WordPress.org

Weston Ruter

WordPress Performance Team

<p><em>This plugin was formerly called as “No-cache BFCache”, which admittedly was a poor jargony name and was too narrowly scoped.</em></p>
<p>This plugin enables instant back/forward navigation via the browser’s <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Glossary/bfcache" rel="nofollow ugc">bfcache</a>. It does this by removing the <code>no-store</code> directive from the <code>Cache-Control</code> response header, which WordPress sends by default when <code>nocache_headers()</code> is called. This happens primarily when a user is logged in, but some plugins may send these “no-cache” headers such as on the Cart or Checkout pages for an e-commerce site. <strong>Upon activation, to see the effect, you must log out of WordPress and log back in again, ensuring “Remember Me” is checked.</strong> Even so, another plugin, theme or server configuration may be active which makes pages <a href="https://web.dev/articles/bfcache#optimize" rel="nofollow ugc">ineligible for bfcache</a> due to other <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Performance_API/Monitoring_bfcache_blocking_reasons#blocking_reasons" rel="nofollow ugc">blocking reasons</a>. Nevertheless, the removal of <code>no-store</code> will <em>still speed up back/forward navigations</em> since pages may then be served from the browser’s HTTP cache, eliminating the need to re-download the HTML from the server. This is a feature plugin to implement <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/63636" rel="nofollow ugc">#63636</a> in WordPress core.</p>
<p>Blog post: <a href="https://weston.ruter.net/2025/07/23/instant-back-forward-navigations-in-wordpress/" rel="nofollow ugc">Instant Back/Forward Navigations in WordPress</a></p>
<p>The speed of page navigations in WordPress saw a big boost in 6.8 with the introduction of <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/core/2025/03/06/speculative-loading-in-6-8/" rel="nofollow ugc">Speculative Loading</a>. However, by default Speculative Loading in WordPress is not configured to enable <em>instant</em> page loads, which requires a non-conservative eagerness with the prerender mode; not all sites can even opt in to prerendering due to compatibility issues, such as with analytics, and due to concerns about sustainability with unused prerenders (e.g. increasing server load and taxing a user’s bandwidth/CPU). While Speculative Loading (i.e. the Speculation Rules API) is relatively new and currently only supported in Chromium browsers (e.g. Chrome and Edge), there is a much older web platform technology that enables prerendering <em>and</em> which is supported in all browsers: the back/forward cache (bfcache). This instant loading involves no network traffic and no CPU load, since previously visited pages are stored in memory. According to the web.dev article on <a href="https://web.dev/articles/bfcache" rel="nofollow ugc">back/forward cache</a>:</p>
<p><strong>Chrome usage data shows that 1 in 10 navigations on desktop and 1 in 5 on mobile are either back or forward. With bfcache enabled, browsers could eliminate the data transfer and time spent loading for billions of web pages every single day!</strong></p>
<p>Also learn more via the following video:</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Debugging bfcache, make your page load instantly #DevToolsTips" width="750" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y2IVv5KnrmI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>Normally, WordPress sends a <code>Cache-Control</code> header with the <code>no-store</code> directive when a user is logged in. This has the effect of <a href="https://web.dev/articles/bfcache#minimize-no-store" rel="nofollow ugc">breaking the browser’s bfcache</a>, which means that navigating back or forward in the browser requires the pages to be re-fetched from the server and for any JavaScript on the page to re-execute. The result can be a sluggish navigation experience not only when navigating around the WP Admin (see <a href="https://github.com/Automattic/jetpack/pull/44322#:~:text=page%20load%20is%3A-,Without%20bfcache,-With%20bfcache" rel="nofollow ugc">Jetpack demo video</a> and demo video below) but also when navigating around the frontend of a site. Furthermore, the lack of bfcache can cause data loss when data has been entered via a JavaScript-built UI since this state is lost when a page is not restored via bfcache (see <a href="https://github.com/woocommerce/woocommerce/pull/58445#issuecomment-3014404754" rel="nofollow ugc">WooCommerce demo video</a> and demo video below).</p>
<p>The reason why the <code>no-store</code> directive was added in the first place was due to a privacy concern where an authenticated user may log out of WordPress, only for another person to access the computer and click the back button to view the contents of the authenticated page loaded from bfcache or the HTTP cache. (See <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/21938" rel="nofollow ugc">#21938</a>.) In practice this issue depends on the user being on a shared computer who didn’t exit the browser, and it requires the malicious user to act soon before the page is evicted from bfcache (e.g. Chrome as a <a href="https://developer.chrome.com/docs/web-platform/bfcache-ccns#:~:text=The%20bfcache%20timeout%20for%20Cache%2DControl%3A%20no%2Dstore%20pages%20is%20also%20reduced%20to%203%20minutes%20(from%2010%20minutes%20used%20for%20pages%20which%20don%27t%20use%20Cache%2DControl%3A%20no%2Dstore)%20to%20further%20reduce%20risk." rel="nofollow ugc">10-minute timeout</a>).</p>
