Use WordPress’s heartbeat_settings filter to slow Heartbeat requests—60 seconds is a common starting point—then disable the script on the front end and on administrative screens that do not need live updates. Keep Heartbeat active in the post editor so autosave and edit-lock behavior continue to work.
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Heartbeat requests are sent through wp-admin/admin-ajax.php. On a busy site, reducing unnecessary polling can lower request volume without the risks of switching the feature off everywhere.
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Place a small PHP callback in a site-specific plugin or your active theme’s child-theme functions.php file:
<?php
add_filter( 'heartbeat_settings', function( $settings ) {
$settings['interval'] = 60;
return $settings;
} );The heartbeat_settings hook is the supported control point. The developer.wordpress.org hook reference lists it as available since WordPress 3.6.0 and says the callback receives one argument: an array of Heartbeat settings. The callback must return that array after changing the interval.
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An interval of 60 seconds means a browser sends one Heartbeat request about once a minute while the script is active. It is a compromise: request frequency falls compared with a 15-second editor interval reported by a third-party guide, but the editor still receives periodic autosave and collaboration signals. User-contributed notes on the official hook reference describe 15 to 120 seconds as the practical interval range. Treat those values as guidance, not a promise that every WordPress version or plugin accepts exactly the same behavior.
Do not rely on an unverified wp-config.php constant for this setting. No official Heartbeat-interval constant is established here; the autosave interval is a separate setting and should not be confused with Heartbeat polling.
What the Heartbeat API does
Heartbeat is a browser-to-server polling mechanism used mainly by logged-in WordPress administration screens. JavaScript periodically posts data to admin-ajax.php, where WordPress and plugins can process it and return updates.
Editor functions that can depend on Heartbeat
- Periodic autosave activity while an editor is open.
- Edit-lock and “someone else is editing” signals.
- Other plugin or core features that use the Heartbeat transport for live status updates.
The exact features vary by WordPress version, editor, and installed plugins. A plugin can attach its own data to Heartbeat requests, so a site that appears to use only the editor may still have additional consumers.
Why admin-ajax.php can become a bottleneck
Each polling cycle creates an HTTP request. The request may bootstrap WordPress, authenticate a user, run plugin callbacks, perform database queries, and send a response before the next cycle begins. Multiply that work by every open dashboard tab and every logged-in user. A single tab is rarely the whole problem; many editors, dashboards, or long-lived browser sessions can create a steady stream of PHP and database work.
Heartbeat is therefore a request-frequency problem, not a standalone CPU bug. Before changing it, check whether a plugin is performing unusually expensive work during the request. Slowing the schedule reduces the number of opportunities for that work, but it does not repair inefficient callbacks.
Choose the right control instead of disabling everything
| Approach | Server-load effect | Editor and autosave behavior | Effort | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raise the interval, such as 60 seconds | Moderate reduction across screens where Heartbeat remains enabled | Editor remains live, but updates arrive less often | A few lines of PHP | Low when tested |
| Disable Heartbeat on the front end or selected admin screens | Strong reduction on those screens | No effect on screens that remain enabled, including the editor | Screen-specific PHP conditions | Low to moderate; depends on what a plugin needs |
| Disable Heartbeat everywhere | Largest possible reduction from Heartbeat requests | Autosave, edit-lock notices, and other dependent features can stop working | Simple in code, difficult to validate safely | High; generally not recommended |
Rate-limit admin-ajax.php at the web-server layer |
Potentially high, depending on the rule | Legitimate editor requests may be delayed or rejected | Requires server configuration and testing | High if the limit is too aggressive |
For most sites, start by increasing the interval and removing Heartbeat from places that do not need it. Keep a full disable or a server-level rate limit as an exceptional measure for a documented, tested use case.
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Prepare and measure before changing code
A baseline prevents you from confusing a Heartbeat improvement with an unrelated hosting or plugin change.
- Record the WordPress version, active theme, and plugins that run in the dashboard.
- Open the post editor, dashboard, Media Library, Settings, and plugin-management screens in separate tests.
- In your browser’s developer tools, filter the Network panel for
admin-ajax.php. Note the request interval, response status, response size, and whether the request repeats while the tab is idle. - Check hosting graphs or server logs for PHP worker use, CPU, database load, and request counts during the same period.
- Save a rollback copy of the plugin or theme file you will edit. Make changes in a staging site first when one is available.
Defaults are not uniform. One third-party guide reports a 15-second default in the post editor, while other guides describe 60 seconds on many screens. WordPress core, the active screen, and plugins can all affect what you observe. Measure your own installation rather than assuming a global default.
