DEV Community: trueqap

How Bots Killed My WooCommerce Site Until I Automated WP Rocket Filter Caching

trueqap — Wed, 27 Aug 2025 05:09:46 +0000

Last month, my client's WooCommerce store went down. Not from a DDoS attack, not from bad code, but from Google and AI crawlers doing their job a little too enthusiastically.

The culprit? Uncached WooCommerce filter pages being hammered by bots, each request hitting the database directly. The solution? A simple WordPress plugin that took me an afternoon to write and has since saved multiple sites from the same fate.

The Day the Bots Came

It started innocently enough. Server response times began creeping up. Then came the alerts: CPU usage at 90%, memory exhausted, MySQL connections maxed out.

Looking at the access logs told the whole story:

Googlebot: GET /shop/?filter_color=red&min_price=50
BingBot: GET /shop/?filter_size=large&filter_material=cotton
GPTBot: GET /shop/?filter_brand=nike&max_price=200&rating_filter=4
ClaudeBot: GET /shop/?filter_color=blue&filter_size=medium&orderby=price

Hundreds of requests per minute, each with different filter combinations. Each one bypassing the cache. Each one running complex database queries.

Why WooCommerce Filters Break Under Load

WooCommerce uses URL parameters for product filtering. When a user (or bot) visits /shop/?filter_color=red, WooCommerce:

Parses the filter parameters
Builds complex SQL queries with JOINs across multiple tables
Calculates product counts for each filter option
Generates the filtered product list
Renders the entire page

Without caching, this happens for EVERY request. Now multiply that by hundreds of bot requests per minute, each with different parameter combinations.

The WP Rocket Cache Gotcha

WP Rocket is fantastic at caching, but it has a security feature: by default, it ignores URLs with query parameters. This prevents accidentally caching user-specific content like cart pages or search results.

You can whitelist specific parameters in WP Rocket's cache_query_strings setting, but here's what that looks like for a typical WooCommerce store:

filter_color
query_type_color
filter_size
query_type_size
filter_material
query_type_material
filter_brand
query_type_brand
min_price
max_price
rating_filter
orderby
product_cat
product_tag
per_page
columns
sort

And that's just the beginning. Every product attribute needs two entries (filter and query_type). Miss one? That parameter won't be cached.

Manual Configuration: A Losing Battle

I started adding these manually. After 30 minutes of copying and pasting, I realized:

The client had 24 product attributes
They regularly added new ones for seasonal products
Other sites had the same problem
I was solving the symptom, not the problem

There had to be a better way.

Building the Solution

The solution was obvious: automate the entire process. The plugin needed to:

Detect all WooCommerce attributes automatically
Generate the correct filter parameters
Update WP Rocket settings without breaking existing configurations
Stay updated when attributes change

Here's the core logic that makes it work:

public function get_woocommerce_filters() {
    $filters = array();
    $attribute_taxonomies = wc_get_attribute_taxonomies();

    // Generate filter parameters for each attribute
    foreach ( $attribute_taxonomies as $attribute ) {
        $filters[] = 'filter_' . $attribute->attribute_name;
        $filters[] = 'query_type_' . $attribute->attribute_name;
    }

    // Add standard WooCommerce filters
    $filters[] = 'min_price';
    $filters[] = 'max_price';
    $filters[] = 'rating_filter';
    $filters[] = 'orderby';
    $filters[] = 'product_cat';
    $filters[] = 'product_tag';
    $filters[] = 'per_page';
    $filters[] = 'columns';
    $filters[] = 'sort';

    return array_unique( $filters );
}

The Smart Update System

The trickiest part was updating WP Rocket settings without destroying manual customizations. The solution: marker comments.

private $filter_start_marker = '# filter_start';
private $filter_end_marker = '# filter_end';

public function update_filters() {
    $option = get_option( 'wp_rocket_settings' );
    $existing_strings = $option['cache_query_strings'];
    $new_filters = $this->get_woocommerce_filters();

    // Find our markers
    $start_index = array_search( $this->filter_start_marker, $existing_strings );
    $end_index = array_search( $this->filter_end_marker, $existing_strings );

    if ( $start_index !== false && $end_index !== false ) {
        // Preserve everything outside our markers
        $before = array_slice( $existing_strings, 0, $start_index );
        $after = array_slice( $existing_strings, $end_index + 1 );

        // Rebuild with updated filters
        $option['cache_query_strings'] = array_merge(
            $before,
            array( $this->filter_start_marker ),
            $new_filters,
            array( $this->filter_end_marker ),
            $after
        );
    }

    update_option( 'wp_rocket_settings', $option );
    rocket_clean_domain(); // Clear cache
}

This approach means:

Manual entries outside the markers are preserved
Automatic filters stay organized between markers
Updates don't break existing configurations

Real-World Results

After deploying the plugin:

Before:

Server load average: 8.2 (on a 2-core server)
Average response time: 3.8 seconds
MySQL connections: 95% utilized
Monthly hosting cost: Considering upgrade

After:

Server load average: 0.6
Average response time: 0.4 seconds
MySQL connections: 15% utilized
Monthly hosting cost: Stayed on same plan

The bot traffic didn't decrease – it just stopped killing the server. Filtered pages were now served from cache, turning database-heavy requests into simple file reads.

