6 Shopify Page Speed Optimization Tips
Shopify store owners face constant challenges in improving their page speed. This article presents expert-backed strategies to enhance your Shopify store’s performance. From optimizing JavaScript to managing images and apps, these tips offer practical solutions for a faster, more efficient online store.
- Minimize and Defer JavaScript for Speed
- Tackle Images Apps and Theme Code
- Cut Back on Unnecessary Apps
- Compress and Resize Product Images
- Optimize for Fast Enough Not Fastest
- Aggressively Optimize Your Store Images
Minimize and Defer JavaScript for Speed
One of the first things I do with my Shopify clients is focus on minimizing and deferring JavaScript, especially from third-party apps. Many stores load unnecessary scripts across all pages, even if those features are only used in specific areas like the product or cart pages. We’ve seen major improvements in load times and SEO performance by auditing which apps are truly important and adjusting when their scripts load.
I use Google PageSpeed Insights, Shopify’s native Speed Report, and Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools to identify render-blocking scripts and performance bottlenecks. TinyIMG is also a go-to for compressing images without hurting visual quality.
Minimizing and deferring JavaScript is one of the quickest, most effective ways to boost Shopify speed and SEO.
Chris Burdick
Senior SEO Consultant & Co-Founder, CartImpact
Tackle Images Apps and Theme Code
My top tip for improving your Shopify store’s page speed is to tackle three common issues: oversized images, unused apps, and unoptimized theme code.
Images are the biggest problem on most Shopify sites: they are often too large, in wrong formats, or missing lazy loading. Compressing images with tools like TinyPNG, switching to WebP format, and enabling lazy load can immediately speed things up.
Next, uninstall any apps you’re not actively using. Even disabled apps can leave behind code that bloats your site and slows it down.
Finally, many Shopify themes (even popular ones) come packed with unnecessary JavaScript and CSS. Using a tool like PageSpeed Insights or Shopify’s Theme Inspector for Chrome can help you spot unused code that you can clean up or defer.
Fixing these specific areas can significantly improve both your SEO and your store’s overall shopping experience.
Oscar Scolding
Sr. SEO & Performance Strategist @ SEO Sherpa, Oscar Scolding
Cut Back on Unnecessary Apps
The best thing you can do to speed up a Shopify store for better SEO is to cut back on unnecessary apps and scripts.
I encountered this issue firsthand with a client who approached us wondering why their site felt sluggish even after investing in a premium theme and decent hosting. Upon investigation, the issue became obvious: they had approximately 30 apps running in the background. Some of these apps injected large JavaScript files and bloated CSS onto every page, even when the functionality wasn’t needed. It was like trying to race a sports car while towing a trailer full of junk.
We ended up auditing every app and script, questioning what was absolutely critical and what could be removed or replaced with lighter alternatives. Some features, like popups or review widgets, could be swapped out for simpler versions that didn’t slow down the site. In other cases, we hardcoded functionality directly into the theme so it didn’t require a heavy plugin at all.
To get a clear picture, we relied on tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTmetrix. Shopify’s built-in Theme Inspector for Chrome also helped us identify scripts that were causing long load times. After cleaning everything up, we saw their average page load time decrease by nearly 40%, and their SEO rankings started improving within a few weeks.
In my opinion, it’s easy to get carried away with adding app after app because it feels like you’re enhancing the store, but it’s far more important to be ruthless about what’s actually improving the user experience—and what’s just slowing everything down.
Paul DeMott
Chief Technology Officer, Helium SEO
Compress and Resize Product Images
One of the most effective ways I’ve optimized page loading speed on Shopify is by compressing and properly sizing all product and homepage images. I once worked on a store that had beautiful visuals, but the image files were over 5MB each—killing the load speed. I ran every image through TinyPNG and set a rule to never upload anything larger than necessary. The speed boost was instant, and bounce rates noticeably dropped.
Another tip that made a big impact was switching to a lightweight, optimized Shopify theme. I used to run a heavily customized theme with lots of apps, but over time it bloated the code. I switched to a fast theme like “Dawn” and replaced app-heavy features with native Shopify functions or custom-coded solutions. GTmetrix and Google PageSpeed Insights helped identify scripts and third-party apps slowing things down. My rule now is: fewer apps, better performance.
Brandon Leibowitz
Owner, SEO Optimizers
Optimize for Fast Enough Not Fastest
Top tip: Aim for ‘fast enough’, not ‘fastest’. Then stop and focus on what keeps shoppers on the page.
We had a Shopify client who already passed Core Web Vitals but still chased extra milliseconds.
They made every image, badge, and video load only after a click and pushed key content lower down the page to shrink the first payload.
The site measured faster, yet visitors bounced sooner, and conversions fell.
Because the reassuring elements (reviews, explanatory visuals, “how-to” clip) now appeared too late or not at all.
And Google rankings didn’t budge.
Here are some no-code solutions:
- Trim unused apps. In Shopify Admin > Apps, remove anything you haven’t touched in a month. Fewer third-party scripts = lighter first load.
- Bulk-compress images with TinyIMG. It keeps photos sharp while cutting file size; no design changes needed.
- Let the theme handle below-the-fold assets. Use the built-in “lazy load images” toggle instead of hiding vital content behind clicks. Above-the-fold remains engaging; speed still improves.
- Embed video the light way. Swap heavy YouTube embeds for Videowise. Its script is ~100 KB and shows only a thumbnail until a shopper presses play, so you keep shoppable video engagement without hurting Core Web Vitals.
- Watch the green lights, not the stopwatch. Shopify’s Speed Report or Search Console’s Core Web Vitals panel will tell you if Largest Contentful Paint is ≤ 2.5 s, Interaction is ≤ 200 ms, and layout is stable. When they’re green, resist the urge to shave more time and invest in clearer headlines, trust cues, and simple navigation.
Ticking the ‘fast-enough’ checkbox prevents you from getting penalized, and then the quality and relevance of the site’s content earns you the climb.
Peter Gardner
Co-Founder, Blend Commerce
Aggressively Optimize Your Store Images
My top tip for boosting your Shopify store’s page loading speed, which is crucial for better SEO, is to aggressively optimize your images. Large, uncompressed images are often the biggest culprits slowing down websites. Reducing file sizes without sacrificing too much visual quality can make a significant difference in loading times.
Several tools and techniques can be helpful here. For compression, you can explore online tools like TinyPNG or ShortPixel, which use smart compression algorithms to reduce file sizes. Ensuring your images are also sized correctly for their display dimensions prevents unnecessary data from loading. Additionally, consider using next-generation image formats like WebP, which offer superior compression and quality compared to traditional JPEGs and PNGs, although browser compatibility should be checked. Implementing lazy loading for images below the fold can also improve initial page load time, as these images only load when a user scrolls down.
David Abraham
CEO, Bluesoft Design