Set a slower interval globally
The simplest change applies one interval wherever Heartbeat is active:
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<?php
add_filter( 'heartbeat_settings', function( $settings ) {
$settings['interval'] = 60;
return $settings;
} );Where to put the snippet
- Site-specific plugin: the most durable option because it survives a theme change.
- Child-theme
functions.php: acceptable when the code belongs to the theme and the child theme is always active. - Code-management plugin: use one that safely stores PHP and lets you disable the snippet if a syntax error occurs.
Do not edit a parent theme that will be updated, and do not paste PHP into a field that expects plain text or CSS. A syntax error can take down the administration area, so keep an administrator recovery path and test the change before deploying it.
How to select the interval
Sixty seconds is a practical first test because it cuts request frequency while retaining periodic editor updates. You can try a longer interval when editors tolerate slower status updates, but stay within the interval behavior supported by your current WordPress version and verify the result in the browser. A shorter value preserves fresher signals at the cost of more requests.
Do not claim a fixed percentage of CPU savings from changing 15 seconds to 60 seconds. The arithmetic reduction in polling opportunities is predictable, but the real server effect depends on concurrent users, request cost, caching, PHP workers, and plugin callbacks. Measure the result on your site.
Use different intervals for different screens or roles
A single global value is not always appropriate. Editors may need more frequent autosave than a user who only checks settings. The filter can return different values after inspecting the current screen or the logged-in user.
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Keep the editor at one interval and slow other admin pages
<?php
add_filter( 'heartbeat_settings', function( $settings ) {
if ( ! is_admin() ) {
return $settings;
}
$screen = get_current_screen();
if ( $screen && 'post' === $screen->base ) {
$settings['interval'] = 30;
} else {
$settings['interval'] = 60;
}
return $settings;
} );This example deliberately treats post-editing screens differently from other administration pages. The exact base value can differ for custom post types or plugin screens, so inspect the screen in your own installation before relying on a condition. If a plugin needs a faster cycle on a custom page, identify that page and give it its own branch rather than shortening Heartbeat everywhere.
Give privileged editors a different value
<?php
add_filter( 'heartbeat_settings', function( $settings ) {
if ( current_user_can( 'edit_posts' ) ) {
$settings['interval'] = 30;
} else {
$settings['interval'] = 90;
}
return $settings;
} );Role and capability checks should reflect the actual workflow. A person without edit_posts may still use a plugin screen that expects Heartbeat, so test each role that uses the dashboard. Capability-based conditions are preferable to hard-coding a username.
Guard against missing screen context
Some code can execute before a screen object is available, especially when another plugin triggers the filter during an unusual request. Check that get_current_screen() returned an object before reading its properties, as the example does. Always return the original settings array when your condition does not match.
Disable Heartbeat on the front end
Heartbeat is principally an administration feature, but themes and plugins can enqueue its script on public pages. If your front end has no feature that needs it, remove the script there while leaving the dashboard untouched:
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<?php
add_action( 'wp_enqueue_scripts', function() {
wp_dequeue_script( 'heartbeat' );
wp_deregister_script( 'heartbeat' );
}, 100 );Use a late priority so the dequeue runs after most scripts have been enqueued. This is not a blanket guarantee: a plugin may enqueue another script that depends on Heartbeat or may implement its own polling. Test logged-out pages, logged-in front-end views, forms, previews, and any plugin feature that displays live status.
If a front-end feature breaks, remove the deregistration and target only pages where the dependency is absent. A page-specific condition such as a known post type, template, or URL can be safer than disabling the script site-wide.
Disable Heartbeat on non-essential admin screens
Guides commonly identify the Media Library, Settings pages, and the plugin list as screens that usually do not require continuous Heartbeat updates. The post editor should remain enabled unless you have verified that every autosave and locking feature you need works another way.
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Target screens by admin hook suffix
<?php
add_action( 'admin_enqueue_scripts', function( $hook_suffix ) {
$screens_without_heartbeat = array(
'upload.php',
'options-general.php',
'plugins.php',
);
if ( in_array( $hook_suffix, $screens_without_heartbeat, true ) ) {
wp_dequeue_script( 'heartbeat' );
wp_deregister_script( 'heartbeat' );
}
}, 100 );Hook suffixes are WordPress screen identifiers, not universal URL fragments. A plugin’s settings page normally has its own suffix, so add it only after confirming the value in your environment. Custom dashboards and network administration pages may use different identifiers.
