Does your web page be afflicted by slow functionality and prime community site visitors? The place cookies are incessantly the perpetrator, one efficient resolution is to make use of cookie-free domain names.

Even though cookies are one of the crucial main cornerstones of our on-line revel in, they aren’t at all times as tasty as their title would possibly recommend. Past privateness and safety issues involving third-party cookies, cookies which are mechanically hooked up for your website’s pictures and different static content material will have a critical have an effect on on web page functionality.

Fortunately, it’s conceivable to trim the useless weight (on this case, useless cookies) by means of the use of cookie-free domain names. On this whole information, we’ll overview the fundamentals of cookie-free domain names, why they’re so helpful, and the way you’ll be able to configure your WordPress website to make use of them.

However first, let’s achieve into the virtual cookie jar and take a more in-depth take a look at how domain names use cookies — for higher or worse.

What Are Cookie-Unfastened Domain names?

Cookie-free domain names are portions of a web page that don’t ship cookies to customers’ browsers.

However why no longer ship cookies always? In the end, wouldn’t or not it’s well mannered to present customers as many cookies as conceivable?

Now not essentially. Once we’re speaking about cookie-free domain names, we’re after all regarding HTTP cookies. Not like our favourite baked treats, HTTP cookies are little packets of knowledge that web pages ship to customers’ browsers. Whilst no longer very tasty, they’re extraordinarily helpful for permitting web pages to “consider” customers the following time they consult with.

On the other hand, identical to precise cookies, you don’t need to serve too many HTTP cookies. As we’ll see in a while, guests love a couple of cookies — however any further than what they want will cause them to really feel slow and bloated.

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What Are HTTP Cookies?

HTTP cookies are all over the place on the net.

Each time you consult with a web page, there’s an excellent chance that the web page will ask you to retailer cookies together with your browser. Along with details about the web page itself and the web page you’ve visited, cookies come with a non-public identifier tied to you and your browser. This identifier lets in the web page to “consider” when you’ve already visited the web page.

Let’s take a more in-depth take a look at how this cookie alternate works (spoiler alert: there aren’t any captivating wicker baskets or woman scouts concerned).

How websites send HTTP cookies to users’ web browsers
How web pages ship HTTP cookies to customers’ internet browsers

As proven within the symbol above, the alternate will also be damaged down into 3 steps:

  1. Your browser requests a internet web page. Whilst you input an cope with (e.g., a website URL comparable to “kinsta.com”) into your browser’s cope with bar or click on on a internet hyperlink, your browser generates an HTTP request that tells the web page that it desires to view the web page. This request is distributed to the internet server that hosts the web page and its pages.
  2. The internet server sends the web page and the cookie. Upon receiving your request, the internet server sends again the asked web page and a cookie containing positive knowledge. As we discussed previous, this cookie virtually at all times features a non-public identifier for you and your browser.
  3. The browser requests some other web page from the similar server. Now let’s say you click on on a hyperlink to some other web page at the web page, comparable to “Store” or “About Us” on an ecommerce website. Right here, your browser sends some other request to the internet server and the cookie it was once in the beginning given. When the internet server receives this request, it sees the cookie it despatched up to now and recalls you’ve already visited. With that knowledge, the internet server can ship extra customized studies, comparable to keeping up an lively login or pieces in a buying groceries cart.

There also are other cookies for various functions. Within the instance above, the internet server engaged in consultation control maintains your login or buying groceries cart pieces — in different phrases, your personal consultation on their web page. In a similar way, cookies will also be used to ship customized studies, comparable to appearing fresh orders, seen pieces, and even focused commercials.

Whilst it could sound great to be given cookies anywhere you cross, it’s no longer the whole thing it’s cracked as much as be. As we’ll see within the subsequent segment, it’s in fact conceivable for a web page to ship too many cookies — a few of which many of us would moderately no longer “devour.”

How Domain names Use HTTP Cookies

Even though non-public identifiers are one crucial use for HTTP cookies, they aren’t the one ones. In truth, cookies can be utilized for a variety of functions to offer extra customized internet studies, ship focused content material, and extra.

How cookies might be used to violate privacy
How cookies could be used to violate privateness

We already coated how web pages and browsers alternate HTTP cookies to “consider” you. Whilst that may be useful for keeping up login classes and appearing buying groceries cart pieces, cookies will also be used for extra nefarious (or outright aggravating) functions.

Listed below are one of the maximum not unusual tactics domain names use HTTP cookies.

