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Autoloaded options

Every time WordPress builds a page, it first loads a bundle of settings from the database, whether the page needs them or not. These are the autoloaded options. Over the years, plugins and themes add to that bundle, and it rarely gets smaller on its own.

Why it matters

Section titled “Why it matters”

The bundle is loaded on every request that runs WordPress: visits that don’t come from a page cache, admin pages, background tasks. A small bundle costs next to nothing. A large one means more data to fetch and more memory in use before WordPress even starts on the actual page, and that adds to the server’s response time.

A large total doesn’t mean something is broken. It’s a sign worth watching, especially if it keeps growing.

What influences it

Section titled “What influences it”

WordPress: Mostly plugins. Many store their settings, temporary data or logs as options and mark them to load automatically. Some leave them behind after they’ve been deactivated or deleted. Often, a handful of entries make up most of the total. Since version 6.6, WordPress itself no longer autoloads very large options unless a plugin explicitly asks for it.

Cache: A persistent object cache keeps the bundle in memory, so WordPress doesn’t have to read it from the database every time. WordPress still loads it into each request, though. A page cache helps more: for a cached visit, WordPress doesn’t run at all, so the bundle isn’t loaded.

In Permo

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The Autoloaded options section is in System info, tab Database. Its Total card shows the size of the bundle and the number of options, with a line of the last 3 months below it, one value per day:

  • Green below 800 KB, the size WordPress Site Health uses (see below).
  • Yellow from 800 KB.

Below the card, Largest autoloaded options lists the biggest entries by name and size, five at first. A handful of them often make up most of the total.

Permo records the total size once a day. It adds up the stored size of every option that WordPress treats as autoloaded (the values yes, on, auto and auto-on in the autoload column), the same way the Site Health screen does. The line shows whether the bundle stays put or keeps growing.

The stored size isn’t exactly the memory PHP uses for the bundle, but it’s a good indicator.

Reference values

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  • WordPress Site Health reports “Autoloaded options could affect performance” when the total is above 800 KB.
  • Since WordPress 6.6, a single option larger than 150,000 bytes isn’t autoloaded unless a plugin explicitly asks for it.

Source: make.wordpress.org, Options API: Disabling autoload for large options, accessed October 16, 2026.

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Sources