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Removing the script is stronger than changing its interval. If you are unsure whether a screen hosts a live status widget, use the interval filter for that screen first. Disable only after testing the page with every relevant plugin active.
Why full Heartbeat disablement is usually the wrong fix
Removing Heartbeat everywhere can stop autosave and edit-lock communication. Editors may lose recent recovery data after a browser crash, and two users can receive stale information about who is editing a post. Other plugins may also stop updating because their callbacks expect the Heartbeat transport.
Full disablement can be justified on a deliberately locked-down installation that never uses the block or classic editor and has no Heartbeat-dependent extension. Document that decision, test every role and workflow, and monitor after WordPress or plugin updates. For a normal content site, retaining a slower editor cycle is safer.
Be cautious with web-server rate limiting
One guide mentions applying an nginx limit_req rule to admin-ajax.php. A server rule can reduce bursts, but it cannot distinguish an unnecessary Heartbeat request from a legitimate editor action that uses the same endpoint. An aggressive limit can return errors, delay autosaves, or interrupt plugin workflows.
If you consider this approach, apply it in staging first, choose a rate that accommodates simultaneous editors, inspect HTTP status codes and response times, and test autosave, publishing, media uploads, revisions, and plugin screens. Keep an exemption or a rollback procedure for administrators. A server-level limit should complement application-level tuning, not hide an expensive callback or replace measurement.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Verify that the change worked
Check request timing in the browser
- Open an affected page while logged in.
- Open developer tools and select the Network panel.
- Filter for
admin-ajax.phpand preserve the log. - Wait through several cycles, then compare the timestamps before and after your change.
- Repeat on the post editor, because it may use a different default or screen-specific rule.
A successful interval change produces fewer requests over the same observation window. A disabled screen should produce no Heartbeat requests after its scripts finish loading, although another plugin may still send unrelated AJAX requests to the same endpoint.
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Check functionality, not just request counts
- Type in a post and wait long enough to observe autosave behavior.
- Open the same post in two test accounts and confirm edit-lock notices still behave as expected.
- Reload the dashboard, Media Library, Settings, and plugin screens targeted by your conditions.
- Test custom post types and any plugin that displays live notifications or progress.
- Check PHP, database, and web-server metrics after enough traffic has passed to make the comparison meaningful.
If request volume falls but CPU remains high, inspect the remaining admin-ajax.php actions and other expensive requests. Heartbeat tuning cannot resolve unrelated queries, cron jobs, image processing, or a plugin that performs heavy work on every request.
Troubleshoot common failures
The code causes a blank page or “critical error”
Restore the previous file using your host’s file manager, SFTP, or version control, then check PHP syntax and the location of the snippet. A missing semicolon, an unmatched brace, or a PHP version mismatch can prevent WordPress from loading. A site-specific plugin is easier to disable than a theme file when the dashboard is inaccessible.
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Requests continue at the old interval
Clear any page or object cache that affects logged-in users, reload the browser tab, and confirm the snippet is active in the site that is generating the requests. Check for a second callback that changes heartbeat_settings later in the load sequence. Inspect the actual timestamps rather than relying on a hosting dashboard’s rounded graph.
Autosave or edit locking stops working
Re-enable Heartbeat on the editor, lower the editor interval, and remove any broad dequeue or deregister call. Then test with the active theme and plugins. If a plugin requires a faster cycle, give the editor or that screen its own interval rather than disabling the transport globally.
Only one plugin screen breaks
Remove that screen from the disabled list or switch it to a slower interval. Identify its admin hook suffix and check the plugin’s documentation for a Heartbeat dependency. Keep the exception narrow so unrelated screens still receive the load reduction.
CPU usage does not improve
Confirm that Heartbeat was a significant part of the baseline. Count requests before and after the change, inspect their response times, and look for other callers of admin-ajax.php. A slow callback, uncached database query, or high number of concurrent PHP workers may be the dominant issue.
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- Keep the interval filter in a site-specific plugin or tracked child-theme file.
- Comment why each screen is excluded and which workflow was tested.
- Retest after WordPress core, editor, theme, or plugin updates.
- Review browser requests whenever a new dashboard feature is installed.
- Monitor autosave and edit-lock behavior for every role that edits content.
- Remove obsolete screen conditions instead of accumulating broad exceptions.
The practical goal is not zero Heartbeat traffic. It is to preserve the editor functions your team needs while eliminating unnecessary polling everywhere else. Applying the supported filter, targeting nonessential screens, and verifying real request behavior gives you a reversible way to reduce load without sacrificing content safety.
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