Wordpress: Optimize Heartbeat API Frequency

The WordPress Heartbeat API allows for real-time communication between the server and the browser for tasks such as auto-saving posts and showing plugin notifications. However, it can also lead to high server loads. This snippet reduces the frequency of these communications to optimize performance.

By adding a filter to 'heartbeat_settings', the snippet modifies the Heartbeat API frequency to a longer interval, thus reducing the strain on server resources without significantly affecting the user experience.

This customization is particularly beneficial for high-traffic sites or admin panels with multiple users logged in simultaneously.

The snippet includes a simple way to apply this change through functions.php, along with advice on monitoring the impact on server performance and user session management.

Best practices for using the Heartbeat API effectively while maintaining a balance between functionality and performance are also discussed.