PageSpeed Insights
Run Google PageSpeed tests, track Core Web Vitals, view optimization scores, and get AI-powered summaries.
Last updated Feb 21, 2026
Overview
BoostPro lets you run Google PageSpeed Insights tests and track Core Web Vitals directly from the WordPress dashboard. No need to leave your admin panel or open external tools.
The PageSpeed testing panel is located on the BoostPro → Dashboard tab.
Running a test
Click the test button on the dashboard. Tests take up to 90 seconds to complete. Results are stored locally so you can review them at any time without re-running the test.
Results show mobile and desktop scores side by side, along with individual Core Web Vitals metrics for each device type.
Automated tests
BoostPro schedules an automatic test via the boost_pagespeed_cron cron hook: weekly on the free plan, and daily with an SR WORKS AI subscription. This lets you track performance trends without manual intervention.
Test allowance
PageSpeed testing is free and needs no license key. Google gives us a fixed number of PageSpeed API requests per day, shared across every BoostPro install, and there is no way to buy more — so the allowance is rationed rather than charged for:
- Free: 1 test per site per day, plus the automatic weekly test
- SR WORKS AI: 10 tests per site per day, plus the automatic daily test
Re-testing the same page is served from a short-lived cache and does not count against your allowance. If you do run out, BoostPro shows your most recent result rather than an error.
API
Test requests are fetched from api.srworks.co/v1/pagespeed, which proxies the Google PageSpeed Insights API. Along with your site URL, the plugin sends an anonymous site identifier — a one-way hash of your site address and a random value generated on your server — used only to apportion the shared allowance fairly between sites.
Optimization score
Separate from the Google PageSpeed score, BoostPro calculates its own optimization score from 0 to 100 based on which features you have enabled. Each feature category contributes a weighted percentage:
| Feature | Weight |
|---|---|
| Image Optimization | 20% |
| Lazy Load BG + Video | 15% |
| CSS Optimization | 15% |
| JS Optimization | 15% |
| Resource Cleanup | 10% |
| Font Optimization | 5% |
| Preconnect & Preload | 5% |
| DB Cleanup | 5% |
| Image Dimensions | 5% |
| Page Caching | 5% |
Core Web Vitals explained
| Metric | Target | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) | < 2.5s | Loading performance. Measures when the largest visible element finishes rendering. |
| FCP (First Contentful Paint) | < 1.8s | First visual content. Measures when the first text or image appears on screen. |
| TBT (Total Blocking Time) | < 200ms | JavaScript blocking the main thread. Total time the main thread was blocked by long tasks. |
| CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) | < 0.1 | Visual stability. Measures how much elements shift around as the page loads. |
| TTFB (Time to First Byte) | < 800ms | Server response time. Measures how long the server takes to respond to the first request. |
AI-powered summary
After running a test, you can optionally generate a plain-language summary of the results. The AI summary explains what the scores mean and suggests which BoostPro features to focus on.
This is the one BoostPro feature that needs an AI model behind it. The PageSpeed score itself is always free. There are two ways to provide one:
- SR WORKS AI subscription — runs on our servers against a paid model, processed via the Anthropic API through
api.srworks.co. Limited to 15 summaries per day. - Your own AI provider — on WordPress 7.0 or later, connect Anthropic, OpenAI or Google under Settings → Connectors. BoostPro then talks to your provider directly, with no subscription and no daily cap from us. Your provider bills you for what you use.
If both are configured, the subscription is used, so your own provider is not charged for something you have already paid us for. If neither is, the Summarize button stays locked and everything else on the dashboard carries on as normal.
Cache stats
The dashboard also displays cache statistics:
- Total cached pages: number of HTML files in the cache directory
- Cache directory size: total disk space used by cached files
- Last purge: timestamp of the most recent cache purge
Quick actions
The dashboard provides one-click actions:
- Run test: trigger a manual PageSpeed test
- Purge cache: clear all BoostPro caches
- Apply recommended settings: enable all settings marked as recommended
- Reset to defaults: restore all settings to factory defaults
Tip
Test both mobile and desktop. Mobile scores are typically lower due to simulated throttling. Focus on mobile first since Google uses mobile-first indexing.
Important
PageSpeed scores fluctuate between tests due to network conditions and server load. Look at trends over time rather than individual test results.