Why does WordPress load jQuery in my header instead of footer?

Question

Here's a site I'm working on...

198.1.77.196/~larog/

I've taken an older WordPress theme (Twenty Ten) and modified it to be my own theme.

Anyways, the site isn't anywhere near done, I'm just in the process of building it. One of the things I'm curious about though is why WordPress loads jQuery in the head of my site when I am always hearing people saying that you should load jQuery in the footer of your site (or after the tag) so that it helps the page to load faster.

I've Googled this and found nothing that answers my question. Any input is appreciated!

Answer 1

It is true that browsers choke on scripts, so generally it is best to put scripts in the footer to prevent the whole page being delayed. So putting jquery in the footer also makes sense.

However, WordPress websites usually have plugins that may also include jquery scripts, which they may load in the header without you knowing it. As long as jquery itself is not loaded, because you've put it in the footer, those scripts won't work. If those scripts control the looks of the page, you may have some very weird looking page while the browser is waiting for jquery.

So, there you have it: put jquery in the head of your WP site, because others may assume it's there.