Cloudflare Optimization Troubleshooting on My Joomla Site - 👀 WMW 298

Written by: Shahbaz Latif Created: 11 June 2025

Category: Watch Me Work Live Streams

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Watch me Work Live Streams

🔥 LIVE STREAM ALERT! Joomla vs. Cloudflare:
The Optimization Showdown! 🔥
Hey everyone! You know how much we strive for blazing-fast websites, and Cloudflare is often our go-to for incredible optimization. But what happens when that very optimization creates a tangled web of issues for your beloved Joomla site?

In this live stream, I'm pulling back the curtain on a perplexing problem I've been battling: Cloudflare's aggressive optimization is actually causing headaches for my Joomla setup.
I'll be going live to troubleshoot this head-on, sharing my screen, my thought process, and all the nitty-gritty details as I try to untangle this digital Gordian Knot.
If you've ever dealt with mysterious website glitches, performance anomalies, or just want to see some real-time technical detective work unfold, this is for you! We'll explore:
The specific symptoms my Joomla site is experiencing. How Cloudflare's optimization features might be the root cause.
My step-by-step troubleshooting process. (Hopefully!) The ultimate solution to get everything running smoothly again.
This isn't just a "how-to"; it's a live, unscripted journey into the heart of website optimization challenges.
Bring your questions, your insights, and maybe even your own war stories!

 
00:00:00 - Intro, Sponsor & Korean Memorial Visit
00:04:49 - Identifying the Problem
00:07:34 - Cloudflare Troubleshooting Steps
00:16:00 - Root Cause Analysis
00:29:41 - Advanced Fixes & Community Tips
00:41:45 - Creating Page Rules to Bypass Rocket Loader
01:25:00 - Lighthouse Speed Test: Rocket Loader ON vs. OFF
01:35:54 - Joomla AI Projects (GSoC Announcement)
01:39:52 - Family Plans & Channel Updates
01:41:35 - Closing Remarks & Thank You

✅  Summary

1. Introduction to the Issue
   Tim introduces a real-world Joomla problem: the JComments form fails to submit due to Cloudflare optimizations, specifically Rocket Loader.

2. Viewer Interaction & Setup Context
   Tim chats with viewers and explains the photo backdrop. He sets up the issue context using a live Joomla site.

3. Identifying the JavaScript Error
   On testing, the console shows JComments is not defined, pointing to a JavaScript loading conflict—likely from Cloudflare.

4. Cache Clearing & Development Mode
   Tim purges the Cloudflare cache and enables “Development Mode” to bypass cache—but the issue persists.

5. Disabling Rocket Loader
   After disabling Rocket Loader, the comment form works!
   🚨 Main Fix Identified: Rocket Loader interferes with JS loading order.

6. Attempted Workarounds
   Tim tries Cloudflare rules to exclude jcomments.js, including page rules and cache bypass patterns—none succeed. Rocket Loader must remain off.

7. Community Suggestions
   Viewers suggest:

• Adding data-cfasync="false" to script tags (manual code edit).

• Reviewing Cloudflare’s official Joomla guidance (e.g., restoring real visitor IP).

8. Speed vs. Functionality Trade-Off
   Speed test with Rocket Loader shows faster load times—but it breaks JS functionality. Disabling it ensures forms work, but adds ~3s load time.

9. Joomla News & Events
   Tim shares updates:

• Joomla gets 4 new AI & workflow-related projects via Google Summer of Code.

• Upcoming streams on July 9 (AI chatbot), Mini Orange collab to follow.

10. Final Recommendations
    ✅ Disable Rocket Loader for critical JS
    ✅ Use Cloudflare Page Rules strategically
    ✅ Consider script tag attribute data-cfasync="false"
    ✅ Monitor developer guides and test thoroughly

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Written by: Shahbaz Latif