The Problem: WordPress is Heavy
If you run a WordPress site, you know the struggle. You buy a nice theme, install a few plugins, and suddenly your Google PageSpeed score drops to 45.
Why? Static Assets.
Every plugin you install adds its own CSS and JS files. Your theme loads heavy fonts. And unless you optimize every single upload, your images are likely 2MB+ JPEGs clogging up your bandwidth.
Most tutorials tell you to install "optimization plugins" like Smush, Imagify, or Jetpack. But there is a catch:
They are bloated: Jetpack is massive and slows down your admin dashboard.
They are expensive: "Free" plans usually cap your image compression or CDN usage.
They are complex: You need to configure 50 settings just to get a slight speed boost.
The Solution: A "Set and Forget" CDN Layer
What if you could just flip a switch and have all your static files—CSS, JavaScript, Core files, and Images—served from a global, enterprise-grade network instead of your cheap shared hosting?
That is exactly what the StaticDelivr CDN plugin does.
Unlike other plugins that try to "minify" files on your slow server, StaticDelivr rewrites your URLs to point to its global edge network (350+ PoPs). It leverages the same infrastructure used by npm and GitHub to deliver your WordPress assets instantly.
Why It Is Better Than Self-Hosting
Automatic Image Optimization: You don't need to manually compress images. The plugin changes your image URLs to use StaticDelivr’s on-the-fly optimization. A 2MB PNG becomes a 20KB WebP automatically.
Browser Caching: Because StaticDelivr is used by thousands of open-source projects, there is a high chance your visitors already have common libraries (like jQuery) cached in their browser from other sites.
Origin Fallback: If the CDN ever fails (or gets blocked), the plugin includes a smart fallback script that automatically loads the file from your original server. Your site never breaks.
How to Set It Up (Takes 2 Minutes)
You don't need an API key, a credit card, or an account. Because StaticDelivr is free and open-source, the barrier to entry is zero.
Step 1: Install the Plugin
Go to your WordPress Dashboard > Plugins > Add New. Search for StaticDelivr and look for the plugin by coozywana. Alternatively, you can download the plugin directly from our WordPress page and upload the zip file manually.
Step 2: Configure Settings
Navigate to Settings > StaticDelivr CDN. You will see a modern, card-based interface designed for simplicity:
Enable Assets CDN: Toggle this ON. This handles your CSS and JS files.
Enable Image Optimization: Toggle this ON.
Image Quality: Set this to around 80 (the sweet spot between size and quality).
Format: Leave it on Auto. This serves WebP or AVIF to modern browsers and falls back to JPEG for older ones.
For a full technical breakdown of how the rewriting engine works, check out our WordPress Integration Documentation.
Step 3: Verify It Is Working
Open your website in a new tab and view the source code (Right-click > View Page Source).
Search for wp-content/themes. You should see the URL has changed from your domain to cdn.staticdelivr.com.
That is it. You are now saving bandwidth and serving assets from the edge.
Real World Results
On a test site running the Twenty Twenty-Three theme with high-res photography, we saw:
Page Size: Reduced by 65% (mostly due to WebP conversion).
LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Improved from 2.4s to 0.8s.
Server Load: Drastically reduced since the origin server no longer has to serve heavy static files.
Conclusion
You don't need to pay monthly fees to speed up your WordPress site. By using open-source infrastructure like StaticDelivr, you can get enterprise-grade performance for free.
Download the StaticDelivr Plugin on WordPress.org or check out the GitHub Repository to contribute.