How to setup W3 Total Cache

Prerequisites

SeeGeneral Performance Enhancementsrecommendations before setting up W3 Total Cache.

Install

Install W3 Total Cache through your WordPress Dashboard / Plugins / Add new and search for W3 Total Cache or click thisrepo linkto download the zip.

Setup

Multi site / WordPress networks 

If you are using this on a multisite (aka Wordpress network) and you wish to have different settings per site, go to general settings and uncheck "Use single network configuration file for all sites." 

https://share.getcloudapp.com/rRukp0Gk

Import settings script

Coming soon.

Default settings

If a setting is not mentioned below, leave it untouched (default)

General Settings

• Page Cache
  • Page Cache: Enable
  • Page Cache Method: Disk: Basic
• Minify
  • Minify: Enable
  • Minify mode: Auto
  • Minify Cache Method :Disk (or memcached if available)
  • HTML minifier: Minify (default)
  • JS Minifier: JSMin
  • CSS Minifier: Minify
• Database Cache
  • Database cache: Enable 
  • Database Cache Method: Disk
• Object Cache
  • Object Cache: Enable
  • Object Cache Method: Disk
• Browser Cache
  • Browser Cache: Enable
• CND
  • This is optional but we've found great success withhttps://www.keycdn.com
• User Experience
  • Lazy load image: Enable
• Save all settings

Minify

• HTML & XML
  • Minify settings: Enable (checked)
  • Minify Method : combine & minify
  • Inline CSS minification (checked)
  • Line break removal (checked)
• JS
  • JS minify settings: Enable (checked)
  • Minify Method : combine & minify
  • Minify engine settings
    • Before head: default (blocking)
    • After Body: non-blocking using defer
• CSS
  • CSS minify settings: Enable (checked)
  • Minify Method : combine & minify
  • Line break removal (checked)
  • @import handling = Process
• Save all settings

Browser Cache

• General 
  • Set expires header = Checked
  • Set cache control header = Checked
  • Set W3 Total Cache header = Checked

• All sections: CSS & JS / HTML & XML / Media and other files
  • Cache Control policy: = cache with max-age and validation.

• Save all settings

Troubleshooting

• Make sure to clear your cache before testing. WP Dash / Admin Bar / Performance / Purge All Caches
• If you run into issues, it's most likely with the Minify Options. Try different combinations for Minify method setting for both JS and CSS. 
• You can always reach out to the creators fo the Plugin for support. They are great people. 

W3 Total Cache Support Forum