Automatic Updates: Set and Forget

The plugin hooks into WooCommerce attribute events:

add_action( 'woocommerce_attribute_added', array( $this, 'update_filters' ) );
add_action( 'woocommerce_attribute_updated', array( $this, 'update_filters' ) );
add_action( 'woocommerce_attribute_deleted', array( $this, 'update_filters' ) );

Add a new "Material" attribute? The filters update automatically. Delete an old seasonal attribute? Cleaned up automatically. No manual intervention needed.

Performance Impact: Basically Zero

The plugin is intentionally minimal:

No frontend processing: Only runs in admin and on attribute changes
No database queries: Reads existing WP options
No admin menus: Completely invisible once activated
No scheduled tasks: Event-driven updates only

Total plugin size: ~150 lines of code.

Open Source Release

I've released this as open source because every WooCommerce + WP Rocket user faces this problem. The plugin is:

Free to use and modify
GPL v2 licensed

GitHub Repository: https://github.com/trueqap/wp-rocket-woo-filters-cache

Installation in 30 Seconds

Download from GitHub
Upload to /wp-content/plugins/
Activate
Done – seriously, that's it

The plugin immediately scans your attributes and updates WP Rocket settings. No configuration needed.

The Bigger Picture

This isn't just about WooCommerce or WP Rocket. It's about recognizing when manual processes become bottlenecks and having the confidence to automate them.

The hours I spent building this plugin have been repaid many times over in:

Support tickets avoided
Server upgrades prevented
Client sites staying online
My own sanity preserved

If you're managing WooCommerce sites with WP Rocket, you need this. If you're seeing high server loads from bot traffic, you need this. If you're manually managing cache settings, you definitely need this.

Have you dealt with similar bot traffic issues? What's your approach to handling aggressive crawlers? Let me know in the comments!

If this helped you, give the GitHub repo a star and share it with others who might benefit.

WordPress #WooCommerce #WebPerformance #OpenSource

How to Run Cron on macOS in 2025: A Complete Guide

trueqap — Sat, 12 Jul 2025 06:21:09 +0000

Running cron jobs on macOS has become increasingly challenging due to Apple's enhanced security features. If you've been struggling to get your cron jobs working on modern macOS versions, this guide will walk you through the necessary steps to grant the required permissions and get everything running smoothly.

The Problem

Starting with macOS Mojave (10.14) and becoming more restrictive with each release, Apple introduced privacy protections that prevent background processes from accessing user data without explicit permission. This means your cron jobs might fail silently when trying to access files in protected locations like Desktop, Documents, Downloads, or external drives.

Prerequisites

macOS Monterey (12.0) or later
Administrator access to your Mac
Basic familiarity with Terminal and cron syntax

Step 1: Grant Full Disk Access to Cron

The first crucial step is granting Full Disk Access to the cron binary. This allows cron to access files anywhere on your system.

Here's how to do it:

Open System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions)
Navigate to Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access
Click the lock icon and authenticate with your password
Click the + button to add a new exception
Press ⌘⇧G (Command+Shift+G) to open the "Go to folder" dialog
Enter /usr/sbin and press Enter
Find and double-click the cron file
Ensure the checkbox next to cron is enabled

Step 2: Grant Full Disk Access to Terminal

Since you'll be editing crontab through Terminal, it also needs Full Disk Access:

Still in Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access
Click the + button again
Navigate to Applications → Utilities
Select Terminal.app and click Open
Make sure Terminal is checked in the list

Step 3: Restart Crontab

After granting the necessary permissions, you need to restart your crontab for the changes to take effect:

# First, save your current crontab (if you have one)
crontab -l > ~/my_crontab_backup.txt

# Remove the current crontab
crontab -r

# Re-add your crontab
crontab ~/my_crontab_backup.txt

# Or create a new one
crontab -e

Step 4: Test Your Setup

Let's create a simple test to verify everything is working:

# Edit your crontab
crontab -e

# Add this test job that runs every minute
* * * * * echo "Cron is working! $(date)" >> ~/Desktop/cron_test.log

# Save and exit (in vim: ESC, then :wq)

Wait a minute or two, then check if the file appears on your Desktop:

cat ~/Desktop/cron_test.log

If you see timestamps appearing every minute, congratulations! Your cron is working correctly.

