Identifies the autoloaded WordPress options silently consuming PHP memory on every single page request — and exactly which plugins are responsible.
Every autoloaded option in WordPress's options table is loaded into memory on every page request — before a single line of your theme or plugin code runs. Most plugins autoload everything by default. Over time this payload grows until it becomes a significant, invisible tax on every WordPress page load. The Autoload Governor measures the total payload, ranks the worst offenders by size, and attributes each item to the plugin responsible.
Displays total WordPress autoload size with tiered thresholds: warning at 500 KB, critical at 800 KB. This single number directly correlates with memory consumption and time-to-first-byte on every single page load.
Groups autoloaded options by their WordPress option name prefix to identify which plugin is responsible for the most autoload weight. Immediately answers "which plugin is causing this?" without manual investigation.
A complete, size-sorted table of every autoloaded option with its name, value size, and a "How to Disable" button that shows the exact code needed to disable autoloading for that specific option.
For each identified offender, the module explains how a developer can disable WordPress autoloading — through plugin settings, a filter, or wp_update_autoload_option() in WordPress 6.4+.
When the total WordPress autoload payload exceeds 800 KB, a critical notice explains the performance impact and recommends immediate review. At this level, autoloaded data can add 20–80ms to every page request.
WordPress calls wp_load_alloptions() on every request, loading all autoloaded options into memory at once. A 2 MB autoload payload means 2 MB is deserialized and held in PHP memory before your theme runs — even if 95% of it is never used on that page.
No. The plugin is strictly read-only. It identifies the offenders and provides guidance, but all remediation is performed by a developer. This keeps the plugin completely safe to run on production WordPress sites.
Lite shows the total autoload payload, the critical threshold warning, and the full sorted list of individual autoloaded options. Pro adds complete per-plugin attribution grouping and the tiered 500 KB warning threshold.
A fresh WordPress installation autoloads approximately 50–100 KB. Sites with 20–30 active plugins commonly see 400–600 KB. Above 800 KB is where measurable page load degradation consistently appears.
The Autoload Governor reveals exactly what's loading into PHP memory on every WordPress request — and which plugin is responsible.
Pro adds complete per-plugin attribution grouping with prefix-level breakdowns and the tiered 500 KB warning threshold.
Lite shows the full sorted offender list with per-item sizes and disable guidance — completely free.
