How to install and use the P3 plugin for WordPress

This article describes how to install and configure the P3 (Plugin Performance Profiler) plugin for WordPress.

There are many plugins available for WordPress, and it can be difficult to know which ones to use. Some plugins may offer a great set of features, but negatively impact site performance. The P3 plugin enables you to identify which plugins use the most processing power and have the longest load times.

Installing the P3 plugin

To install the P3 plugin, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your WordPress site as the administrator.
2. In the left-hand pane, click Plugins.
3. Click Add New.
4. In the Search text box, type p3, and then click Search Plugins.
5. In the Name column, locate P3 (Plugin Performance Profiler), and then click Install Now.
6. After WordPress finishes installing the plugin, click Activate Plugin.

Using the P3 plugin

After you install the P3 plugin, you can run scans on your site. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your WordPress site as the administrator.
2. In the left-hand pane, click Tools, and then click P3 Plugin Profiler. The P3 - Plugin Performance Profiler page appears.
3. Click Start Scan.
4. In the Scan name text box, accept the default value, or type a new name.
   The P3 plugin stores a log of every scan, which you can review at a later date.
5. Select the type of scan that you want to run:
   • To have the P3 plugin automatically scan the pages on your WordPress site, click Auto Scan.
   • To manually scan pages on your WordPress site, click Manual Scan. Click the links on your site to visit different pages. When you are done, click I'm Done.
     The manual scan feature is useful when you want to test a specific page or pages on your site.

6. After the scan is complete, click View Results. The P3 plugin displays detailed scan results, such as runtime statistics for each plugin, page load times, and more.
   

   For detailed information about the information the P3 plugin reports, click the Help tab.

More Information

For more information about the P3 plugin, please visit https://wordpress.org/plugins/p3-profiler.