN though, I host it locally and then let Cloudflare cache it.

 

[Jake B.]

Even if you do want to host it locally, why use an add-on for that? oO You can just edit the template and add it yourself without any overhead from the add-on

 

[Amin Sabet]

I host FA locally and let CloudFlare cache it also. Seems to load faster that way than using the default MaxCDN location specified by XenForo with XFMG.

As for why use an addon, the addon I linked isn't really an addon. It just the files to upload. I added the link manually to the relevant template.

 

[rafass]

Using CloudFlare with Xenforo forums (article)
Speed up your site with a CDN (article)
How to Speed Up XenForo Forum by keycdn (article)
[bd] Attachment Store
[bd] Data Storage (on my wishlist)
[Nobita] Minify HTML 1.0.3 before was here but now is only available on his website.
[Tinhte] Attach Image Optimization 2.2.11
[Tinhte] HTML5 Uploader (not about the performance, but to upload files from mobile devices is awesome!)
A good server with SSD disks
Memcached.
and all the addons above.
Regarding FA, I've decided stay away of that. why keep 500+ icons + css's, when usually we use only 10 or 15 only?
Would be perfect upload only the icons what we will use, or simply don't use it. is cool but not necessary. imo.
https://xenforo.com/community/threads/alternative-to-fontawesome-with-less-icons.94540/

 

[Amin Sabet]

One question. On the Zend Redis Cache addon by @Xon, FAQ says:

Q: Performance - XenForo

Don't double serialize the cached data, make sure 'automatic_serialization' is false!

Code:

$config['cache']['frontendOptions']['automatic_serialization'] = false;

------------

I am not currently using that addon. I am using Memcached instead. Does this performance issue still apply to me? Should I set automatic serialization to false in config.php? Mine currently is set to true.

 

[Xon]

If you don't need 'automatic_serialization', leave it off. Some add-ons may require it, but it would be a minor overhead.

 

[Amin Sabet]

If you don't need 'automatic_serialization', leave it off. Some add-ons may require it, but it would be a minor overhead.

Thank you!

 

[Amin Sabet]

Using CloudFlare with Xenforo forums (article)

One thing I would add to that is that you can use page rules to cache proxy images and attachments at edge servers like this:

 

[rdn]

Mine

 

[Mr Lucky]

The best addon I have found is just to have good host, e.g. @MattW

 

[Amin Sabet]

Mine

Does that last page rule mean you're not using [bd] Cache to write to .css files?

Also, could you please tell me the full setting for that css.php* page rule?

Thanks!

 

[rdn]

Does that last page rule mean you're not using [bd] Cache to write to .css files?

Yes, not anymore.

Also, could you please tell me the full setting for that css.php* page rule?

 

[Amin Sabet]

Many thanks!

 

[Amin Sabet]

Should we have XenForo minify css if we're letting CloudFlare minify css? And do you have CloudFlare minify javascript and html?

 

[m1ne]

Should we have XenForo minify css if we're letting CloudFlare minify css? And do you have CloudFlare minify javascript and html?

I have XF minify css and CloudFlare do it too.

 

[rafass]

Same here.

 

[m1ne]

I saw you wanted more caching from BD Cache btw, you can do what you want with CloudFlare.
Create a page rule for domain.com* and set to cache everything.
Create another rule for domain.com/data/avatars/* and set to basic caching.

 

[rdn]

you can do what you want with CloudFlare.
Create a page rule for domain.com* and set to cache everything.

And you want to cache even login member pages?

 

[m1ne]

And you want to cache even login member pages?

I guess make a page rule for that too.