  • Consultation control. You realize this one by means of now. Consultation control is incessantly regarded as probably the most “benign” use for HTTP cookies, as its sole objective is to ship a constant consumer revel in that is helping the consumer keep away from having to copy positive movements. Whilst seeing earlier task would possibly provide privateness issues for some customers, it’s rather innocuous. The actual privateness problems come when cookies are used for monitoring, which we’ll quilt in a while.
  • Personalization. Consultation control will also be used to personalize internet pages in response to consumer personal tastes and task. As an example, after settling on their language of selection, customers will have the ability to view the web page in that very same language on next visits with no need to switch it each and every time. Cookies too can permit web pages to conform to the particular necessities of other internet browsers.
  • Monitoring. Cookies even have a debatable facet. Since your browser retail outlets the cookies web pages come up with, the ones cookies can be utilized to trace you all over the place you cross on the net. As an example, you could consult with a web page that provides your browser a monitoring cookie letting affiliated advertisers across the internet know that you simply visited their web page. When advertisers understand this cookie, they are able to show focused advertisements for the unique web page and even use it as a vector for cyber assaults. After all, monitoring cookies could make it really feel such as you’re being “adopted” — one thing that incorporates a slew of moral and privateness issues.

Fortunately, maximum HTTP cookies are used for consultation control and personalization. On the other hand, even probably the most blameless cookies may cause issues.

Thus far, we’ve explored the speculation of 1 web page sending one cookie. If truth be told, one web page typically sends more than one cookies, incessantly one for every web page part — HTML, symbol information, and so forth. Whilst a few of these cookies are vital for consultation control and personalization, lots of them aren’t.

Because of this, it’s conceivable to ship too many cookies, and this will motive a number of issues. We’ll talk about the ones issues within the subsequent segment.

Consuming Too Many Cookies

Not like maximum paperwork, internet pages are a choice of quite a lot of parts that give them shape, construction, and that means. Every of those parts will have its personal cookie.

While common paperwork we would possibly view in a .pdf or .docx structure would possibly appear to be a unmarried “mixture” of textual content and pictures, internet pages are constructed of many separate, small portions.

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are major components of most websites
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are main elements of maximum web pages

As an example, while you request a internet web page, you’re in fact asking for separate web page elements, comparable to HTML (construction), CSS (taste/formatting), JavaScript (interactivity), and media, comparable to pictures. As such, when your browser receives a internet web page, it’s in fact receiving and re-combining those elements to show the whole web page in your display.

If the internet server may be sending cookies, it should mechanically ship a cookie with each part all through this procedure. That would possibly no longer imply a lot for a easy internet web page with only some pictures, however it could temporarily get overwhelming if a internet web page has tens and even loads of various elements — and is sending a cookie for every one.

Identical to consuming too many cookies in genuine lifestyles, sending and receiving too many HTTP cookies ends up in slow functionality. Since sending further information calls for overtime and sources, sending cookies in conjunction with each and every part can simply devour an enormous quantity of community sources.

Area Nutrition: Going Cookie-Unfastened

Fortunately, the technique to sending too many cookies makes use of a real-world analogy: To toughen functionality, merely devour (learn: ship) fewer cookies.

However which cookies are we meant to surrender? Generally, it’s easiest follow to take away cookies from any static parts in your web page.

Static parts are those who you gained’t be expecting to switch with consumer conduct, comparable to static pictures or static information, like CSS information. Because of this, they don’t want cookies hooked up to them, making getting rid of them one of the crucial easiest tactics to cut back community load and toughen functionality.

In fact, getting rid of cookies isn’t so simple as unchecking a “cookies” checkbox.

As a substitute, internet servers use cookie-free domain names to distribute static content material with out cookies one at a time from content material with cookies. A cookie-free area is typically a separate area (comparable to a subdomain or FQDN, like “static.kinsta.com” or “kinsta.com”).

Structure of a URL showing a subdomain
Construction of a URL appearing a subdomain

Fortunately, it’s no longer very laborious to make use of cookie-free domain names while you’re the use of the suitable equipment — and putting in place a subdomain isn’t the one approach of doing so.

However sooner than we get our arms grimy, let’s discover one of the greatest advantages of the use of cookie-free domain names and simply how large of an have an effect on this will have in your web page (and your price range).

Why Use Cookie-Unfastened Domain names?

Eliminating further cookies would possibly sound like a small motion — and albeit, it’s.

On the other hand, this small motion comes with some lovely large advantages. Through handiest sending the cookies you wish to have, you’ll lighten your community site visitors and reap lots of the different advantages discovered beneath — a few of which don’t have anything to do with functionality in any respect.

