LiteSpeed Cache presets
Apply a pre-tuned set of LSCache settings in one click, choose the right level of risk for your site, and revert if it breaks something.
Presets apply a whole configuration of LiteSpeed Cache settings at once, graded from cautious to aggressive. Applies to all shared and reseller hosting, which runs LiteSpeed.
They are the quickest way to a well-configured cache without working through every tab of the plugin.
Apply a preset
- In WordPress, go to LiteSpeed Cache → Presets.
- On the Standard Presets tab, select Apply Preset beside the one you want.
- Confirm when prompted.
Your existing settings are backed up automatically before the new ones are applied.
If Presets is not in the menu, update the plugin — it needs version 5.3 or later.
Revert
Every application adds an entry to the History section at the foot of the Standard Presets tab, each with a link back to the settings that preceded it. Select the link and the previous configuration is restored.
Choose a preset
The presets are ordered by how much can go wrong.
| Preset | Adds | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Essentials | Caching, longer TTL, browser cache | Anyone. Cannot break your layout |
| Basic | Image optimisation, mobile cache | Most sites |
| Advanced | A large set of page-optimisation features | People willing to exclude conflicting files |
| Aggressive | CSS/JS combine, Critical CSS, Unique CSS | People comfortable diagnosing conflicts |
| Extreme | Maximum optimisation | Experienced users on simple sites |
Essentials does the thing that actually matters — page caching — and touches nothing that can alter how your site looks. On a site you cannot afford to have break, this is the correct answer, and the gap between it and the aggressive presets is much smaller in real load time than it is in page-speed score.
Basic adds image optimisation and a separate mobile cache. Image optimisation is a QUIC.cloud service and needs a free domain key; the plugin prompts you.
Advanced and above enable page optimisation — minifying and combining CSS and JavaScript. This is where sites break.
From Advanced upwards, expect to find and exclude conflicting CSS or JavaScript files. These presets do not fail loudly; they produce a subtly broken layout or a script that silently stops working, often on one template only. Do not apply them to a live site you have not tested.
Aggressive and Extreme add Critical CSS and Unique CSS, which are QUIC.cloud services that may incur fees. Check the current terms before enabling them.
Which to choose
Start with Essentials and confirm the site is being cached. That alone gives you most of the available improvement.
Move up one level at a time, testing after each. If you want to try the page optimisation features, do it on a staging copy first — reverting is easy, but only if you notice the breakage, and subtle CSS damage can go unnoticed for weeks.
Chasing a page-speed score is not the same as making the site faster for visitors. Aggressive CSS processing can improve the score while making the page render later.
Presets are a starting point
You can change any individual setting afterwards. A preset sets a baseline; it does not lock anything.
Verify
After applying any preset:
- Load the site logged out and in a private window.
- Check a page of each type — home, a post, an archive, and the cart and checkout if you run WooCommerce.
- Confirm caching is active — see Check whether LiteSpeed Cache is working.
Related
WordPress sites missing from WordPress Manager
WordPress Manager only lists sites Softaculous installed. Scan for manual installations to bring the rest under management.
Use SVG images in WordPress
WordPress blocks SVG uploads by default for good reason. How to enable them safely with Safe SVG, and why not to use a plugin that simply allows the type.