Install the kraken plugin

Since Carson announced the choice of a new image optimizer plugin to improve the overall speed of our sites, I could hardly wait to install, activate and use the plugin.

It is WOWing!

For those who missed the announcement, kindly find it here: https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/carson/blog/kraken-image-opt...

For some of us, less techy, there are some points to pay attention too.

  • Let us start with installing and activating the plugin

Go to your wordpress dashboard > plugins > add new (1)

Type kraken (2) and enter

Install and activate the plugin (3)

  • The screen looks like this :

The next step is to register with kraken.io



Join the Discussion
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Recent messages
JohnJStanley Premium
Hi Fleeky,
Thanks for the step by step training.
I have an older site and asked Site Support to Please transfer me over to Kraken IF it will make my posts/pages faster.
SiteSupport have been helpful and advised " your website has been migrated to the new beta server and it is working fine now. Please try accessing it at your end after clearing the browser cache."
What are the next steps do you know?
1. I cannot see this Kraken plugin in my WordPress Plugins, do I need to download and install it?
2. After following your training, do you recommend Deactivating or delete EWWW plugin?
Thanks in advance, John
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IncomeLegion Premium Plus
Yes, John, you deactivate and delete Ewww and ask support to install Kraken because they need to connect to the API so it works at optimal settings. They set mine up and between if a HummingBird Pro my site is killing all page speed numbers. Very happy.
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JohnJStanley Premium
Thanks! Do you mean "between it (Kraken) and HummingBird Pro"
What is "HummingBird Pro" is that a plug-in?
(Not the Google HummingBird update?)
Thanks
Reply
IncomeLegion Premium Plus
Hummingbird Pro is a plugin you get through WPMUDev membership that handles static caching of your pages, minimization of Javascripts and HTML, and the handle\ing of CSS, and Java. It performs over 50-speed enhancing tasks and has worked flawlessly with Kraken for me adding the fastest speeds my blog has seen yet.
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Oh waw...
I use the wp rocket cache

The wpmudev gave problems on old servers
Will go and test thzt!
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Yuma has it all answered.
Yes, install kraken and ask sitesuport to activate
Then delete ewww

If you need extra cache you can add hummingbird
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JohnJStanley Premium
Andy you are a legend,
So even with Wealthy Affiliate Hosting, Extreme Speed plus Kraken, it is still worth adding the HummingBird Pro plugin to create further optimisations of speed?
1. I did a quick test before and after of just the change from EWWW to Kraken and got very underwhelming changes
e.g. Desktop page speeds are around 95 but mobile page speeds are 30-60 so very poor. Some even got worse.
2. Google Page Speed for a 12,000 word review post was 80 Desktop / 44 Mobile (actually Google Search Console still hasn't indexed this post from 28th Aug 2019, probably due to the new Mobile indexing from 1st Sept, so this post Google won't allow it yet)
3. I have a few 12K, 13K word posts and then around 5 posts in the 5K-8K word mark (I know these are too long and will write posts under 4,000 words in future)
QUESTION:
Given 1, 2 & 3 does it sound like HummingBird Pro is needed and will improve my still slow page load times (especially mobile)?

Thanks in advance, I owe you a beer/coffee/wine :)
John
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Your theme might cause the problem, or some of your adds. What runs well under php5 does not alays on php 7. Did you check your bottlenecks?
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JohnJStanley Premium
Thanks Fleeky,
I use RocketTheme, I'm not sure about php5 or php7. I have posted a screenshot of my woeful 49 speed mobile after Kraken (but before Hummingbird Pro), do you have any suggestions?
e.g. what do I need to ask RocketTheme anything specific?
Reply
IncomeLegion Premium Plus
Like Fleeky is saying the issue may be in your theme but the fact Hummingbird creates a static file of your visited web pages so users are seeing a fully loaded page instead of having to load a dynamic page it will speed things up as much as possible. I love the fact it gives action steps to correct speed issues in minutes.
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Fleeky Premium Plus
This is a question you better submit to sitesuport, so they cen give it a closer look...
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Also... make sure to clear your,cache here on wa as well.
In,sitemanagers, details of your site, bottom right
Reply
JohnJStanley Premium
Thanks Andy, I finally checked out HummingBird Pro and notice it is "After 30 days, just $49/m for everything!", this is a little high, is there anyway to get it cheaper or for free?
So it seems I have 3 options:
1. Just Kraken plugin and WA Extreme SiteSpeed as part of WA hosting, however my SiteSpeed still is woeful e.g. How to Make Monday Affiliate Marketing was 95 Desktop and around 60 mobile BEFORE KRAKEN however I just refreshed this and showing 76 Desktop and 35 Mobile. So this has become truly awful UX & damaging speed

2. Kraken Plugin PLUS HummingBird Pro
OR
3. My friend recommended I use instead W3 Total Cache and Shortpixel (works with Requiem theme) and faster, but can it work with WA hosting?
(TO this suggestions, SiteSupport said "In this case, we suggest you contact the theme provider and ask them for guidelines as that will certainly help.