<p>To address this privacy concern, a safeguard is in place to protect against restoring pages from bfcache and the HTTP cache after the user has logged out:</p>
<p>When authenticating to WordPress, a “bfcache session token” cookie is set along with the other authentication cookies. This cookie is not HTTP-only so that it can be read in JavaScript; it is a random string not used for any other purpose. When an authenticated page is served, this bfcache session token is included in the HTML as well as a script which reads the value of this cookie. When a user navigates away from the page and then navigates back to it, a script on the page checks if the current session token in the cookie matches the initial session token sent with the page. If they do not match (e.g. because the user has logged out or another user has logged in), then the contents of the page are cleared and the page is reloaded so that the contents are not available.</p>
<p>Since JavaScript is required to invalidate cached pages, the login form is extended to pass along whether scripting is enabled. Only when JS is enabled will the <code>no-store</code> directive be omitted from the <code>Cache-Control</code> response header. This ensures that users with JavaScript turned off will retain the privacy protection after logging out. Lastly, <code>no-store</code> is also only omitted if the user checked the “Remember Me” checkbox on the login form. Since it is highly unlikely a user on a shared computer would have checked this checkbox, this provides yet an additional safeguard (which may in the end prove excessive). A ✨ emoji is displayed next to the checkbox in a button that opens a popover that promotes the capability. If you want to opt out of this opt-in (and the sparkle) so that all logged-in users get bfcache, you can use the <code>nocache_bfcache_use_remember_me_as_opt_in</code> filter which you can use in a custom plugin or your theme:</p>
<pre>add_filter( 'nocache_bfcache_use_remember_me_as_opt_in', '__return_false' );</pre>
<p>When this plugin strips out the <code>no-store</code> directive, it also ensures that the <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers/Cache-Control#private" rel="nofollow ugc"><code>private</code> directive</a> is sent in its place: “The <code>private</code> response directive indicates that the response can be stored only in a private cache (e.g., local caches in browsers).” WordPress is already sending <code>private</code> as of <a href="https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/57627" rel="nofollow ugc">#57627</a>. This directive ensures that proxies do not cache authenticated pages. In addition to ensuring <code>private</code> is present, this plugin also adds <code>no-cache</code>, <code>max-age=0</code>, and <code>must-revalidate</code> while ensuring <code>public</code> is removed, all to further guard against any misconfigured proxy from caching the private response.</p>
<h4>Demo: Navigating the WordPress Admin</h4>
<p>Without bfcache:</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Navigating the WordPress Admin without Back/forward Cache (bfcache)" width="750" height="563" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cz-_L6q9ZRc?start=22&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p>With bfcache:</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Navigating the WordPress Admin with Back/forward Cache (bfcache)" width="750" height="563" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z4dILiwe0Rk?start=27&feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<h4>Demo: Navigating the WordPress Frontend</h4>
<p><strong>Without bfcache:</strong> The drafted BuddyPress activity update is lost when navigating away from the page before submitting. The activity feed and Tweet have to be reconstructed with each back/forward navigation.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Navigating the WordPress Frontend without Back/forward Cache (bfcache)" width="750" height="563" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ko1w_SRlCig?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>With bfcache:</strong> The drafted BuddyPress activity update is preserved when navigating away from the page without submitting. The activity feed and Tweet do not have to be reconstructed when navigating to previously visited pages via the back/forward buttons.</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Navigating the WordPress Frontend with Back/forward Cache (bfcache)" width="750" height="563" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bzGm6LcHHAs?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>


Instant Back/Forward


This is now a "must install" plugin for me on every site I work on. It's absolutely magical.


