Excessive admin-ajax.php Server Load Time

Hello, @crzyhrse.

Please, tell us the following details:
1. Your WordPress version.
2. Your PHP version.
3. The CleanTalk plugin version you are using.
4. Name of your hosting provider.

Thank you.

1. Your WordPress version. -5.7.1
2. Your PHP version. 7.4.16
3. The CleanTalk plugin version you are using. 5.156
4. Name of your hosting provider. Radiant Solutions – https://www.radiantsolutions.net/

And in case it is further helpful, from WP Site Health

Server architecture Linux 3.10.0-962.3.2.lve1.5.42.el7.x86_64 x86_64
Website server user ashlandspirit (1551)
Web server Apache
PHP version 7.4.16 (Supports 64bit values)
PHP SAPI cgi-fcgi
PHP max input variables 5000
PHP time limit 600
PHP memory limit 1024M
Max input time 600
Upload max filesize 1G
PHP post max size 1024M
cURL version 7.71.0 OpenSSL/1.1.1d
Is SUHOSIN installed? No
Is the Imagick library available? Yes
Server headers
? date: Mon, 19 Apr 2021 04:53:47 GMT
? server: Apache
? x-powered-by: PHP/7.4.16
? pragma: no-cache
? expires: Wed, 11 Jan 1984 05:00:00 GMT
? cache-control: no-cache, must-revalidate, max-age=0
? x-tec-api-version: v1
? x-tec-api-root: https://www.ashlandspirit.net/wp-json/tribe/events/v1/
? x-tec-api-origin: https://www.ashlandspirit.net
? set-cookie: Array
? upgrade: h2,h2c
? content-type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
.htaccess rules Custom rules have been added to your .htaccess file.

Database Extension mysqli
Server version 10.2.37-MariaDB-log
Client version mysqlnd 7.4.16
Database user ashlands_spirit
Database host localhost
Database name ashlands_spirit
Database prefix ashland

Wordpress Constants
ABSPATH /home/ashlandspirit/public_html/
WP_HOME Undefined
WP_SITEURL Undefined
WP_CONTENT_DIR /home/ashlandspirit/public_html/wp-content
WP_PLUGIN_DIR /home/ashlandspirit/public_html/wp-content/plugins
WP_MAX_MEMORY_LIMIT 1024M
WP_DEBUG Disabled
WP_DEBUG_DISPLAY Enabled
WP_DEBUG_LOG Disabled
SCRIPT_DEBUG Disabled
WP_CACHE Enabled
CONCATENATE_SCRIPTS Undefined
COMPRESS_SCRIPTS Undefined
COMPRESS_CSS Undefined
WP_LOCAL_DEV Undefined

Permissions
The main WordPress directory Writable
The wp-content directory Writable
The uploads directory Writable
The plugins directory Writable
The themes directory Writable
The must use plugins directory Writable

Thank you for the details, @crzyhrse.
We will investigate it as soon as possible and contact you when we get any results.
It may take up to 1-2 business days. Please, wait.

And thank you @serge00 for responding and getting onto it with such promptness… ????

No problem, @crzyhrse!
Please, wait.

Hello,

Please try to disable Use alternative mechanism for cookies option here:

Wordpress Dashboard -> Settings -> Antispam by Cleantalk -> Advanced settings

and make tests.

Then install this version and make tests too:

https://github.com/CleanTalk/wordpress-antispam/releases/download/Rest_API_on/cleantalk-spam-protect-rest.zip

What are the results?

“Use alternative mechanism for cookies” is already set to Off… I have left it so and retested anyway, still is issue…

After installing the Github version 5.156.100 there was some change in the GTMetrix waterfall…

The second admin ajax php long load time entry shown in the earlier image link above is gone, but another long load time related to clean talk involving POST js_keys__get seems to have taken its place… Here is another image for you to see that…
https://ibb.co/MG0QjSm
And of course as you know it is also seeable at GTMetrix, by entering the site’s “about” page…

I’ll add that I have a test environment with this same site installed, in an identical cPanel within my reseller account, with all the same php… Both (WP site and cPanel) can be available to you… The same issue is occurring on this test site regarding Cleantalk, at GTMetrix… There may be different plugins presently activated and/or deactivated, but it is pretty much an exact copy of the live site this ticket is about… I have installed the github version 5.156.100 of Cleantalk on this test site as well…

Hi @crzyhrse,

Thanks for the feedback.

Let us a day to figure out how to solve the issue with js_keys__get. We will write you back as finish.

You are welcome and thank you… Very appreciative that you all are so prompt… And just to note, the first admin ajax php long load time entry is still there, just the second one was (apparently?) replaced by the js_keys__get…

Okay, I will note this too.

@crzyhrse,

I am sorry for the delay, but we need additional 1-2 days to figure out this issue. Looks like we have change something in the backend of the plugin.

Your responsiveness is just wonderful, and because of that I can and will wait for as long as necessary without urgency or concern… thank you…!!

We will inform you right away when we get any results.
Please, wait.

Hello, @crzyhrse.

We have fixed the issue. Please, use this archive:
https://github.com/CleanTalk/wordpress-antispam/releases/download/Rest_API_on/cleantalk-spam-protect-rest.zip

The update guide is here if you want it:
https://cleantalk.org/help/update-wordpress

Did it help?