WA provides SiteSpeed feature, so no need to use W3 Total Cache.")
AS you can see they are not GOOD SOLUTION focused, how can I get super fast speed out of options 1, 2 or 3 above?
Thanks John
Reply
Fleeky Premium Plus
Still not sure about two things

1. Your theme
2. The size of your images. Better check what google speed has tsay on with google speed insights
3. Use wp rocket instead of w3 cache, tested both... rocket is faster
Reply
JohnJStanley Premium
1. Theme is RocketTheme. I have just sent similar questions to them (given that SiteSupport said "In this case, we suggest you contact the theme provider and ask them for guidelines as that will certainly help.)
2. Size of my images. Here is a sample GTMetrics report and Google PageSpeed insights for the same post.
3. SiteSupport said to "WA provides SiteSpeed feature, so no need to use W3 Total Cache."
Thanks
Reply
Fleeky Premium Plus
Use wp roccket then... it levels up and handles mobile, unless you use amp
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JohnJStanley Premium
Thanks so much,
I don't know what "amp" is. So are you saying that the best course of action for me is:
4. Continue with Kraken AND add the plugin wp rocket?
(It seems is costs US$49 once off which is a lot cheaper than Andy's Hummingbird Pro at $49/MONTH
As my site is not monetising yet its not worth Hummingbird. My site is in the building traffic and authority phase (early monetising)

4.1 In your opinion, if we say Andy's Kraken/Hummingbird Pro is the pinnacle, how close will be the wp rocket e,g. 50%, 80% as good or 100% as good.
(As you can see i'm a DUMB user, I just want a faster website applying 80:20 principle)
-:)
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Yes... i teste dhummingbirf pro,as,well
Here on wa , wp procket performs best... just with some themes, there are problems, especially with css... so you need to finetune a lot
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JohnJStanley Premium
You are a very clever person and one of the most helpful on the planet. Thank you x 10!!
Feel free to PM me any post on your blog and I'll gladly give you comments to help your SEO if you'd like :-)
Reply
Fleeky Premium Plus
Thank you john

Writing,poetry...
Difficult niche...
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JohnJStanley Premium
Thanks again Fleeky, I commented on your faith website and sent PM :)
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Fleeky Premium Plus
You can also try seo framework
It integrates mobile as well
Reply
JohnJStanley Premium
Thanks Fleeky so in your experience the best you've found is:
OPTION 1
1. Kraken image optimisation
2. WP Rocket
3. SEO Framework (an additional plug-in, to integrate mobile issues), can you do a separate blog about your testing/this plug-in?
4. Wealthy Affiliate SiteSpeed turned off

So I also assume you are saying this is better speed than just:
OPTION 2
A. Kraken image optimisation
B Wealthy Affiliate SiteSpeed turned ON (Extreme speed)

Also did you test your option 1 over option 2 for your sites and found overall option 1 was better?
Thanks again
Reply
Fleeky Premium Plus
Keep wa speed turned on. Always
Just make sure to flush the cache in your sitemanager

Use kraken
Wa speed
Seo frameOrk instead of all in one seo
Or add wprocket

Seo framework comes free and has an integrated mobile speed cache and optimizer
Reply
keishalina Premium
***hey hi deer fleekie -- super post! ... thanks kindly for the timely tut. on it .... cheerio ... :) ***
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Tut tut
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keishalina Premium
... lol ... tut = tutorial -- >> maybe can also be 'toot, toot, too! ...

keep well, keep happy! ... chee-eerioo-o! ... 📯 horn !
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Fleeky Premium Plus
😄🥰🤣
Reply
keishalina Premium
🌈😊🎵⭐️🎈🌻🌺🌼⭐️
Reply
manna4star2 Premium
Thanks Fleeky. I just finished installing it to a Test siterubix.com site that I have.

Sonny
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Fleeky Premium Plus
And....?
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manna4star2 Premium
I am having Health Challenges at the present time and not doing much. I may get to chek it out today.
Prayers please, my friend.
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Prayers send Sony
Just rest...
Reply
lesabre Premium
Hi Fleeky,

Thank you for the share. I also thank your descriptive images on how to install and activate the plugin.

For someone like me who is not very techie when it comes to Internet stuff, this is very much appreciated.

Thank you,

Michael
Reply
Fleeky Premium Plus
Thank you for telling me Michael.
Many of us are lost indeed and it takes time to get used to the technical aspect of a website without being drawn by it....

Just know that you need to ask site suport for help, since they have to move your site... and if you doubt, ask their advice.

If you have an active mailadress on your website like
me @ mywebsite. Com
Better delay the transfer and wait for the official moves.

I tested wIth one of my sites and WOW.
Could get rid of some plugins that marked my site as green
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lesabre Premium
Thank you Fleeky,

Michael
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DianeScorpio Premium
Hi - I have Kraken automatically activated in a new site I created a couple of days ago, but I understood that we are not supposed to add it to our older sites until they have been moved to the new servers.
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Hi
Oh great!

Yes... you need approval of site support for older sites.

I tested on one of my older sites, and it is speedy.

Just know the mailbox is lost, if you have one on that old site.

Thank you for sharing
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NnurseBecca Premium
I love this! Does it mean only older sites need these steps? The new sites shall already be installed?
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IncomeLegion Premium Plus
According to Carson Older sites should just wait to be updated to the new servers. Kraken is a paid system and they give us their API key when we are placed on the new servers so we need not register our own accounts. Kraken may actually slow you down without the proper PHP version on the older servers.
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Hi!

Yes, as Carson said.

The plugin is awesome!

For now Old sites need to be adapted manually and transferred to the new servers indeed...

Just know it is still in beta!
But wow what a speed!

In doubt better ask site suport first
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Yes indeed Yuma.

Better speek to site suport first.

I tested with one of my sites, and wow!
WOW
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IncomeLegion Premium Plus
Yeah, just the off-site optimization alone should speed things up but what would really make us fast is a CDN network. Take images and media clean off the site and deliver them locally around the globe.
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Fleeky Premium Plus
Many claim CDN is past too...

I am very happy with this step and WOW Is it fast!
Did you try or test?
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IncomeLegion Premium Plus
haven't done too much to test but it did a good job shrinking file size on the primary images of the site I have it on.
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Fleeky Premium Plus
If you dare... go for kraken
You will not regret it
And ask site support to transfer your site to the new servers!

WOW
Reply
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