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Defer for Contact Form 7

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Defer for Contact Form 7

by Ryabinin Vitalii

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Description

On every page Contact Form 7 loads its dependencies (wp-hooks, wp-i18n) and its CSS into the <head>, blocking first paint. This plugin fixes that:

  • Defer CF7 core — moves wp-hooks/wp-i18n to the footer (you cannot defer them: an inline wp.i18n.setLocaleData block runs synchronously and would throw “wp is not defined”). CF7’s scripts leave the critical path.
  • Async CSS — the form stylesheet loads via media=print + onload-swap.

Both optimizations are idempotent and safe on every page. Strict dependency: with Contact Form 7 inactive, the plugin does nothing.

A note on jQuery

This plugin does NOT defer jQuery — on purpose. Deferring jQuery is only safe when EVERY jQuery-dependent script on the site is also deferred or in the footer; on an arbitrary site that is not guaranteed and breaks inline scripts in the head.

Pro version

Defer for Contact Form 7 Pro adds lazy-loaded anti-spam captcha — spam protection without a PageSpeed hit. Pick one provider (they are not run at the same time):

  • Google reCAPTCHA v3 — score-based. api.js loads only on the first interaction with a form, so it never appears in Lighthouse/PSI. The score check is server-side; a fresh single-use token is fetched for every submission. The badge is hidden with the required Google disclaimer (GDPR-friendly); configurable score threshold and action label.
  • Yandex SmartCaptcha — invisible mode, no widget shown unless the visitor looks suspicious. Same lazy-loading approach, binary server-side check. A practical alternative for sites served from Russia, where Google’s services aren’t always reliable.

The free version stays fully functional on its own.

Support

Questions, bug reports or feature requests: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitalii-ryabinin/

  1. Upload the defer-for-contact-form-7 folder to /wp-content/plugins/, or install the ZIP via Plugins Add New Upload.
  2. Activate the plugin. Contact Form 7 must be active.
  3. Both optimizations are on by default — there is nothing else to configure.
  4. To toggle them, go to Contact Performance.
  1. Plugin settings page under Contact → Performance: defer/async toggles and the Pro reCAPTCHA v3 section.

    Plugin settings page under Contact → Performance: defer/async toggles and the Pro reCAPTCHA v3 section.

Does this work with caching/optimization plugins?

Yes, but minifiers that combine and reorder scripts can interfere with the headfooter move. Test with your cache plugin enabled.

Does the plugin send any data anywhere?

No. It makes no external requests and stores no personal data.

Does this support Yandex SmartCaptcha?

Yes, in the Pro version — as an alternative to Google reCAPTCHA v3. Choose the provider under Contact Performance; only one is active at a time.

1.1.0

  • Pro: added Yandex SmartCaptcha (invisible mode) as an alternative anti-spam provider alongside Google reCAPTCHA v3 — switch between them under Contact Performance.
  • Updated the bundled Freemius SDK to 2.13.4.

1.0.0

  • Initial release: CF7 core defer + async CSS.
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