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Serve Static Content From a Cookieless Domain: Use Cookie Free Domains

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Cookie-free domains are intended to serve static files as images, CSS files, scripts and others. When a browser makes a request for static images, it sends cookies along with the request and thus the user has to waste time (increasing website load time) and bandwidth while transmitting those cookies.

So if we can create a subdomain and make it cookie free and point all static resources to it then it can increa,se our website speed substantially.

Creating a sub domain is easy in www version. But if you a non-www user then either you have to change from non-www to www version or buy a new domain to serve static files.

Follow the Duplicate Content Issues post to know how to select preferred URL from non-www to www

NOTE: The following is tested for WordPress Version 4.7.5

CLOUDFLARE DNS SETTINGS TO SERVE STATIC CONTENT FROM A COOKIE LESS DOMAIN – Step 1

This step is for Cloud Flare users.

You cannot go completely cookie-less while using cloud flare. Cloudflare will always add a security cookie to any domain or subdomain that is being proxied by their service.

Cloudflare already caches your static content so there is no need to serve static content from a cookie less domain.

But still, if you want to set up a cookieless domain while using Cloud Flare then do the following steps.

  • Before you follow any steps, first of all, pause your domain. As with cloud flare being active, you will not be able to add any CNAME.
  • Go to Advanced and you will get the option to Pause or Delete.

Use Cookie Free Domains

Here you will be creating a DNS record with name ‘Static’ (You can give any name you wish to)

1.Go to DNS settings

Use Cookie Free Domains

2. Add DNS record

Click on the drop-down list> Choose CNAME

Use Cookie Free Domains

3. Put the Name as Static and enter your domain name

Use Cookie Free Domains

4. DNS record is successfully added.

Use Cookie Free Domains

CREATE A CNAME RECORD- Step 2

Go back to your hosting CPanel and create a CNAME.

1. CPanel> DNS Manager

Use Cookie Free Domains

2. Manage DNS

Use Cookie Free Domains

3. Additional Step for Cloudflare Users.

Change your nameservers to default as you will not be able to add records in DNS if the nameservers are not managed by your hosting company.

Use Cookie Free Domains

4. Records> ADD

Scroll down and you will get an add button.

Use Cookie Free Domains5. Select Type CNAME

Use Cookie Free Domains

6. Put Host as static and point it to your domain.

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7. Your CNAME is created.

Use Cookie Free Domains

8. DNS propagation will take about 15 minutes. You can check your DNS propagation in DNS propagation checker.

Use Cookie Free Domains

CDN ENABLER PLUGIN TO POINT THE STATIC RESOURCES TO COOKIE FREE SUB-DOMAIN -Step 3

A WordPress CDN plugin will help you to link your content to CDN url’s.

This plugin is developed by KeyCDN which will make you easily point the static resources to the sub-domain created.

Install and Activate CDN Enabler Plugin.

Go to Settings> Put your sub-domain in CDN url.

Put static/wp-content in Included directories and Save Changes.

Use Cookie Free Domains

W3 TOTAL CACHE PLUGIN SETUP TO USE COOKIE FREE DOMAINS – Step 4

You need to do some basic general, browser cache and CDN settings.

1. Performance> Browser cache

Use Cookie Free Domains

Scroll down to:

Use Cookie Free Domains

2. Performance> General Settings

Use Cookie Free Domains

Next, go to CDN settings to serve static content from a cookieless domain.

3. W3 Cache Plugin> CDN 

a. Replace site’s Hostname:

Use Cookie Free Domains

Save Settings and Purge Caches

b. Set cookie domain to your main domain.

Use Cookie Free Domains

Save settings and Purge caches.

REDIRECTING XML SITEMAP IMAGES PLUGIN -Step 5

Next, we need to redirect the XML sitemaps (which once we created) to the new subdomain url.

For this Code Snippets is a plugin to make the required redirection without editing your Functions.php files.

1. Install> Activate> Click on Snippets settings

Use Cookie Free Domains

3. Add new snippets

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4. Give a Title and Paste the Code.

(Change it to your domain name.)Use Cookie Free Domains

4. Save changes and Activate.

Use Cookie Free Domains

SETTING UP 301 RE-DIRECTIONS FOR WORDPRESS IMAGES BY EDITING HTACCESS FILE -Step 6

We need to set 301 re-directions for the wordpress images.

1. CPanel> File Manager

2. Htaccess file> Code Edit> Edit

Use Cookie Free Domains

3. Include the code:


DIRECTING OLDER POSTS URL TO USE NEW SUB FOLDER USING SQL QUERY

Optional step to ensure proper re-direction

1. Go to CPanel> Databases> phpMyAdmin

Use Cookie Free Domains

2. Select your WP table> Go to SQL 

Use Cookie Free Domains

3. Update the wp_posts to use the new sub-domain> GO

Use Cookie Free Domains

 

GOOGLE ANALYTICS SETUP TO USE COOKIE FREE DOMAINS

If you are using Google Analytics then set your cookies only for the primary domain else your traffic hits will not be counted.

Setting an incorrect cookie domain will result in no hits being sent to Google Analytics~ Google Developers.

The best way to it is to set Automatic Cookie Domain Configuration which will tell analytics to determine the best cookie domain to use.

It automatically sets itself to the highest level domain.

WordPress Dashboard> Appearance> Editor

Use Cookie Free Domains

You will find Footer.php on the right side

Use Cookie Free Domains

Include the code before the </body> ends.

 

Use Cookie Free Domains

NOTE: If you are a cloud flare use then now you can set your domain to ‘Active’ mode now. You should once again now change your default nameservers to custom nameservers which are stated by cloudflare.

WEBSITE SPEED RESULTS

My GTMetrix results in previous posts of ways to reduce DNS lookups clearly showed ‘Use cookie free domains’ to have a F 25 score.

Use Cookie Free Domains

After conducting the steps stated above, the final result is C 70.

Use Cookie Free Domains

Pingdom Website Speed Test:

Before:

Use Cookie Free Domains

After
Use Cookie Free Domains

I have a free course to increase your website speed by 70%.

CHECK THE COURSE CURRICULUM

IT’S WRAPPING TIME

Using cookie less domain is one of the score calculating factors of GTMetrix. This post was a part of evaluating GTMetrix website speed results. But personally, I do not feel the need of carrying such a long procedure as most of us are already using a CDN.

If you are using any CDN there is no need to use a cookieless domain as your static content are already cached.

If you are concerned about your website speed( which you should be) then leverage your browsing cache and use a free CDN.

You can also remove query strings from static resources to speed up a website.

203 Shares

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Cason Kent

Tuesday 2nd of June 2020

Thanks for sharing. Especially for providing the infographics to make the process easy for us. One thing to add, to check the DNS propagation lookup, I actually found https://dnschecker.org/ that tool as a source of providing the more detailed DNS Lookup as compared to whatsmydns.net. You must check it out as well.

itroz

Friday 6th of April 2018

Thanks for awesome article

رژیم گیاهخواری

Wednesday 28th of February 2018

I have SSL just on my primary domain and sub-domains don't support SSL how can I use this

Moumita

Thursday 1st of March 2018

Hi, you can still use cloudflare CDN. It is free and it already caches the static content

Hazet Tools India

Friday 26th of May 2017

What you're saying is completely true. I know that everybody must say the same thing, but I just think that you put it in a way that everyone can understand. I'm sure you'll reach so many people with what you've got to say.

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