How to Display Database Query Statistics on Your WordPress Site

It’s an insightful practice to keep track of how many database queries your WordPress site is executing and how long those queries take. You might have noticed some WordPress blogs showcasing these statistics in their footer, typically with a message that reads: “23 queries. 0.448 seconds.” If you’re wondering how to integrate similar query statistics into your own WordPress website, you’ve landed at the right place! In this blog post, we’ll walk through how you can display database query statistics effectively by modifying your WordPress theme’s footer.

Why Display Database Query Statistics?

Displaying database query statistics can be beneficial for several reasons:

  • Performance Insights: It helps you monitor the efficiency of your WordPress site and diagnose potential slowdowns.
  • Debugging: If your site is running slowly, seeing how many queries are being executed can provide clues to potential issues that need resolution.
  • User Engagement: For technically-minded visitors, sharing query statistics can demonstrate transparency and a commitment to website performance.

Method to Show Query Statistics

To display database query statistics in your WordPress footer, you can follow this simple method. We will be adding a small piece of PHP code to your theme’s footer file. Here’s how to do it step-by-step:

Step 1: Access Your Theme Files

  1. Login to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
  2. Navigate to Appearance > Theme Editor.
  3. On the right sidebar, locate and click on footer.php to edit your footer file.
  1. Scroll to the bottom of the footer.php file.

  2. Add the following PHP code snippet just before the closing </body> tag:

    <?php echo $wpdb->num_queries; ?> <?php _e('queries'); ?>. <?php timer_stop(1); ?> <?php _e('seconds'); ?>
    

Code Breakdown

  • <?php echo $wpdb->num_queries; ?>: This part of the code retrieves the total number of queries run on the current page.
  • <?php _e('queries'); ?>: This function translates the word “queries” into the appropriate language if your site is translated.
  • <?php timer_stop(1); ?>: This function stops the timer that records how long it has been since the page started loading, providing precise load timing.
  • <?php _e('seconds'); ?>: Similar to the previous translation function, this displays the word “seconds”.

Step 3: Save Your Changes

  • Click the Update File button to save your changes.

Step 4: Verify the Changes

Now, visit your WordPress site and scroll down to the footer. You should see a display similar to “23 queries. 0.448 seconds” reflecting the current page’s database query statistics.

Conclusion

Integrating database query statistics into your WordPress site enhances your understanding of its performance and usability. By following the steps outlined above, you can easily implement this useful feature in your footer. It’s a small tweak that can provide great insights for both you and your visitors regarding your website’s efficiency!

Feel free to experiment further with how and where to display this data, ensuring it fits your site’s design and enhances user experience. Happy coding!