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Cron jobs still not running

Make sure you've granted Full Disk Access to the actual programs your cron jobs are calling. For example, if your cron job runs a Python script:

* * * * * /usr/bin/python3 /Users/yourname/script.py

You might need to grant Full Disk Access to /usr/bin/python3 as well.

Issue 2: Environment variables

Cron runs with a minimal environment. Always use full paths and set necessary environment variables at the beginning of your crontab:

PATH=/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin
HOME=/Users/yourname

# Your cron jobs below

Issue 3: Output and error handling

Always redirect output to log files for debugging:

* * * * * /path/to/script.sh >> /path/to/logfile.log 2>&1

Security Considerations

Granting Full Disk Access is a significant security permission. Only grant it to trusted applications and scripts. Regularly review your Full Disk Access list and remove permissions for apps you no longer use.

While macOS's security features can make running cron jobs more complex, it's still entirely possible with the right permissions. The key is understanding that both cron and Terminal need Full Disk Access, and you need to restart your crontab after making these changes.

Remember to always test your cron jobs thoroughly and use proper logging to troubleshoot any issues. Happy scheduling!

Generate Avatars with Initials Using UI Avatars

trueqap — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 12:50:20 +0000

In today’s digital world, having a unique and personalized avatar can make a significant difference in user experience. Whether it's for a profile picture, comment section, or user dashboard, avatars help in identifying and connecting with users. One of the simplest and most effective tools for generating avatars with initials is UI Avatars.

What is UI Avatars?

UI Avatars is a straightforward API that generates avatars based on user initials. It's designed to be easy to use, with no login required and no usage tracking. The final images are cached, but no other information is stored. You can create avatars by simply providing a name or surname, or both.

Key Statistics:

+275,557,117 Daily requests
2.8931ms Avg. Processing Time

How to Use UI Avatars

All requests to the UI Avatars API return an image stream that can be used directly in an <img/> tag. Here’s how you can generate avatars with different settings:

Basic Usage

To generate a default avatar for a user named "John Doe":

<img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?name=John+Doe" alt="John Doe Avatar">

Customizing the Avatar

You can customize the avatar by changing various parameters:

Background Color:

   <img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?background=0D8ABC&color=fff" alt="Blue Avatar">

Random Background:

   <img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?background=random" alt="Random Background Avatar">

Image Size:

   <img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?size=128" alt="128px Avatar">

Font Size:

   <img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?font-size=0.33" alt="Small Font Avatar">

Initial Characters:

   <img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?length=1" alt="Single Initial Avatar">

Rounded Image:

   <img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?rounded=true" alt="Rounded Avatar">

Bold Text:

   <img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?bold=true" alt="Bold Text Avatar">

Uppercase:

   <img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?uppercase=false&name=different+Case" alt="Lowercase Initials Avatar">

Format (SVG or PNG):

   <img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?format=svg" alt="SVG Avatar">

Combining Settings

You can combine multiple settings to create a more personalized avatar:

<img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?name=Elon+Musk&size=128&background=a0a0a0&color=ff0000&length=1&rounded=true&bold=true" alt="Custom Avatar">

Using UI Avatars with Gravatar

A practical use-case is to use UI Avatars as a fallback for Gravatar:

<img src="https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/EMAIL_MD5?d=https%3A%2F%2Fui-avatars.com%2Fapi%2F/Elon+Musk/128" alt="Gravatar Fallback Avatar">

Note: Due to Gravatar’s limitations, parameters must be passed as sub-directories instead of query parameters. Consider URL encoding the name if it contains special characters.

Retina Display Support

For crisp avatars on high DPI screens, use 1.5x or 2x sizes but keep the <img> tag at the original size:

<img src="https://ui-avatars.com/api/?name=John+Doe&size=128" width="64" height="64" alt="Retina Avatar">

Language/Script Support

UI Avatars supports several Unicode scripts and languages, including Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Georgian, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Mongolian, Thai, and Tibetan.

WordPress Plugin

If you have a WordPress site, you can use the free UI Avatars WordPress plugin for easy integration.

Conclusion

UI Avatars provides a simple and efficient way to generate avatars with initials from names. With a variety of customization options and no need for login or usage tracking, it's a perfect solution for developers looking to enhance their user interfaces with personalized avatars.

Try out UI Avatars today and see how it can improve your application's user experience!

