Title: Smart Preload DL Author: devlemon Published: August 24, 2026 Last modified: August 24, 2026 --- Search plugins ![](https://ps.w.org/devlemon-smart-preload/assets/banner-772x250.png?rev=3664127) ![](https://ps.w.org/devlemon-smart-preload/assets/icon-256x256.png?rev=3664132) # Smart Preload DL By [devlemon](https://profiles.wordpress.org/devlemon/) [Download](https://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/devlemon-smart-preload.1.0.2.zip) * [Details](https://wordpress.org/plugins/devlemon-smart-preload/#description) * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/plugins/devlemon-smart-preload/#reviews) * [Installation](https://wordpress.org/plugins/devlemon-smart-preload/#installation) * [Development](https://wordpress.org/plugins/devlemon-smart-preload/#developers) [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/devlemon-smart-preload/) ## Description **Smart Preload DL** adds a visual loading overlay to your WordPress site while pages are loading. It gives you precise control over which pages the preloader appears on — down to individual IDs, slugs, and URL patterns. #### Core Features * 4 animation styles: Spinner, Dots, Progress Bar, and Minimal * Custom background and animation colours * Optional logo above the animation * Optional loading text below the animation * Three animation sizes: Small, Medium, Large * Configurable minimum display time, fade-out duration, and safety timeout #### Display Control * Show on all pages or only on selected pages * Exclude specific pages from a site-wide display * Block by page/post ID (comma-separated list) * Block by slug (one per line) * Block by URL pattern with `*` wildcard support * Per-type rules: Front Page, Blog Index, Single Posts, Pages, Categories, Tags, Archives, Search, 404 * Option to hide the preloader for logged-in users #### WooCommerce When WooCommerce is active, additional rules appear for: Shop, Product, Cart, Checkout, and My Account pages. #### Technical Notes * No external HTTP requests * Front-end JavaScript is vanilla JS — no jQuery dependency * CSS and JS are only enqueued on pages where the preloader is shown * Uses the native `wp_body_open` hook for early preloader rendering * Full internationalisation support * Settings stored in a single serialised option; clean uninstall removes all plugin data ## Screenshots [⌊General settings tab — enable/disable the preloader and control visibility for logged-in users.⌉⌊General settings tab — enable/disable the preloader and control visibility for logged-in users.⌉[ General settings tab — enable/disable the preloader and control visibility for logged- in users. [⌊Display Rules tab — choose display mode and configure per-type rules.⌉⌊Display Rules tab — choose display mode and configure per-type rules.⌉[ Display Rules tab — choose display mode and configure per-type rules. [⌊Appearance tab — pick animation style, colours, size, logo, and custom text.⌉⌊ Appearance tab — pick animation style, colours, size, logo, and custom text.⌉[ Appearance tab — pick animation style, colours, size, logo, and custom text. [⌊Behaviour tab — configure minimum display time, fade duration, and safety timeout.⌉⌊ Behaviour tab — configure minimum display time, fade duration, and safety timeout .⌉[ Behaviour tab — configure minimum display time, fade duration, and safety timeout. [⌊Advanced tab — block by ID, slug, or URL pattern with wildcard support.⌉⌊Advanced tab — block by ID, slug, or URL pattern with wildcard support.⌉[ Advanced tab — block by ID, slug, or URL pattern with wildcard support. ## Installation 1. Install **Smart Preload DL** through **Plugins Add New** in your WordPress dashboard, or upload the plugin files to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory. 2. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** menu. 3. Go to **Smart Preload DL** in the left-hand admin menu. 4. Configure your animation style, colours, and display rules, then click **Save Settings**. ## FAQ ### The preloader shows for a split second even when it should be hidden. Clear your browser cache and any server-side page cache (LiteSpeed Cache, WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, etc.) after changing settings. ### The preloader keeps spinning and never disappears. The **Safety timeout** setting (Behaviour tab) forces removal after a set period even if the page never fully loads. The default is 5 seconds. If you have slow-loading resources, consider increasing this value. ### Does the preloader affect search engine indexing? Smart Preload DL adds a visual loading overlay without replacing the underlying page content. The plugin does not intentionally alter page metadata or prevent search engines from accessing the page content. ### Can I use my own logo? Yes. Under **Appearance**, click **Select Logo** to choose any image from your Media Library. ### Is WooCommerce required? No. WooCommerce-specific rules appear automatically when WooCommerce is active. The plugin works fully without it. ### I want to show the preloader only on specific pages. Set **Display Mode** to _Only on selected pages_ (Display Rules tab), then search for and add the pages you want. ### Can I show the preloader everywhere except a few pages? Keep **Display Mode** set to _All pages_ and use the **Excluded pages** selector or the Block by ID / slug / URL pattern fields. ### Does it work with page cache plugins? Yes. Smart Preload DL does not use PHP sessions and does not rely on logic that is incompatible with page caching. ## Reviews There are no reviews for this plugin. ## Contributors & Developers “Smart Preload DL” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin. Contributors * [ devlemon ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/devlemon/) [Translate “Smart Preload DL” into your language.](https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/devlemon-smart-preload) ### Interested in development? [Browse the code](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/browser/devlemon-smart-preload/), check out the [SVN repository](https://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/devlemon-smart-preload/), or subscribe to the [development log](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/devlemon-smart-preload/) by [RSS](https://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/log/devlemon-smart-preload/?limit=100&mode=stop_on_copy&format=rss). ## Changelog #### 1.0.2 * Updated compatibility information for WordPress 7.1. #### 1.0.1 * Fixed the admin preview overlay so it stays hidden until opened and closes reliably. * Improved preview focus handling and ARIA state for accessibility. #### 1.0.0 * Initial release. ## Meta * Version **1.0.2** * Last updated **3 days ago** * Active installations **Fewer than 10** * WordPress version ** 6.0 or higher ** * Tested up to **7.1** * PHP version ** 7.4 or higher ** * Tags * [loader](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/loader/)[loading](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/loading/) [loading screen](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/loading-screen/)[page loader](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/page-loader/) [preloader](https://wordpress.org/plugins/tags/preloader/) * [Advanced View](https://wordpress.org/plugins/devlemon-smart-preload/advanced/) ## Ratings No reviews have been submitted yet. [Your review](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/devlemon-smart-preload/reviews/#new-post) [See all reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/devlemon-smart-preload/reviews/) ## Contributors * [ devlemon ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/devlemon/) ## Support Got something to say? Need help? [View support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/devlemon-smart-preload/)