Reduces Needless Community Site visitors

Maximum advantages of the use of cookie-free domain names stem from lowering community load from needless cookie site visitors.

As we coated previous, sending web page parts for your guests calls for a certain quantity of community sources. Past the weather themselves, every part (and even more than one portions of the similar part) are despatched with reaction headers containing routing knowledge, in conjunction with different parts comparable to cookies.

Even if cookies are rather small information information, having to ship numerous them with each and every web page request can temporarily upload up. Because of this, customers have to attend longer for the web page to load as your deficient internet host will get crushed (and, because of this, is going over price range).

In the event you use cookie-free domain names, then again, you’ll get rid of lots of the bulk led to by means of sending needless cookies.

Improves Web site Efficiency

As you could consider, lowering community load by means of lowering cookies has an important have an effect on on loading occasions and web page functionality.

Since each and every web page click on is a separate request to the internet server, customers would possibly to find themselves looking ahead to prolonged sessions simply to accomplish elementary navigation (House Web page > About Us > Store, and many others.). Whilst web page parts and cookies would possibly get cached and reused after the primary rather a lot, this will nonetheless provide an issue if the pages exchange or the consumer dives even deeper into your web page.

Advantages search engine optimization and Person Enjoy

Through lowering needless site visitors to toughen web page functionality, your web page might also see advantages relating to SEO (search engine optimization) and, after all, buyer and consumer revel in.

Buyer revel in is the obvious get advantages: with a shorter load time, customers can get entry to the content material they would like extra temporarily. Because of this, they’ll be much more likely to discover your web page (and your merchandise or services and products) and no more more likely to click on away in frustration.

The similar get advantages additionally applies to search engine optimization. Whilst web page loading occasions don’t immediately have an effect on search engine optimization, your leap charge — the proportion of holiday makers who click on off your web page — unquestionably does.

Shoppers don’t want to wait long for a page to load
Web page load speeds

In keeping with a document from Unbounce, three-quarters of shippers will abandon a web page if they have got to attend 4 seconds or longer for it to load.

Because of this even though getting rid of needless cookies improves your load occasions by means of just a moment, you’ll nonetheless see a large relief in leap and, because of this, a spice up to your seek score.

Lowers Webhosting Prices

Community site visitors in the long run prices cash in internet webhosting charges.

That implies when you’re sending extra cookies than you wish to have, you’re additionally paying far more in internet webhosting charges. And if cookies are impacting web page functionality, the wear and tear is doubled: Along with paying for extra site visitors, you’ll wish to pay for much more to get the similar go back because of the greater leap charge led to by means of gradual load occasions.

Fortunately, controlled webhosting services and products like Kinsta let you totally make the most of your web page visits. Kinsta provides APM equipment and different options that can assist you benefit from your WordPress web page.

Cookieless Long term Readiness

In any case, whilst it will not be an instantaneous get advantages now, handing over cookie-free content material will let you higher get ready for a cookieless long term.

With cookie controversy on the upward push in mild of privateness necessities, such because the GDPR, many main serps, and generation firms are on the lookout for tactics to get rid of cookies altogether. Whilst cookies most probably gained’t cross away for a while, they really well would possibly ultimately — and the earlier you’re able for it, the simpler the transition might be.

Strategies of The usage of Cookie-Unfastened Domain names

As we coated previous, the overall concept of a cookie-free area is to ship static content material with out handing over cookies. Even though making a separate static area or subdomain is probably the most direct method to do that, it’s additionally conceivable with CDNs and a few WordPress tips.

Create a Separate, Cookie-Unfastened Area

With this technique, you’ll create a separate area for webhosting your web page’s static elements, comparable to pictures and CSS.

Whilst you’ll be able to sign up a wholly separate area title, it’s typically more uncomplicated and less expensive to create a subdomain of your present area title. Maximum cookie-free domain names merely use a static prefix (e.g., “static.yourdomain.com”) as their subdomain.

Notice that this may occasionally handiest paintings if the “www” model of your area (e.g., “www.yourdomain.com”) is the foundation area to your web page’s root report.

To make the subdomain cookieless, you’d typically have to search out and edit your .htaccess report immediately the use of particular code. On the other hand, as we’ll see later, it’s a lot more uncomplicated to easily reconfigure your WordPress website or use a plugin.

On the other hand you configure your cookie-free subdomain, you’ll be able to add static elements, comparable to your CSS elements, pictures, textual content, and JavaScript.

Use a Content material Supply Community (CDN)

The usage of a content material supply community or CDN is a particularly handy method to make use of cookie-free domain names.