Magical

Enables back/forward cache (bfcache) for instant history navigations even when “nocache” headers are sent, such as when a user is logged in.

AresIT

WP Compress

<p>WP Compress – Instant Performance & Speed Optimization<br />
Instantly speed up WordPress performance and stop slow load times from costing you sales, signups, and visitors.</p>
<p><strong>Load Faster, Rank Higher & Convert Better on Complete Autopilot</strong><br />
Simply link your website and you’re good to go – with no maintenance required after setup.</p>
<p><em>It’s really that easy.</em></p>
<span class="embed-youtube" style="text-align:center; display: block;"><iframe loading="lazy" class="youtube-player" width="750" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_iy7p_Ed8oE?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe></span>
<h3>Instant Performance Boost for Your Website</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>One-Click Smart Optimization</strong>: Simply link your website and run smart optimization for a boost in performance with no maintenance required.</li>
<li><strong>Easy to Use, Yet Infinitely Customizable</strong>: Tailor your site’s performance with customizable settings, page rules, and exclusions. Whether you prefer set-and-forget performance or hands-on control, WP Compress is built to fit your needs.</li>
<li><strong>Effortlessly Speed Up Mobile Websites</strong>: All performance tweaks provide specifically optimized versions, dedicated for mobile devices to instantly upgrade your mobile page speed and performance scores, which is critical in today’s mobile-first world.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Key Features of WP Compress</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Advanced Caching</strong>: Unlock lightning-fast server responses, slash resource consumption, and avoid unnecessary hosting upgrades.</li>
<li><strong>CSS & JavaScript Optimization</strong>: Reduce page bloat and minimize code to load only the critical content, with no coding required.</li>
<li><strong>Perfect Image Technology</strong>: Slash file sizes and generate WebP images that intelligently adapt to look good and load fast on any device.</li>
<li><strong>Global CDN Delivery</strong> <em>(Optional)</em>: Replicate your website’s content across the globe, for ultra-fast delivery to viewers anywhere, anytime.</li>
<li><strong>Smart Optimization + 24/7 Performance Monitoring</strong>: We’ll automatically keep your site optimized around the clock, ensuring peak performance for each and every incoming visitor.</li>
</ul>
<h3>All-in-One WordPress Performance Plugin</h3>
<p>Enjoy one-click smart optimization for an instant performance upgrade, or customize settings, page rules and exclusions as you wish – either way, you’re in complete control.</p>
<h3>Set Up in Seconds, Optimized Forever</h3>
<p>WP Compress is pre-configured with one-click settings options right out of the box.</p>
<h3>Essential Performance Suite</h3>
<p>Get started using the essential performance suite, offering everything you need for a faster site, from one-click optimization to critical CSS improvements and lazy loading.</p>
<h3>Powerful Optimization Engine</h3>
<p>Real-Time image optimization, media library compression, and advanced optimizations for adaptive performance based on the incoming visitor.</p>
<h3>Agency Features for Professionals</h3>
<p>Agency access includes centralized management, detailed statistics, and custom branding, so you can take all of the credit for faster WordPress performance.</p>
<p><strong>PRECONFIGURED FOR YOU, YET EXTREMELY FLEXIBLE</strong></p>
<p>You’ll be good to go the moment you paste your access key into the WP Compress plugin. It comes pre-configured with what we think are the optimal and most supported settings – but feel free to play around!</p>
<p><em>It’s really that simple and built for compatibility.</em></p>
<h3>Essential Performance Suite</h3>
<p><em>The basics for a faster website, without lifting a finger past setup.</em></p>
<ul>
<li>One-Click Smart Optimization</li>
<li>Advanced Website Caching</li>
<li>Critical CSS Optimizations</li>
<li>JavaScript Code Optimization</li>
<li>Improve Render Blocking</li>
<li>Delay Unnecessary JavaScript</li>
<li>Lazy Load Images</li>
<li>Lazy Load Videos</li>
<li>One-Click Performance Testing</li>
<li>SmartPurge Technology</li>
<li>WooCommerce Tweaks</li>
<li>FontAwesome Tweaks</li>
<li>Google Tag Manager Tweaks</li>
<li>Other Performance Optimizations</li>
<li>Frequent Updates</li>
<li>Expert Support</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Powerful Optimization Engine</strong><br />
<em>Advanced optimization that automatically adapts based on the incoming visitor for our fastest load times across the entire globe!</em></p>
<ul>
<li>One-Click Smart Optimization</li>
<li>Real-Time Image Optimization (Live)</li>
<li>Media Library Compression (Traditional)</li>
<li>Lossless, Intelligent & Ultra Compression Algorithms</li>
<li>Adaptive Images (per device)</li>
<li>Generate and Serve Next-Generation WebP Images</li>
<li>Retina Device Support</li>
<li>Over-Compression Prevention</li>
<li>Optimize + Serve Images via CDN</li>
<li>Optimize + Serve SVG via CDN</li>
<li>Optimize + Serve CSS Assets via CDN</li>
<li>Optimize + Serve JavaScript via CDN</li>
<li>Optimize + Serve Fonts via CDN</li>
<li>Support External URLs (Amazon S3 etc)</li>
<li>Automated Image Resize</li>
<li>Single Image Compression</li>
<li>Single Image Restore from Cloud</li>
<li>One-Click Bulk Optimization</li>
<li>One-Click Bulk Restore</li>
<li>Preserve EXIF Data</li>
<li>Custom CDN Domains</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>INCREDIBLE AGENCY FEATURES:</strong><br />
<em>Not only is the plugin great for speeding up individual websites, but the whitelabel add-on is fully loaded with industry-leading Agency features such as:</em></p>
