Bits of .NET

WordPress Heartbeat API pings server every 15-60 seconds causing CPU spikes. Slow it down or disable.

Add to functions.php:

// Reduce heartbeat frequency
add_filter('heartbeat_settings', function($settings) {
    $settings['interval'] = 60; // From 15-60 to 60 seconds
    return $settings;
});

// Disable on frontend only (keep for editor autosave)
add_action('init', function() {
    if (!is_admin()) {
        wp_deregister_script('heartbeat');
    }
});

// Disable completely except post editor
add_action('init', function() {
    global $pagenow;
    if ($pagenow !== 'post.php' && $pagenow !== 'post-new.php') {
        wp_deregister_script('heartbeat');
    }
});

Result:
Server requests: 4/min → 1/min
CPU usage: -80%
Hosting costs: Significantly lower on shared hosting