Right here, moderately than having to create separate subdomains and edit configuration information, you’ll be able to merely inform your CDN to forget about and strip cookies from the reaction headers of your static elements. That can sound slightly sophisticated, but it surely’s in fact a easy characteristic in lots of CDNs.

Notice that no longer each and every CDN supplies this capability. Because of this, it’s most often higher to switch your web page’s configuration except you’re already the use of a CDN that lets you disable cookies.

Reconfigure Your WordPress Web site

In the event you’re the use of WordPress, you’re in success: All it takes to designate a cookie-free area is to replace a few traces to your wp-config.php report. Skip forward to the following segment (Configuring WordPress to Use Cookie-Unfastened Domain names) for whole directions.

Use a WordPress Plugin

Every other simple WordPress possibility is to make use of a plugin for developing static variations of WordPress web pages.

One well-liked plugin for doing that is WP2Static (actually “WordPress-to-Static”). After putting in the plugin, merely open it to your WordPress dashboard and configure the settings to export your web page to a static model:

Creating a static version of a WordPress site in WP2Static
WP2Static

Configuring WordPress to Use Cookie-Unfastened Domain names

As discussed above, WordPress provides a very simple strategy to put in force cookie-free domain names. The method boils all the way down to a couple of easy steps:

  1. Including an alternative subdomain and related DNS
  2. Telling WordPress which area will serve up static belongings
  3. Updating present WordPress database data to replicate this new cope with

Kinsta shoppers can use the MyKinsta dashboard to perform a few of these duties. Many different WordPress customers will have the ability to do the similar in cPanel.

We’ll quilt each beneath.

The usage of MyKinsta To Arrange a Cookie-Unfastened Area

Kinsta shoppers can affiliate subdomains (or utterly other domain names) with a WordPress example inside the MyKinsta dashboard. Many purchasers will even use MyKinsta’s equipment to configure DNS for the ones domain names.

On this instance, we’ll create a cookie-free area at static.instance.com for our web page already up and working at www.instance.com.

Step 1. Create a Subdomain in MyKinsta

In the event you first of all established your WordPress website at Kinsta the use of the wildcard possibility with its area title (like: *.instance.com), you might be already set to reinforce any subdomain title. If no longer, you’ll be able to upload the brand new area for cookie-free content material like this:

  • Make a choice WordPress Websites at the left-hand menu.
  • Click on at the title of your WordPress website.
  • Make a choice Domain names at the left-hand menu.
  • Click on the Upload Area button.
Screenshot: Adding another domain within MyKinsta.
Including a subdomain inside of MyKinsta.

Within the following conversation:

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  • Sort the title of your cookie-free area.
  • Click on the Upload Area button.
Screenshot: Typing a new domain name within MyKinsta.
Specifying the brand new subdomain inside of MyKinsta.

Subsequent, your new static area will desire a DNS report pointing for your present web page. In the event you arrange DNS in your domain names via a third-party supplier, you’re going to use their equipment to try this. In case your DNS is equipped by means of us, configure your new area in MyKinsta like this:

  • Make a choice DNS at the left-hand menu of the MyKinta house web page.
  • At the DNS Control web page, scroll all the way down to the DNS Data block and click on the Upload DNS Report button.

We propose including your new subdomain to DNS as a CNAME report, permitting you to depend on simply the second-level area title for associations with IP addresses. Underneath, we’re including a CNAME report for static that issues to instance.com:

Screenshot: Creating a DNS record within MyKinsta.
Making a CNAME report in MyKinsta DNS control.

Step 2. Disable Cookies on Your Static Subdomain

Now we’ll edit your WordPress website’s wp-config.php report in order that belongings inside the wp-content folder are served up from the “static” area and cookies are delivered handiest by means of the “www” cope with.

Maximum Kinsta shoppers will use an FTP/SFTP consumer to login to their WordPress website and obtain wp-config.php to their desktop for modifying:

Screenshot: Downloading wp-config.php with an SFTP client.
Downloading the wp-config.php report to the desktop.

Use a textual content editor so as to add the next traces to the wp-config.php report (changing the instance domain names with your individual personal):

outline("WP_CONTENT_URL", "https://static.instance.com/wp-content");
outline("COOKIE_DOMAIN", "www.instance.com");

After saving the report, add it for your WordPress website, changing the former model.

Step 3. Redirect Current Property to the Subdomain

The stairs above will permit cookies to be passed out when browsers load content material like pages and weblog posts from the “www” cope with, however will motive content material like media uploads and belongings like JavaScript, CSS and fonts inside of issues to be related to the “static” area.

