Speculative Loading

How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.

Directory rank vs rivals

wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you

How often this plugin actually ships. A steady rhythm is the maintenance signal a single "last updated" date can't show.

Share of active installs on each version of this plugin · 85% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.

Refined from the date this plugin crossed into its current band.

No paid tier is visible, so we don't put a figure on revenue or sale value: that would be guessing. The install base is a real asset to an acquirer, just not one public data lets us price.

1. ★★★★★ Terry J

   1.4y ago

   Although I have not tried the plugin on live sites, my testing on 3-4 dev boxes leaves me impressed. I can see and feel the speed increase I have a couple of heavy sites and can see this plugin fitting right into the flow. Will get on it soon 🙂

   Read on wp.org ↗
2. ★★★★★ OllieJones

   1.6y ago

   This works. That’s good.

   Read on wp.org ↗
3. ★★★★★ mrimpact

   2.0y ago

   We have done a lot of testing on WordPress sites and WooCommerce stores. Everything works beautifully and fast. Thank you very much for this amazing plugin.

   Read on wp.org ↗
4. ★★★★★ groggy72

   2.1y ago

   I was using another plugin which does a similar job but Speculative Loading appears to be substantially quicker. Using on about 10 sites and no issues. Thank you

   Read on wp.org ↗
5. ★★★★★ Hudson Atwell

   2.2y ago

   Amazing results on install. Will continue to check this one out.

   Read on wp.org ↗
6. ★★★★★ lacoste89

   2.2y ago

   Es verkürzt die Ladzeit für einen Benutzer sichtbar, auch wenn im Hintergrund die Seite gleichschnell geladen wird, so fühlt es sich für einen Benutzer extrem schnell an.

   Read on wp.org ↗
7. ★★★★★ jjcarlson

   2.3y ago

   I’ve currently activated this plugin on five sites, some on one server, and then others on another. The plugin has yet to present any plugin conflicts or other issues. The time to load pages is drastically improved based on user intent, and based on this alone, I cannot recommend this plugin enough. I haven’t tested the sites with Lighthouse, but honestly, I don’t feel the need to do that, because it’s about the user experience first, and that is such an improvement with this plugin. Thank you!

   Read on wp.org ↗
8. ★★★★★ Gregoire Noyelle

   2.3y ago

   The results are truly impressive. I tested it on 2 FSE sites. Thank you!

   Read on wp.org ↗

Recent releases and news for this plugin

1. — Version 1.6.0 Enhancements Add Speculative Loading opt-in for authenticated requests. ( 2097 ) Add warning notice to Speculative Loading setting for authenticated users when persistent object cache is not present. ( 2144 ) Update Spec 1.6.0
2. — Version 1.5.0 Enhancements Add support for Speculative Loading WP Core API, loading the plugin’s own API implementation conditionally. ( 1883 ) 1.5.0
3. — Version 1.4.0 Enhancements Implement speculative loading considerations for safer behavior. ( 1784 ) 1.4.0
4. — Version 1.3.1 Bug Fixes Check if rel contains nofollow instead of being just nofollow when excluding speculative loading. ( 1232 ) 1.3.1
5. — Version 1.3.0 Enhancements Prevent speculatively loading links to the uploads, content, plugins, template, or stylesheet directories. ( 1167 ) Facilitate embedding Speculative Loading in other plugins/themes. ( 1159 ) Improve overall 1.3.0
6. — Version 1.2.2 Bug Fixes Fix composition of href exclude paths to account for JSON encoding and differing site/home URLs. ( 1164 ) Documentation Update readme with browser support and FAQ section about analytics and personalization. ( 1.2.2

Automated install-time checks, tested on PHP 8.1.12 · WP 6.8.2

Translated into 19 languages, 8 at 90% or more

Growth timeline

Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow

1. 2025-12-30 80K+ → 70K+ down after 74 days in tier
2. 2025-10-17 70K+ → 80K+ up after 94 days in tier
3. 2025-07-15 60K+ → 70K+ up after 89 days in tier
4. 2025-04-17 50K+ → 60K+ up after 69 days in tier
5. 2025-02-07 40K+ → 50K+ up after 88 days in tier
6. 2024-11-11 30K+ → 40K+ up after 83 days in tier
7. 2024-08-20 20K+ → 30K+ up after 74 days in tier
8. 2024-06-07 10K+ → 20K+ up after 43 days in tier

Competes with

The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).

• Async JavaScript 70K+ installs · 4.6★ · 2 shared tags D
• Flying Pages: Preload Pages for Faster Navigation & Improved User Experience 20K+ installs · 4.8★ · 2 shared tags A
• Web Worker Offloading 10K+ installs · 3.8★ · 2 shared tags B
• U Use Google Libraries 10K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D
• S Scripts To Footer 7K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags B
• Quicklink for WordPress 1K+ installs · 4.4★ · 2 shared tags C

Embed this report card

Drop a live Pulse card for Speculative Loading into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.

Speculative Loading: 70K+ active installs, 5.0★ (18 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-08-25. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/speculation-rules