Overview: How to Speed Up Your WordPress Website Using AccelerateWP
This guide explains How to Speed Up Your WordPress Website Using AccelerateWP step‑by‑step and why it matters for security, uptime, and performance. It’s written for small and medium businesses that rely on Blackhawk MSP for proactive, managed IT support in the Bay Area and beyond.
- ✅ Clear, actionable steps
- ✅ Best‑practice notes from our MSP engineers
- ✅ Links to related services and help
Tip: If you’re short on time, contact us — we’ll handle this for you and verify everything is working.
A fast-loading website is crucial for both user experience and SEO. At Blackhawk-IT, we provide built-in performance tools to help you optimize your WordPress site for maximum speed and efficiency.
Follow these steps to supercharge your WordPress site using AccelerateWP through your cPanel.
Step 1: Increase WordPress Memory Limit
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Log in to cPanel.
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Open the File Manager and locate your WordPress directory.
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Find and edit the file named wp-config.php.
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Add the following line of code inside the file (just before the line that says “That’s all, stop editing!”):
This increases the PHP memory limit available to WordPress, allowing it to run faster and handle more complex tasks efficiently.
Step 2: Increase PHP Memory Limits in cPanel
After editing the WordPress configuration file, you’ll also need to increase your PHP memory limits directly in cPanel:
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Go to cPanel → Select PHP Version → Options Tab.
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Increase the following values to higher limits (if available):
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memory_limit = 1024M -
post_max_size = 128M -
upload_max_filesize = 128M -
max_execution_time = 300
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Click Save to apply the new settings.
Step 3: Remove Existing Cache Plugins
To prevent conflicts and ensure optimal performance, remove any existing caching plugins before enabling AccelerateWP.
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Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard (
example.com/wp-admin). -
Go to Plugins → Installed Plugins.
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Deactivate and delete any caching plugins such as:
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LiteSpeed Cache
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WP Rocket
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W3 Total Cache
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Step 4: Enable AccelerateWP in cPanel
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Return to cPanel and open the AccelerateWP tool.
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You’ll see a page displaying the available options.
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Click the ⚙️ gear icon (on AccelerateWP, not the Premium version).
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Turn it ON and wait for the process to complete.
Once enabled, AccelerateWP will automatically optimize your WordPress installation for speed and performance.
Step 5: Configure AccelerateWP Inside WordPress
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Log back in to your WordPress Admin Panel.
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Go to Settings → AccelerateWP.
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Follow the guided setup to configure caching and performance options according to your website’s needs.
???? Step 6: Clear All Cache
After setup, go to the Dashboard Tab in AccelerateWP and click Clear All Cache.
This ensures all changes are active and your visitors will immediately experience faster load times.
Step 7: Test Your Website’s Performance
Now visit your website and test its speed.
You can use tools such as:
You should notice significantly faster loading times, improved responsiveness, and better overall performance.
Final Results
After completing these steps, your website will benefit from:
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Faster Page Loading Speeds
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Optimized Resource Usage
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Better Server Efficiency
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Reduced Downtime and CPU Load
Summary
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Increase WordPress memory limit via wp-config.php |
| 2 | Increase PHP limits in cPanel |
| 3 | Remove old caching plugins |
| 4 | Enable AccelerateWP from cPanel |
| 5 | Configure AccelerateWP settings in WordPress |
| 6 | Clear cache and test performance |
Enjoy faster website speeds with AccelerateWP — powered by Blackhawk-IT’s optimized hosting environment.
We take care of the heavy lifting so you can focus on building your business — while your WordPress site runs at top speed!
Video tutorial temporarily unavailable while we refresh links. If you need more help, please call us at 1-925-218-4000.
Need help? Blackhawk MSP can do this for you, verify success, and document the change. Call 1‑925‑218‑4000 or open a ticket.
