I'm looking for recommendations on plugins that can help me create a static version of my WordPress site. I update my site regularly with various post types and many pages, and we currently use the Avada theme. As we're planning a redesign, one key feature we want is a static site generator to improve speed and security. Any insights on how to use these plugins effectively would be appreciated. Thanks!
5 Answers
Instead of a plugin, consider using something like Astro or Next.js with WordPress set up as a headless CMS. You can fetch content via the REST API, which can be quite efficient!
You should definitely check out the Simply Static plugin. It's pretty powerful and can convert your entire dynamic WordPress site into a static HTML, CSS, and JavaScript version. It's straightforward to use, and the results are impressive!
You might want to consider using a caching plugin, like WP Cache. These plugins essentially create a static version of your site for each route, making it super easy to achieve similar results without much hassle.
I tried using Astro for my site, and it worked really well! The build time is fast, and it's easy to get the hang of. Astro and Next.js both support incremental rendering, so new posts won’t trigger a full site rebuild. I'd recommend pairing it with Tailwind and a nice component library that matches your theme.
Check out this minimal static generator that can be attached to any theme or plugin: https://gist.github.com/aritzolaba/05f163bb0fe9364dd781aa61fff3d793. It might be just what you need!
I've heard Simply Static is really good too! It seems like a great choice.