<ul>
<li>Centralized Management Portal</li>
<li>Monthly Quotas for Clients</li>
<li>Remote Optimization</li>
<li>Detailed Statistics (Per Site)</li>
<li>Agency Statistics (Overview)</li>
<li>Detailed Compression Reports</li>
<li>Downloadable PDF Reports</li>
<li>Send Monthly Email Reports</li>
<li>MainWP Bulk Linking Extension</li>
<li>Multisite Compatibility + Bulk Linking Plugin</li>
<li>Hide from WordPress Admin</li>
<li>Custom Branded Reports</li>
<li>Custom CDN Domains</li>
<li>Custom Branded Plugin</li>
</ul>
<p>Features Overview</p>
<h3>Ease of Use</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>One-Click Performance:</strong> Instantly apply recommended or aggressive settings.</li>
<li><strong>Safe Mode:</strong> If at any point you want to revert or compare, simply toggle safe mode.</li>
<li><strong>Smart Optimization:</strong> Dynamic adjustments based on traffic and updates.</li>
<li><strong>Customizable Setup:</strong> Simple yet highly adaptable to different needs.</li>
<li><strong>Comprehensive Performance:</strong> Modular toggles for website speed optimization.</li>
<li><strong>Expert Support:</strong> Access to chat and ticket support for guidance.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Performance Enhancements</h3>
<h3>Caching and Optimization</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Advanced Cache:</strong> Total website caching for faster response times and reduced load.</li>
<li><strong>Real-Time Optimization:</strong> Automatically adapt content based on the incoming visitor.</li>
<li><strong>Script Optimization:</strong> Minify, combine, or delay scripts as needed.</li>
<li><strong>Cache Warmup:</strong> Preloads essential content for faster access.</li>
<li><strong>GZIP Compression:</strong> Compresses HTML for quicker load times.</li>
<li><strong>Global CDN Delivery:</strong> Ensures fast performance worldwide.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Image and Media Management</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>WebP Images:</strong> Utilizes next-gen image formats for quicker loads.</li>
<li><strong>Retina Device Support:</strong> Optimizes images for high-resolution displays.</li>
<li><strong>Media Library Compression:</strong> Reduces image file sizes without losing quality.</li>
<li><strong>Lazy Loading:</strong> Loads media files only when needed.</li>
<li><strong>Automatic Image Optimization:</strong> On upload for autonomous optimization.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Resource Management</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Remove Unused JavaScript/CSS:</strong> Cleans up unnecessary code for faster load times.</li>
<li><strong>Font Optimization:</strong> Manages font loading for optimal performance.</li>
<li><strong>Smart Cache Purging:</strong> Automatically purge based on website or content updates.</li>
<li><strong>Prefetch DNS Connections:</strong> Speeds up domain name resolution for assets.</li>
<li><strong>External URL Support:</strong> Allow external urls such as S3, offloaded images and more.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Administrative Tools</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Remote Management:</strong> Manage all of your websites from the centralized dashboard.</li>
<li><strong>Multisite Tools:</strong> Bulk linking and custom settings for network sites.</li>
<li><strong>Custom Client Quotas:</strong> Set specific limits for bandwidth and resources.</li>
<li><strong>UX Customization:</strong> Adjust plugin appearance and functionality.</li>
<li><strong>Sub-Account Management:</strong> Oversee client access and site control.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Whitelabel Features</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Custom Branded Plugin:</strong> Add your logo, icon, branding and more to take the credit.</li>
<li><strong>Custom CDN Domains:</strong> Use your domain for global content delivery.</li>
<li><strong>Invisible Management:</strong> Hide the plugin in the WP admin area.</li>
<li><strong>Detailed Reporting:</strong> Automated PDF and email reports branded with your logo.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Platform Integration</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Compatibility:</strong> Supports WordPress, WooCommerce, MultiSite, and more.</li>
<li><strong>MainWP Integration:</strong> Simplifies management across WordPress sites.</li>
</ul>
<p>Think of it as a fully managed solution, where you get to take the credit for faster loading client websites!</p>
<h3>We Always Have Your Back</h3>
<p>We’ve built all features as a toggle system, you can simply turn something on and if there are ever any conflicts or issues, simply toggle it off and everything will revert back to how it was.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>With millions of possible combinations, there are vast differences in environment from one WordPress website to the next. Whether it be plugins, themes, hosting permissions or server specifications – there’s a lot of variability.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>We also offer industry-leading live chat support with automatic ticket conversion. So if you ever have any questions, suggestions, or feature requests we’re here to help!</p>
<h3>Try it risk-free and see for yourself!</h3>
<ul>
<li>Lower Bounce Rates  </li>
<li>Ultra-Fast Response Times  </li>
<li>Better First Impressions  </li>
<li>Reduced Resource Usage  </li>
<li>Increased Conversions</li>
</ul>
<h3>How much does it cost?</h3>
<p>We believe that every website deserves to load faster! You can use our essential performance suite for free and add-on the optimization engine or agency features if you wish!</p>
<p>View our <a href="https://wpcompress.com/pricing/" rel="nofollow ugc">prices and plans</a>.</p>


