---
tags:
- wordpress
- optimization
- css
- javascript
- performance
title: Eliminating Render-Blocking Resources in WordPress
---
# Eliminating Render-Blocking Resources in WordPress
One of the most common "Red" flags in PageSpeed Insights is **"Eliminate render-blocking resources."** This happens when a browser pauses the rendering of your page to download and parse a CSS or JavaScript file.
To hit 100/100 in 2026, the browser needs to paint the content *first* and load the interactivity *second*.
## 1. Understanding the Critical Path
When a user visits your site, the browser reads the HTML from top to bottom. If it hits a `` or `';
}
return $tag;
}
add_filter( 'script_loader_tag', 'my_defer_scripts', 10, 3 );
```
## 4. Removing Unused CSS/JS
Many plugins load their assets on *every* page, even if the plugin isn't used there (e.g., a Contact Form script loading on the About page).
* **Asset Cleanup / Perfmatters:** These tools allow you to "unload" specific CSS/JS files on specific pages, reducing the total payload size.
## 5. Optimizing Web Fonts
Fonts often block rendering or cause layout shifts (FOUT/FOIT). To fix "Ensure text remains visible during webfont load":
### Use `font-display: swap`
Add this property to your `@font-face` declarations. It tells the browser to use a fallback font immediately and swap in the custom font once it loads.
```css
@font-face {
font-family: 'MyCustomFont';
src: url('fonts/myfont.woff2') format('woff2');
font-display: swap;
}
```
## Related Guides
* [[wordpress-image-optimization|Mastering Image Optimization]]
* [[Ubuntu-WordPress-Security|Securing WordPress on Ubuntu]]
* [[wordpress-advanced-css|Deep CSS Optimization]]
* [[wordpress-font-preloading|Advanced Font Optimization: Preloading Strategies]]
* [[wordpress-local-fonts|Hosting Google Fonts Locally for Performance and GDPR]]
* [[wordpress-font-display|Mastering font-display for CLS and Perceived Performance]]
* [[wordpress-request-optimization|Mastering HTTP Requests: Minification, Combining, and Prioritization]]
* [[wordpress-video-optimization|Optimizing Video Embeds with the Façade Pattern]]