Why Guest Mode in LiteSpeed LSCache Is a Game-Changer

Learn how to improve PageSpeed with LSCache guest mode in LiteSpeed. Our Litespeed Support team is here to help you with your questions and concerns.

Why Guest Mode in LiteSpeed LSCache Is a Game-Changer

If you’re looking for a way to speed up your WordPress site, the Guest Mode feature in the LiteSpeed Cache plugin is the ideal solution.

The Guest Mode feature ensures the site loads as quickly as possible. Furthermore, it boosts the site’s performance scores on tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, GTmetrix, and similar benchmarking utilities. That means better rankings in search engines and a more professional impression to visitors.

Whether you’re using Guest Mode or other performance optimizations like GZIP compression or combining it with plugins like Autoptimize, LSCache provides impressive flexibility.

How Guest Mode Works

When a user lands on our site for the very first time, LiteSpeed Cache doesn’t waste time figuring out who they are. Instead, the Guest Mode feature immediately serves a default cached version of the page. No cookies, no cache varies, no ESI (Edge Side Includes), just speed.

(Interested in a deeper dive into ESI in LiteSpeed? We’ve got you covered.)

Regardless of where the user is located, what language they speak, or whether they’re logged in, everyone sees the same cached version of the page on that first visit. And since there’s no personalization at this point, the page loads lightning-fast.

As the default HTML loads, LiteSpeed quietly runs an Ajax call in the background. That’s when all the personalization comes in, the system figures out the user’s preferences, permissions, and more, and swaps in the fully personalized version of the page.

There may be a brief moment when the visitor sees generic content before the Ajax update takes effect. On complex sites (such as those using platforms like XenForo), this could result in a short display of incorrect language, pricing, or user data. It’s up to us to decide whether that’s acceptable for our content strategy.

The Impact on PageSpeed Scores

Did you know that tools like PageSpeed Insights always act like first-time visitors?

In other words, when Guest Mode (and Guest Optimization) are enabled, the testing bots are served the fastest, fully optimized, and fully cached version of our page.

Let’s take a look at the example below:

We can see how the PageSpeed score improved from 41 to 93 after enabling Guest Mode and Guest Optimization.

How to Enable Guest Mode in LiteSpeed Cache for WordPress

Enabling Guest Mode is easy and takes just a few minutes. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. First, log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2. Then, from the left sidebar, go to LiteSpeed Cache > General.
3. Now, toggle Guest Mode to `ON` and click Save Changes.

We can enable Guest Optimization under the Guest Mode setting. Make sure it’s set to `ON`.

To get the full benefit across all devices:

1. Go to LiteSpeed Cache > Cache.
2. Then, find Cache Mobile and set it to `ON`.
3. Click Save Changes.

If we are running a multisite installation, we can adjust these settings globally under the Network Admin tab.

If you want to squeeze every ounce of performance out of LiteSpeed Cache, try this tip:

1. Go to LiteSpeed Cache > Presets.
2. Then, select and apply the Advanced preset.
3. Head back to LiteSpeed Cache > General.
4. Now, ensure Guest Mode and related settings are properly enabled.

[Need assistance with a different issue? Our team is available 24/7.]

Conclusion

LiteSpeed Cache’s Guest Mode is one of the most effective ways to boost a WordPress site’s performance.

In brief, our Support Experts demonstrated how to improve PageSpeed with LSCache guest mode in LiteSpeed.