Sometimes wordpress admin Ajax script creates load on the server.
WordPress Heartbeat API was introduced in WordPress 3.6 version.
The WordPress Heartbeat API uses wp-admin/admin-ajax.php to run AJAX calls from the browser. The purpose of this API is to improve user session management, auto-saving, revision tracking.
However, sometimes it causes high CPU usage and crazy amounts of PHP processes.
For example, if you leave your wordpress dashboard open, it will keep sending POST requests on a regular interval, hence can cause the Heartbeat API to continually spawn PHP processes which uses CPU.
Heartbeat control wordpress plugin can help you fix this problem.
Follow the steps below to configure.
# Login to wp-admin of your website
# Install Heartbeat control plugin
# Go to Settings and click into “Heartbeat Control.”
# Under “Control heartbeat locations” you have a couple options, select any option as per your need
- Use default
- Disable everywhere
- Disable on dashboard page
- Allow only on post edit pages
# Then you can set frequency for the heartbeat polling.
Hopefully, it will take care of some of your problems.