How can I increase the speed of Shopify store?

Shopify Discussion
1

Recently I am facing issue regarding the 500 error in Google merchant center and all the pages are properly working .

Then I checked website speed and it’s too low may that’s the causing the 500 error in the Google merchant center.

If anyone has solution for it please let me know.

Thank you.

2

@seoexpert ,

A slow PageSpeed score alone usually is not the cause of a 500 error in Google Merchant Center. Shopify handles the server so true 500 errors are relatively uncommon.

Check whether the affected product URLs are accessible in an incognito window make sure there are not any apps or custom code interfering and then request Google Merchant Center to fetch the products again. If the issue persists its worth contacting Shopify Support as they can check if Googlebot is encountering any server side issues.

3

Hi @seoexpert

A low store speed is generally not what causes a 500 Internal Server Error in Google Merchant Center.

A 500 error means Google’s crawler received an internal server error when trying to fetch a page. This is more commonly caused by:

  • Temporary server or CDN issues.
  • An app or custom code causing errors.
  • Redirect or URL problems.
  • Rate limiting or intermittent failures when Google crawls your site.

If your page loads normally in a browser, the issue may be intermittent. I’d recommend checking:

  • Google Search Console for crawl errors.
  • Your Google Merchant Center Diagnostics to identify which URLs are returning 500 errors.
  • Whether the affected URLs Load correctly in an incognito window and on different devices.
  • If you’ve recently installed an app or added custom code, try disabling or reverting recent changes to see if the issue disappears.

That said, improving your store’s speed is still worthwhile. Here are some of the biggest wins:

  • Optimize Images by compressing them and using appropriately sized images.
  • Remove unused apps, as many inject JavaScript that slows down your storefront.
  • Minimize third-party scripts such as pop-ups, chat widgets, and tracking tools.
  • Use a lightweight, updated theme and remove any unused theme code where possible.
  • Reduce large videos or animations on your homepage.

If you can share your store URL, PageSpeed Insights report, and one of the URLS showing a 500 error in Merchant Center, then I can help narrow down whether it’s a performance issue or a separate crawling problem.

4

Hi @seoexpert,

A low PageSpeed score is usually not the direct reason for a 500 error in Google Merchant Center. A 500 error means Google’s crawler hit an internal server error when trying to fetch the page, so I would treat this as two separate issues:

1. Merchant Center / crawl issue

- Check Merchant Center Diagnostics and identify the exact product URLs returning 500.

- Test those URLs in an incognito window and with Google Search Console’s URL Inspection tool.

- Look for recent app installs, custom code, redirects, or theme changes that could affect product URLs.

- If the pages work normally for you but Google still sees 500 errors, contact Shopify Support because they can check whether Googlebot is hitting an intermittent server/CDN issue.

2. Store speed issue

Even if speed is not causing the 500 error, it is still worth fixing because it affects SEO, mobile UX, and conversions. Start by running PageSpeed Insights on your homepage, one product page, and one collection page. Check what is hurting LCP, CLS, and INP. On Shopify, the usual causes are oversized above-the-fold images, heavy theme code, third-party app scripts, old app code, videos, sliders, and popups.

If you want to fix it manually, focus first on the LCP element, compress/resize images, avoid lazy-loading the first visible hero/product image, remove unused apps, and delay scripts that do not need to load immediately.

We built Thunder Page Speed and SEO for this exact speed side of the problem — slow scripts, third-party apps, Core Web Vitals, and ongoing Shopify performance maintenance. You can find it in the Shopify App Store, and there is a 14-day trial, so you can test it without risk. It can help automate the speed optimization part, but I would still diagnose the Merchant Center 500 error separately through Merchant Center, Search Console, and Shopify Support.

5

Hi there @seoexpert
A bad PageSpeed score is usually not enough by itself to trigger Google Merchant Center 500 errors. First, see if the product URLs in question ever return server errors by using tools such as URL Inspection or by opening them at different times. For store speed you should remove or reduce heavy apps, compress images, remove unused theme code, defer noncritical scripts. Also check your themee for slow third party scripts that can trigger server timeouts. This allows us to better the crawl performance and reliability.