WP Compress – Instant Performance & Speed Optimization


I had been having an issue for a long time with the FAQ accordion. For some reason, the accordion wouldn't toggle on click. I tried everything, but I was unable to fix it. When James heard about this issue from a survey I participated in, he emailed me to offer their support so they could resolve the issue.



I was unable to manage time, but when I contacted them, James personally handled it and provided a patch/bug-free plugin copy to resolve the issue. After updating the plugin, the issue has been resolved, and now the FAQ accordion is working fine, and the webpage loading speed seems better and faster. Thanks for the awesome service.


Super fast support


I am using WP Compress and it has proven to be better than WP Rocket. I got amazing results using WP Compress on two websites so far, and both have shown significant improvements in speed. Thank you so much to the WP Compress team for this fantastic product! :)


Goodbye WP Rocket, Hello WP Compress - Speed Like Never Before!


WP Compress has significantly improved our website's speed and performance. With its Instant Performance feature, pages load faster without compromising quality. The plugin is easy to use, automatically optimizing images and assets on the fly. It integrates seamlessly with WordPress and has great customer support. If you're looking to boost your site’s performance instantly, WP Compress is a top choice!


A Must-Have for Speed Optimization!

Everything you need for a faster website – smart optimization, advanced caching, adaptive images, WebP creation, script improvements, optional CDN del …

Instant Back/Forward vs WP Compress – Instant Performance & Speed Optimization