Recently, the LiteSpeed_task_lqup error occurred in site health. It is not a persistent issue but a temporary one; however, it raises a warning that the site speed or performance is being affected. Therefore, I looked for a solution to this problem.
First, I researched what LiteSpeed_task_lqup is, and I found out that it indicates that the LQIP (low-Quality image Placeholder) feature in the LiteSpeed Cache settings is not functioning properly.
So, let’s explore what LQIP is and whether this feature should be used given that the LiteSpeed_task_lqup error is occurring.
Table of Contents
What is LQIP?
LQIP (Low-Quality Image Placeholder) is a technology introduced to improve website loading speed. It displays a low-resolution, low-quality small image first before showing the high-resolution image during loading, thereby enhancing speed and allowing users to preview the content.
However, while it is said to improve speed, it does not directly increase the overall loading speed; rather, it provides the effect of content being visible more quickly during the initial load, so it may not have a significant impact on site speed.
One improvement it can offer is increasing the initial content display speed, which can help improve the LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) score.
- Improvement of visual stability: It provides layout stability by preventing empty spaces from being visible before the images are loaded.
- Improving user experience: Minimize the loading time before the image is fully loaded.
- Improving Core Web Vitals: You can enhance your LCP score by increasing the speed of initial content display.
What are the disadvantages of LQIP?
LQIP (Low-Quality Image Placeholder) can improve user experience and LCP scores, but it also has its drawbacks.
- Increased initial setup and cache generation time: When analyzing each image to create a low-resolution version, the cache generation time increases if there are many images or if they are high-resolution.
- User experience confusion: Low-resolution images that appear excessively low quality or pixelated can degrade the user experience.
- Inefficiency of generation: The processing may be inefficient because it does not provide advantages when dealing with small images.
- CDN and caching compatibility issues: When used with a CDN, there may be synchronization and compatibility issues between LQIP images and high-resolution images. Certain CDNs may not properly support LQIP.
- Increased Capacity: LQIP images are low resolution, but they still require additional storage space. There is a possibility of increased disk space and costs.
What should I do if I can’t resolve the LiteSpeed_task_lqup error?
“If you cannot resolve the LiteSpeed_task_lqup error, it may be better for compatibility and performance to disable LQIP, as it can cause issues with site performance.”
This part was what I was most curious about. Looking at the advantages mentioned earlier, I thought this feature was necessary because it could improve the LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) score and load content faster.
However, since there are continuous errors in the site’s health status, if this issue cannot be resolved, there is a high possibility of problems such as user experience confusion, compatibility issues, and increased load.
Therefore, while LQIP has several advantages, I decided to disable it due to the issues occurring on the current site. After disabling it and measuring the site speed again, there was no noticeable difference in speed.
If you are experiencing the same LiteSpeed_task_lqup error, consider the advantages and disadvantages mentioned above to decide whether to continue using it or to disable it.
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