Speed · low impact

WordPress emoji script loads on every page

WordPress loads an emoji detection script and inline CSS on every page so it can replace emojis with images on very old browsers. Every modern browser renders emojis natively.

Why it matters

It's an extra request and inline script in the <head> on every page view, for a feature almost no visitor needs.

How to fix it in WordPress

  1. Install a lightweight plugin such as 'Disable Emojis (GDPR friendly)', or use the emoji option in your performance plugin.
  2. Alternatively, add remove_action( 'wp_head', 'print_emoji_detection_script', 7 ); and remove_action( 'wp_print_styles', 'print_emoji_styles' ); to a code snippets plugin.
  3. Clear your page cache.

Plugin-specific steps

Already using one of these plugins? Follow the exact steps for your setup.

Perfmatters

  1. 1Go to Settings → Perfmatters → General.
  2. 2Toggle on 'Disable Emojis'.
  3. 3Save changes and clear your cache.

WP Rocket

  1. 1Go to Settings → WP Rocket → Media.
  2. 2Check 'Disable WordPress emoji'.
  3. 3Save changes.

LiteSpeed Cache

  1. 1Go to LiteSpeed Cache → Page Optimization → HTML Settings.
  2. 2Turn on 'Remove WordPress Emoji'.
  3. 3Save changes and purge all caches.

Autoptimize

  1. 1Go to Settings → Autoptimize → Extra.
  2. 2Check 'Remove emojis'.
  3. 3Save changes and empty the Autoptimize cache.

How to verify the fix

  • View the page source and confirm wp-emoji-release.min.js is gone.
  • Run Maki again.

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