Slow Loading and Failed Content Queries

When your Ghost site displays “Could not load content” messages or experiences significant loading delays, the underlying cause typically involves server-side performance bottlenecks. This guide covers the most effective diagnostic and resolution strategies.

Identifying the Problem

Performance issues typically manifest as:

• Extended loading times or complete timeouts
• “Could not load content” appearing where posts, tags, or authors should display
• Failed rendering of featured posts or tag lists
• Inconsistent loading behavior across different sections

Understanding the Underlying Causes

Server Resource Limitations

Most performance issues stem from inadequate server resources, particularly when handling:

• Large databases containing 10,000+ posts
• Complex database queries required for featured content and post counting
• Docker environments with restrictive memory or CPU allocation

Database Configuration Problems

Several database-related factors can cause performance degradation:

• Missing or corrupted database indexes
• Insufficient connection pool configuration
• Database server resource constraints
• Outdated Ghost installations missing performance improvements

Resource-Intensive Theme Operations

Modern Ghost themes often include sophisticated features that demand significant server resources:

Dynamic Post Counting

Post count displays require additional database queries:

{{#get "tags" include="count.posts"}}
{{#get "authors" include="count.posts"}}

Featured Content Filtering

Featured post sections execute targeted queries:

{{#get "posts" filter="featured:true"}}

Advanced Sorting Operations

Complex ordering requires intensive database operations:

{{#get "authors" order="count.posts DESC"}}
{{#get "tags" filter="visibility:public" order="count.posts DESC"}}

Diagnostic Procedures

Environment Assessment

Docker container monitoring:

# Monitor real-time resource usage
docker stats your-ghost-container
 
# Review Ghost application logs
docker logs your-ghost-container

Ghost version verification:

# Confirm current Ghost version
ghost version

Database performance analysis:

# Monitor active MySQL processes
mysql -e "SHOW PROCESSLIST;"
 
# Check slow query logging status
mysql -e "SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'slow_query_log';"

Resolution Strategies

Resource Allocation Optimization

Docker environment configuration:

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  ghost:
    image: ghost:latest
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          memory: 1G        # Increase from default allocation
          cpus: '1.0'
        reservations:
          memory: 512M
          cpus: '0.5'
  
  database:
    image: mysql:8.0
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          memory: 512M
        reservations:
          memory: 256M

VPS and dedicated server upgrades:

• Increase RAM allocation for memory-intensive database operations
• Ensure adequate CPU resources for concurrent query processing
• Implement SSD storage for improved database I/O performance

Database Performance Tuning

Ghost platform updates:

# Update Ghost CLI and platform
npm update -g ghost-cli
ghost update
 
# Execute database migrations
ghost migrate

Connection pool optimization:

// config.production.json
{
  "database": {
    "client": "mysql",
    "connection": {
      "pool": {
        "min": 5,
        "max": 20,
        "acquireTimeoutMillis": 60000,
        "createTimeoutMillis": 30000,
        "destroyTimeoutMillis": 5000,
        "idleTimeoutMillis": 30000,
        "reapIntervalMillis": 1000,
        "createRetryIntervalMillis": 200
      }
    }
  }
}

MySQL optimization procedures:

-- Optimize database tables for improved performance
OPTIMIZE TABLE posts, tags, authors, posts_tags, posts_authors;
 
-- Verify essential indexes exist
SHOW INDEX FROM posts WHERE Column_name = 'featured';
SHOW INDEX FROM posts WHERE Column_name = 'status';
SHOW INDEX FROM posts WHERE Column_name = 'visibility';
 
-- Create missing indexes if necessary
CREATE INDEX idx_posts_featured ON posts(featured);
CREATE INDEX idx_posts_status ON posts(status);

Ghost Application Configuration

Timeout and performance settings:

// config.production.json
{
  "server": {
    "host": "0.0.0.0",
    "port": 2368
  },
  "database": {
    "connection": {
      "timeout": 60000,
      "acquireTimeout": 60000
    }
  }
}

Caching configuration:

// config.production.json
{
  "caching": {
    "frontend": {
      "maxAge": 600
    }
  }
}

Infrastructure Considerations

For sites experiencing persistent performance issues, evaluate these infrastructure factors:

Hardware requirements:

• Adequate RAM for simultaneous Ghost and database operations
• SSD storage for improved database query performance
• Multi-core processors supporting concurrent database operations
• Stable network connectivity between application and database layers

Advanced configurations: For large installations, consider separating database operations onto dedicated servers to reduce resource contention.

MySQL server optimization:

# my.cnf - adjust values based on available server resources
[mysqld]
innodb_buffer_pool_size = 512M    # Scale with available RAM
innodb_log_file_size = 128M
max_connections = 100
query_cache_size = 64M
tmp_table_size = 32M
max_heap_table_size = 32M

Monitoring and Prevention

Hosting Optimization Recommendations

For optimal performance with resource-intensive themes on large Ghost installations:

• Managed Ghost hosting services like Ghost Pro or DigitalOcean App Platform
• SSD-equipped VPS configurations for enhanced database performance
• Database optimization services for enterprise-scale installations
• CDN integration for efficient static asset delivery
• Dedicated database infrastructure for high-traffic or large-content sites