How to Install Docker and Docker Compose on Ubuntu - 2025

trueqap — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 12:58:19 +0000

Docker is an open-source platform for developing, shipping, and running applications inside containers. Docker Compose simplifies the process of managing multiple Docker containers. This guide will help you install Docker and Docker Compose on an Ubuntu system step-by-step.

Update Package Repositories
Install Docker Dependencies
Add Docker GPG Key
Set up the Docker Stable Repository
Install Docker Engine
Enable and Start Docker Service
Verify Docker Installation
Install Docker Compose
Verify Docker Compose Installation

Prerequisites

Ubuntu 18.04 or later
A user with sudo privileges

Let's get started!

Step 1: Update Package Repositories

First, ensure your package repositories are up to date:

sudo apt update

Step 2: Install Docker Dependencies

Next, install the necessary dependencies for Docker:

sudo apt install -y apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common

Step 3: Add Docker GPG Key

Add the official Docker GPG key to your system:

curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg

Step 4: Set up the Docker Stable Repository

Set up the Docker stable repository on your system:

echo "deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null

Step 5: Install Docker Engine

Now, install Docker Engine, CLI, and containerd package:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io

Step 6: Enable and Start Docker Service

Enable and start the Docker service to ensure it runs on system startup:

sudo systemctl enable docker
sudo systemctl start docker

Step 7: Verify Docker Installation

Run a simple test to ensure Docker is installed and functioning correctly:

sudo docker run hello-world

If everything is set up correctly, you’ll see a message indicating a successful installation.

Step 8: Install Docker Compose

Download the Docker Compose binary from the official GitHub repository:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/latest/download/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Apply executable permissions to the Docker Compose binary:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Create a symbolic link to ensure that docker-compose command can be run from any location:

sudo ln -s /usr/local/bin/docker-compose /usr/bin/docker-compose

Step 9: Verify Docker Compose Installation

Finally, verify that Docker Compose is installed correctly by checking its version:

docker-compose --version

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Docker and Docker Compose on your Ubuntu system. You are now ready to start using Docker to containerize your applications and Docker Compose to manage multi-container applications. Happy coding!

Disabling All Emails in WordPress

trueqap — Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:52:50 +0000

It's a common scenario: you're developing a site that's been cloned from a live site, filled with operational features, notifications, plugins, and automated email sending. For instance, in the case of an e-commerce site, it's not ideal if the development version is bombarding users with emails. In such cases, it's always necessary to disable the email sending function.

Of course, there are plugins designed for this purpose, but I'm a fan of simplicity. I have a less elegant, but perfectly functional solution.

I simply override the wp_mail function.

If you find yourself in a similar situation and want to disable all emails, then paste the following line into your wp-config.php file (at the very end):

With this solution, you eliminate the risk that comes with using a plugin to turn off email notifications. There's always a chance that, while you're in the process of setting up the plugin, a notification email might slip through and reach your users. By overriding the wp_mail function directly in the wp-config.php file, you ensure that no emails are sent out from the moment you implement this change.

DEV Community: trueqap

How Bots Killed My WooCommerce Site Until I Automated WP Rocket Filter Caching

The Day the Bots Came

Why WooCommerce Filters Break Under Load

The WP Rocket Cache Gotcha

Manual Configuration: A Losing Battle

Building the Solution

The Smart Update System

Real-World Results

Automatic Updates: Set and Forget

Performance Impact: Basically Zero

Open Source Release

Installation in 30 Seconds

The Bigger Picture

WordPress #WooCommerce #WebPerformance #OpenSource

How to Run Cron on macOS in 2025: A Complete Guide

The Problem

Prerequisites

Step 1: Grant Full Disk Access to Cron

Here's how to do it:

Step 2: Grant Full Disk Access to Terminal

Step 3: Restart Crontab

Step 4: Test Your Setup

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Cron jobs still not running

Issue 2: Environment variables

Issue 3: Output and error handling

Security Considerations

Generate Avatars with Initials Using UI Avatars

What is UI Avatars?

Key Statistics:

How to Use UI Avatars

Basic Usage

Customizing the Avatar

Combining Settings

Using UI Avatars with Gravatar

Retina Display Support

Language/Script Support

WordPress Plugin

Conclusion

How to Install Docker and Docker Compose on Ubuntu - 2025

Table of Contents

Prerequisites

Step 1: Update Package Repositories

Step 2: Install Docker Dependencies

Step 3: Add Docker GPG Key

Step 4: Set up the Docker Stable Repository

Step 5: Install Docker Engine

Step 6: Enable and Start Docker Service

Step 7: Verify Docker Installation

Step 8: Install Docker Compose

Step 9: Verify Docker Compose Installation

Conclusion

Disabling All Emails in WordPress