About PerfLocale

A multilingual plugin built from scratch with care for performance, security, and WordPress standards.

Why PerfLocale exists

Multilingual WordPress sites shouldn't have to choose between features and speed. PerfLocale was built from the ground up to handle translation without adding unnecessary weight to your pages.

Every architectural decision is guided by three principles: keep it fast, keep it safe, and do it the WordPress way. No third-party libraries.

Keep it fast
3-layer cache · about 1 ms median per page
Keep it safe
Zero third-party libs · WCAG & GDPR aligned
The WordPress way
Hooks, filters & core APIs

Thoughtful performance

PerfLocale uses a 3-layer caching architecture that serves most operations from memory. Batch preloading prevents repeated database queries. Hooks and filters are registered conditionally - if a feature isn't needed on a page, its code doesn't run.

Internal benchmarks measure around 1 ms of plugin code time per request on a multilingual site, and the plugin stays low even under heavy load — across single-site and multisite, with and without persistent object cache. Real-world page speed depends mostly on your theme, hosting, and other plugins. See the full methodology and tables.

Measured plugin code time
~1 ms
Median PHP wall-clock inside PerfLocale callbacks, measured across single-site and multisite with and without persistent object cache. Real numbers depend on theme + other plugins. See benchmarks →
  • 3-layer cache
    In-memory → Redis/Memcached → database
  • Batch preloading
    One query for the whole list, never N+1
  • Conditional hooks
    Loaded only when a feature is actually used

Security as a foundation

Security is built into every layer of PerfLocale, not added as an afterthought. We follow WordPress security best practices throughout:

  • All database operations are protected against injection attacks
  • All output is sanitized to prevent cross-site scripting
  • All form submissions and API requests are verified for authenticity
  • All actions are permission-checked so users can only do what they're allowed to
  • All external connections use HTTPS and are validated to prevent unauthorized requests
Security guarantees 5 of 5
  • Tamper-proof database
    Queries are parameterized.
  • Safe page output
    User content is escaped before display.
  • Verified form submissions
    Forms use single-use tokens.
  • Permission-aware actions
    Admin actions check the user’s role.
  • Trusted external calls
    External calls are HTTPS-only with validated URLs.

Built for developers

PerfLocale provides 200+ action and filter hooks, a full REST API, WP-CLI commands, and a clean addon architecture. Extending or customizing PerfLocale should feel natural to any WordPress developer.

The addon system auto-detects compatible plugins and themes — if a host plugin is active, the matching integration switches itself on. Need something custom? Implement AddonInterface, register on a single action hook, and you have a first-class addon. The developer docs cover the full lifecycle including schema, migrations, and uninstall.

use PerfLocale\Addon\AddonInterface;class AcmeAddon implements AddonInterface {    public function register(): void {        add_filter(            'perflocale/translatable_meta',            [ $this, 'register_meta' ]        );    }}// Auto-detected by PerfLocale on activation.add_action( 'perflocale/addon/register',    fn( $r ) => $r->add( new AcmeAddon() ));
200+ hooks REST API WP-CLI AddonInterface

Free and open source

PerfLocale is licensed under GPL-2.0+ — the same license as WordPress itself. You can use it on as many sites as you want, run it commercially, study the source, modify it for your own needs, and redistribute your changes. The four classic GPL freedoms apply, in full.

Contributions, bug reports, feature requests, and translations into your language are always welcome.

❤