The Ultimate Guide to Enabling and Disabling Google AMP in WordPress (2023)

If you run a WordPress website, you may have heard about Google‘s Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) framework. AMP promises to dramatically speed up the loading time of your web pages on mobile devices. However, setting up AMP can be tricky, and disabling it later if you change your mind is even more challenging.

In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll dive into what exactly Google AMP is, weigh the pros and cons, and provide step-by-step instructions for both enabling and properly disabling AMP on your WordPress site. Let‘s get started!

What is Google AMP?

Google AMP is an open-source project designed to optimize web content for mobile devices. It consists of three core components:

AMP HTML: A subset of HTML with some restrictions for reliable performance.
AMP JS: A JavaScript framework that manages resource loading and ensures fast rendering.
AMP Cache: A content delivery network that serves cached AMP pages.

When you enable AMP on your WordPress site, it generates an alternate version of each post or page that is lightweight and loads almost instantly on mobile. These AMP versions appear in Google search results with a lightning bolt icon.

Benefits of Using AMP

The main benefits of implementing AMP on your WordPress site are:

Faster page load times on mobile devices
Improved user experience and reduced bounce rates
Higher visibility in Google search results (especially the Top Stories carousel)
Potential ranking boost as page speed is a Google ranking factor

When your content loads lightning fast, visitors are more likely to stay engaged and continue browsing your site. Plus, Google has indicated that speed is a ranking signal, so AMP could give you an SEO advantage.

Drawbacks of Using AMP

While AMP has its benefits, there are also some potential drawbacks to consider:

Limited flexibility in design and functionality
Reduced branding opportunities
Potential loss of ad revenue
Complicated analytics tracking
Difficulties with disabling AMP later on

Since AMP pages are pre-rendered and cached by Google, you have less control over their appearance and features compared to your regular responsive site. Some publishers have reported lower ad revenues and conversion rates on their AMP versions.

Analytics tracking also becomes trickier with AMP. Google Tag Manager works, but other tools may not be compatible. Also, if you decide to disable AMP later, the process is more involved than simply deactivating a plugin.

How to Enable Google AMP in WordPress

If you‘ve weighed the pros and cons and decided to implement AMP, here‘s how to enable it on your WordPress site using a plugin:

Step 1: Install an AMP WordPress Plugin

There are several AMP plugins available for WordPress. As of 2023, we recommend the AMP for WP plugin by the Kaludi brothers. It‘s highly rated, offers more customization options than the official AMP plugin, and is regularly updated for the latest best practices.

To install it:

Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
Go to Plugins > Add New
Search for "AMP for WP"
Click Install Now and then Activate
Upon activation, you‘ll be prompted to select a setup mode. Choose Advanced.

The plugin will automatically add AMP versions of your posts and pages. To test it, add "/amp" to the end of a post URL.

Step 2: Configure Basic AMP Settings

Next, head to the AMP for WP Settings to configure some key options:

Under Setup, select which post types to enable AMP for
Upload a logo in the correct 120x90px dimensions
Choose an accent color for your AMP pages
Enter your analytics tracking IDs
Enable GDPR compliance if applicable
Set up any 3rd party integrations (SEO, ads, PWA, etc.)

Configure any other settings that are relevant to your specific setup and needs. When in doubt, the default options are a good starting point.

Step 3: Customize Your AMP Design and Layout

By default, your AMP pages will inherit styles from your active WordPress theme. However, the AMP for WP plugin lets you customize the appearance of your AMP versions if desired.

To access the design settings, go to the AMP for WP Settings and click on Design. Here you can:

Choose from pre-built AMP themes (premium version)
Customize colors and fonts
Show/hide different page elements
Tweak styles for buttons, links, images, and more

Play around with the options to make your AMP pages match your branding as closely as possible. Just keep in mind that simpler designs tend to load the fastest on mobile.

How to Properly Disable Google AMP in WordPress

If you initially set up AMP but later decide it‘s not right for your site, disabling it is not as simple as just deactivating the plugin. That will actually break your AMP pages and cause 404 errors. Here‘s the proper way to turn off AMP:

Step 1: Tell Google to Stop Indexing Your AMP Pages

The first step is to signal to Google that you no longer want your AMP pages showing up in search results. You need to wait for Google to remove them from its index before disabling the plugin.

To do this:

Go to the AMP for WP plugin settings
Click on the SEO section
Add this code snippet to the Head section:

Save your changes.

Now Google will still crawl your AMP pages but won‘t include them in search results. This process can take anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks. Be patient and wait until you no longer see the AMP versions in Google search before proceeding.

Step 2: Deactivate AMP Plugin and Set Up Redirects

Once Google has dropped your AMP pages from its index, you can safely disable the plugin:

Go to Plugins in your WordPress admin
Deactivate and delete the AMP for WP plugin

However, your old AMP page URLs may still be lingering in the wild. If someone tries to access them, they‘ll get a 404 error. To prevent this, set up 301 redirects from the AMP versions to the original posts and pages:

Install the free Redirection plugin
Go through the quick setup wizard
Navigate to Tools > Redirection
In the Source URL field, enter: /(.*)\/amp
In the Target URL field, enter: https://yourdomain.com/$1
Set the HTTP code to 301 Permanent Redirect
Select "Regex" for the URL options
Add the redirect

And that‘s it! Test your redirects by trying to access a few old AMP page URLs. You should be seamlessly redirected to the regular versions.

Final Thoughts and Recommendations

Google AMP can be a powerful tool for improving the mobile user experience and potentially boosting your search engine visibility. However, it‘s not right for every website.

Carefully consider the pros and cons in light of your specific needs and goals. If you have a relatively simple site, a fast web host, and are already using a mobile-responsive theme, you may not need AMP.

On the other hand, if your site is content-heavy and you‘re looking for an extra speed boost on mobile devices, AMP may be worth implementing. Just be aware of the potential limitations and the extra steps involved if you need to disable it later.

Ultimately, the best approach is to test AMP and see how it impacts your traffic and engagement. Some sites see great results with AMP while others find it hurts their user experience and monetization. Monitor your analytics closely and be prepared to adapt as needed.

If you do decide to enable AMP on your WordPress site in 2024, the AMP for WP plugin is a solid, regularly updated, and well-documented solution. Whichever plugin you choose, make sure to configure the settings carefully and keep an eye out for any compatibility issues with your theme or other plugins.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you‘ll be well on your way to successfully harnessing the speed and power of Google AMP on your WordPress site.