How to maintain page speed with Shopify Chat App?

Technical Q&A

Topic summary

A user reports that enabling Shopify’s Chat App causes a significant mobile page speed drop of 35 points due to additional scripts and fonts loading (including reCAPTCHA and Roboto Font).

Key Points:

  • The site already scores 90+ on PageSpeed Insights before adding the chat widget
  • The user wants to use Shopify Chat for its integration and Apple Messages support, but the performance impact is too severe

Suggested Solutions:

  • Consider alternative chat apps like Intercom, which reportedly performs better
  • Balance speed optimization against conversion benefits—if chat increases sales, the speed trade-off may be worthwhile
  • Optimize theme and images first, then conditionally load apps only where needed (though chat typically requires site-wide availability)

Status: The discussion remains open with no definitive solution. A follow-up comment indicates this is still an ongoing issue for users.

Summarized with AI on October 29. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
1

Anyone had any success with using Shopify Chat App and not have the page speed score go down?

When enabled it loads extra scripts and fonts (Recaptcha, Roboto Font…) and so. My mobile page speed score drops 35 points just by enabling the chat widget.

(PS, I already have recaptcha off on my store, I’m 100% certain it’s the chat widget that loads that in my case)

3 Likes
2

It’s common for chat apps to slow down a site.

I haven’t used that one in particular, but the fastest one I’ve tested (out of 5 or 6 apps) is called Intercom.

Any time you load store facing apps, it’s going to slow down your site. But that’s not a bad thing. If the help helps conversions and sales (the main goal of an online store), then it’s worth keeping.

My philosophy:

  1. Optimize as much as you can with your theme and images (you can use the Shopify Analyzer to find any issues).

  2. After optimization, if your site is not as fast as you think it should be, analyze your apps to see if there is anything you can remove or conditionally load (chat app you probably want loading on every page, but for a non-chat app, if it’s only needed on product page then use Liquid code to only load it on the product page).

1 Like
3

Thanks!

My website speed is as good as it will get without starting to loose functionalities, I’m happy with how it is, I’ve got over 90+ score on page speed insights.

I wanted to use the Shopify Chat because it’s easy and integrated - plus it has Apple Messages chat. But turning it on messes my page speed by a lot! I wouldn’t mind if it got me a couple points down but a 35+ points drop is a huge amount.

4

This is still relevant. Any news/updates?