Bloat-off – bloat removal and utilities

Tanya Jawab

Is it 100% free?

Yes. There are no paywalls or hidden/premium features.

Is it safe to use?

Most of the options should be safe to use, but please read the descriptions carefully — especially those marked with a red asterisk next to function title.

How is it different from other solutions already available in the repository?

The end result is probably the same in most cases. The differences come down to three principles:
1. This plugin does not add anything more than absolutely needed to actually turn things off;
2. It will always be (or at least try to) focused on core-related, optimization features.
3. It aims to inform users about each feature clearly, without infodumps.

Where is the settings page located?

Under the general settings tab, or (by default) at /options-general.php?page=bloatoff-utils; keep in mind that the tab is only available to administrators (or super-admins) by default.

Does it work on multisite installations?

For now, there is no network-wide configuration or dedicated page, so it works on a per-site basis.
This is on the to-do list, but I can’t say when it will be added and properly tested.

Will you consider adding new features?

I’m always looking for new features to add. Feel free to suggest anything you think is worth including.

Will you consider removing bloat from other plugins?

No, I’m keeping it core-related only. Sorry.

Why aren’t there features like “App Password removal”? Isn’t that considered a rarely used function by the majority of users?

While I do think it shouldn’t be enabled by default, it’s more of a security-related feature and doesn’t affect installation optimization.

Would you consider adding jQuery migrate removal option?

It’s disabled by default from WP versions 5.5.0 and later. If something on your website still relies on this kind of backward compatibility, you should consider updating it — removing jQuery Migrate could potentially break some functionality. However, if you still need to remove it manually, add this code to your functions.php after <?php: Snippet

My website went blank after removing Gutenberg styles! What should I do?

There’s a high probability that either your theme or one of your plugins is using Gutenberg-related styles or scripts.
This option is intended only for installations that do not rely on Gutenberg in any way.

Why do some links redirect to developer pages rather than official documentation?

Some features are purely technical, and a few are quite archaic (RSD, for example, was added in version 2.0.0).
Unfortunately, not everything is documented in an accessible way.

What does the warning in oEmbed discovery link actually mean?

Some external services rely on oEmbed discovery links and require them to fetch content from your website properly.
WordPress-related services don’t need them and will fetch everything correctly even without those links (assuming your site is configured properly and doesn’t have additional blocking rules).

Why is there no option to remove the WordPress Heartbeat API altogether?

Too many things rely on Heartbeat, and removing it entirely is a really bad idea — most of the potential issues would come from that option.
If you still want to disable it, add this snippet to your active theme’s functions.php file after <?php: Snippet. Just keep in mind that you’re doing so at your own risk, and it may break some key functionality on your website.

Does the Heartbeat control change the interval for all instances?

Yes. It changes the global “interval” setting.

Will changing the Heartbeat interval break anything on my site?

It may. It’s best to leave it unchecked if you’re not sure about this setting.
Saving the option as unchecked will also reset the interval to the default value of 15 seconds.

Regarding Image Process Engine – how do I check which engine I use?

The easiest way is to check the “Media handling” tab in the Site Health tool.
In most cases, you’ll see the active Image Process Engine along with more detailed information.

Will old revisions be removed right away after limiting their number globally?

No. Revisions are only removed when you update each post or page individually.

Why is there no option to remove old revisions in bulk?

Adding such an option would require considering many factors, like installations with limited system resources or thousands of records to clean. To be honest, I consider this outside the plugin’s scope. If you need this functionality, please try plugins like WP-Sweep or Optimize Database after Deleting Revisions.

What is the most optimal number of revisions to keep?

It depends entirely on your workflow. In most cases, I would say 3–5, but some people may need to check up to 10 versions back.

Will removing the “tags” taxonomy affect my position on search engines like Google or Bing?

Possibly, but only if you have tags that are already indexed by search engines.

What about author archives — will removing those affect my position on Google/Bing?

Same as with tags — only if they are actually indexed by search engines.

Will you consider adding import/export settings?

It’s on the to-do list, but there’s no ETA.

I need help, something doesn’t work!

If it’s related to the Bloat-off plugin, please create a new thread on the WordPress support forums and provide as much information as possible regarding the issue.

Does the plugin leave anything behind after uninstall?

No, all options saved in the database are cleared upon plugin removal.