On the other hand, your web page would possibly have already got content material that comprises hyperlinks to these belongings on the “www” cope with. You’ll blank that up with a bit search-and-replace within the WordPress database itself.

All the time again up your WordPress website sooner than operating within the database. After this is carried out:

  • Make a choice WordPress Websites at the left-hand menu of the MyKinsta dashboard.
  • Click on at the title of your WordPress website.
  • Make a choice Domain names at the left-hand menu.
  • At the Web site Knowledge web page, scroll all the way down to the Database Get entry to block. (You’ll reproduction database username and password knowledge right here if wanted.)
  • Click on the Open phpMyAdmin hyperlink.
  • Login for your WordPress database.
  • Click on the SQL tab.
Screenshot: Updating content in the WordPress database using phpMyAdmin.
Operating an SQL question to replace asset hyperlinks in WordPress content material.

Run the next command to ensure that any asset hyperlinks inside of your present posts are directed for your cookie-free subdomain (once more, being certain to switch the domain names with your individual):

UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = REPLACE(post_content, 'www.instance.com/wp-content/', ' static.instance.com/wp-content/')

You’ve now effectively configured a cookie-free area in WordPress with the assistance of MyKinsta. Use this area to host any static content material for which you don’t need to ship WordPress cookies and use your common area for the whole thing else.

The usage of cPanel To Arrange a Cookie-Unfastened Area

Listed below are the stairs to perform what we did above in MyKinsta the use of cPanel or one of the crucial well-liked cPanel possible choices.

Step 1. Create a Subdomain in cPanel

Navigate to the Domain names segment of the cPanel primary web page. Within the Subdomains software, merely create a subdomain hooked up to the top-level area of your present WordPress website.

Those settings will also be noticed beneath to create the subdomain static.instance.com.

Creating a subdomain in cPanel
Making a subdomain in cPanel

Step 2. Configure the Subdomain as Static in cPanel

Along with your new static subdomain able to move, it’s time to make it are living as much as its title by means of making it serve static content material in WordPress.

We’ll do that by means of modifying your WordPress website’s wp-config.php report. The best way to get entry to this report is in cPanel’s Document Supervisor software.

In Document Supervisor, navigate for your web page’s public_html folder and choose wp-config.php (1). Then, choose the Edit possibility (2) to edit the report.

Locating the wp-config.php file in the cPanel File Manager tool
Find the wp-config.php report

Within the wp-config.php report, merely upload the next traces (being certain to switch the domain names with your individual!):

outline("WP_CONTENT_URL", "https://static.instance.com/wp-content");
outline("COOKIE_DOMAIN", "www.instance.com");

Click on “Save Adjustments.”

Step 3. Redirect Current Posts to the Subdomain

In any case, you’ll wish to redirect your present posts to the brand new static subdomain. However first, remember to again up your WordPress website simply in case it doesn’t serve as correctly after.

Within the Database segment of cPanel, open the PhpMySQL software. Make a choice your website’s database after which its _posts desk.

Click on the SQL tab of the _posts desk. Run the next command to make sure that your submit URLs are directed for your cookie-free subdomain (once more, being certain to switch the domain names with your individual):

UPDATE wp_posts SET post_content = REPLACE(post_content, 'www.instance.com/wp-content/', ' static.instance.com/wp-content/')
Redirecting existing posts to the new static subdomain
Redirecting present posts to the brand new static subdomain

And that’s it! You’ve now arrange a cookie-free area in WordPress with the assistance of cPanel. Use the cookie-free area for static content material like pictures, CSS, JavaScript, and fonts, whilst permitting cookies in your website’s number one area.

Cookie-free domain names may let you lighten your community site visitors… & extra. 🚫🍪 Learn on to be told extra ⬇Click on to Tweet

Abstract

The usage of cookie-free domain names is a extremely efficient strategy to toughen your website functionality, cut back webhosting prices, or even reinforce your buyer revel in and search engine optimization.

As we’ve noticed, putting in place cookie-free domain names in WordPress is really useful. On the other hand, just a controlled WordPress host like Kinsta can take complete good thing about those advantages.

With handy equipment for getting rid of set-cookie headers and direct database get entry to to redirect posts to a static subdomain, it’s by no means been more uncomplicated to make use of cookie-free domain names. Kinsta’s APM equipment and different performance-monitoring options too can let you observe the effects.

For more info and to peer Kinsta for your self, touch us or time table a unfastened demo as of late.

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