shopify performance

Shopify Discussion
1

How do Shopify’s performance optimization features, like its fast servers and Cloudflare CDN, impact your store’s speed and user experience? What specific strategies or tools have you used to improve Core Web Vitals and overall site performance?

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Hello @Neri08 Shopify’s performance optimization features — including fast servers and Cloudflare CDN integration — play a foundational role in ensuring that stores load quickly, securely, and reliably across the globe. Here’s a breakdown of how these features impact performance, followed by specific strategies you can apply (and that I’ve used in client stores) to improve Core Web Vitals and overall site speed:

How Shopify’s Built-In Features Help

  1. Fast Servers
    . Shopify’s hosting infrastructure is optimized for eCommerce, providing:

. Global server infrastructure: Shopify uses a network of data centers worldwide.

. Auto-scaling servers: They adapt to high traffic, such as during product launches or BFCM sales.

. Benefit: Faster Time to First Byte (TTFB), reduced downtime, and improved reliability.

  1. Cloudflare CDN
    . Shopify integrates with Cloudflare to:

. Serve static assets (images, CSS, JS) from global edge locations.

. Minimize latency for international customers.

. Improve Initial Load and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).

. Benefit: Content loads faster, especially for non-local visitors.

Strategies & Tools to Improve Performance & Core Web Vitals
Here’s what I consistently use and recommend as a Shopify developer to go beyond Shopify’s default optimizations:

  1. Image Optimization
    . Tools Used: Shopify’s built-in WebP conversion + apps like TinyIMG or Image Optimizer by Booster Apps.

. Manual Steps:

. Use .webp for hero banners, product images.

. Avoid oversized images (scale to correct dimensions before upload).

  1. Theme Optimization
    . Audit and Minify Assets:

. Remove unused CSS/JS or conditionally load them (e.g., only load product review scripts on product pages).

. Minify custom code (.liquid, .js, .css) manually or via build tools.

Avoid Excessive Apps:

. Uninstall unused apps and audit remaining ones for script bloat.

. Move to native Shopify features or custom implementations when possible.

  1. Lazy Loading
    . Shopify 2.0 themes support lazy loading via loading=“lazy” attribute on images.

. Check that all images below the fold (especially product cards, collection images) are lazily loaded.

  1. Reduce Third-Party Scripts
    . Audit what’s loading via:

. Chrome DevTools → “Network” tab

. PageSpeed Insights → “Reduce third-party code”

Examples to limit or defer:

. Chat widgets

. Tracking pixels

. External fonts

  1. Font Loading Optimization
    . Use system fonts when possible (fallbacks like Arial, Helvetica).

. If using Google Fonts:

. Preload fonts in theme.liquid.

. Serve only necessary weights.

  1. Core Web Vitals Tracking
    . Use Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, and Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX).

. Focus on improving:

. LCP: Optimize hero images, load them early.

. FID (now INP): Defer non-critical JavaScript.

. CLS: Reserve space for lazy-loaded images and dynamic content (like reviews).

  1. App Alternatives Using Shopify Functions or Custom Code
    . For example, instead of an app for free shipping bar, build it natively in Liquid.

. Same goes for sticky headers, quick view modals, or popups.

  1. Use Shopify’s Built-in Performance Tools
    . Shopify Online Store Speed Report (in admin): Offers a relative performance score.

. Shopify Theme Inspector for Chrome: Helps debug Liquid rendering bottlenecks.

Thank you :slightly_smiling_face:

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Shopify has fast Google Cloud servers and Cloudflare CDN that help lower latency and TTFB.
Because of this, Core Web Vitals (LCP, INP, CLS) are improved hence making load times faster, user experience better while conversions increase.
Optimize LCP (<2. 5s), INP (<200ms), and CLS (<0. 1) by minimizing image file sizes using TinyIMG, employing simple themes like Dawn, and delaying script execution. Measure progress continuously using Shopify’s Web Performance Dashboard, Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix to enhance speed.

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Hi @Neri08 ,
Shopify’s fast servers and Cloudflare CDN help deliver pages quickly worldwide, reducing load times and improving user experience.

To boost Core Web Vitals,You need to work on below points

  • Delay load third-party scripts: Improves TBT (Total Blocking Time) and keeps initial load fast.

  • Remove lazy load for above-the-fold images: Ensures LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) happens fast.

  • Lazy load below-the-fold images, videos, iframes: Saves bandwidth, improves CLS & LCP for later content.

  • Preload important resources (fonts, hero images): Helps browsers fetch critical assets early.

  • CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Always set explicit width and height for images, videos, and iframes.

  • Reserve space for dynamic blocks, Use CSS aspect-ratio for responsive images.

These steps directly boost Core Web Vitals and smooth user experience.

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Hello @Neri08 , Cloudflare CDN and other optimization features are the best built-in features for a performance boost. CDN ensures that your store’s assets (images, JS, CSS) are cached and served from the nearest edge location to each visitor. This significantly reduces latency, particularly for international customers, resulting in faster load times. Shopify’s fast servers handle the traffic spikes very effectively. They provide an optimized theme that helps in rendering and minimizes server-side delays, helping pages render quicker and improving Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) and Time to First Byte (TTFB), both critical for Core Web Vitals. You can add custom strategies to push our performance even further-

Monitor and Test
Test your site using Google Page Insights Report as the best consideration to analyze the store speed and monitor the Core Web Vitals like LCP, CLS, etc, how they are performing for your site.

Image & Media Optimization
Always keep your images in next-gen image formats ( WebP ) as the best consider to deliver on the site and helps in reducing the LCP more. Enable lazy loading for the images you do not want to load earlier.

Third-Party Script Management
Try to delay the loading of non-essential third-party scripts (like chat widgets or marketing pixels) until after user interaction.
For example -

<script>
  function loadThirdPartyScripts() {
    // Example: Load Hotjar
    var hotjar = document.createElement('script');
    hotjar.src = 'https://static.hotjar.com/c/hotjar-XXXXXX.js?sv=6';
    hotjar.async = true;
    document.head.appendChild(hotjar);

    // Load Facebook Pixel
    var fbPixel = document.createElement('script');
    fbPixel.src = 'https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js';
    fbPixel.async = true;
    document.head.appendChild(fbPixel);

    // Chat Widget 
    var chatScript = document.createElement('script');
    chatScript.src = 'https://your-chat-provider.com/widget.js';
    chatScript.async = true;
    document.head.appendChild(chatScript);
  }

  // Load once after user interaction
  let hasInteracted = false;
  function triggerLazyLoad() {
    if (hasInteracted) return;
    hasInteracted = true;
    loadThirdPartyScripts();
  }

  // listeners for interaction
  window.addEventListener('scroll', triggerLazyLoad, { once: true });
  window.addEventListener('mousemove', triggerLazyLoad, { once: true });
  window.addEventListener('touchstart', triggerLazyLoad, { once: true });

  setTimeout(triggerLazyLoad, 10000);
</script>

Theme Optimization
Try to minimize the third-party scripts and remove unused sections, JS/CSS to reduce Total Blocking Time( TBT).

Additionally, I recommend continuing to try the optimization techniques, as optimization is not a one-time process; you need to keep trying other practices as well, so keep applying the practices and testing consistently.