How can I improve performance on a client site in Webflow?

Improving your Webflow site’s performance involves optimizing page load speed, reducing unnecessary scripts, and managing assets efficiently to provide a faster user experience.

1. Optimize Image Sizes and Formats

• Resize images before uploading to match display dimensions.
• Use WebP instead of PNG/JPEG for smaller, high-quality images.
• Enable Webflow's responsive image feature (enabled by default).
• Set images to lazy load using the loading="lazy" option in image settings.

2. Minimize and Compress Assets

• Enable Minify HTML, CSS, and JS in Project Settings > Hosting > Advanced Options.
• Avoid overusing custom fonts with large file sizes—limit weights and styles.

3. Reduce Unused Interactions and Animations

• Remove complex or long-running animations that delay page rendering.
• Avoid using Lots of scroll-triggered animations on page load.

4. Audit and Reduce Third-Party Scripts

• Eliminate or defer non-essential third-party scripts (e.g., chat widgets, analytics tags).
• Load custom scripts deferred or at the end of body, especially in Page Settings > Custom Code.
• Use Google Tag Manager to control third-party tags efficiently.

5. Simplify Site Structure and DOM

• Avoid deep nesting of elements in containers or grids, which creates a heavier DOM.
• Use Webflow’s clean layout structure like flexbox or grid instead of stacking too many divs.
• Consolidate similar elements or repeatable layouts into Webflow Symbols or Components.

6. Enable Fast CDN and Hosting Features

• Webflow automatically uses a global CDN, optimized by Fastly and Amazon CloudFront.
• In Project Settings > Hosting, make sure SSL is enabled for faster and secure delivery.

7. Monitor and Audit Performance

• Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or GTmetrix to analyze bottlenecks.
• Regularly audit unused CMS fields, classes, and styles to keep the project clean.

8. Combine Smaller Pages and Limit CMS Collection Items

• Split overloaded single pages into multiple pages if there's too much content.
• Optimize CMS collection lists by limiting the number of rendered items. Avoid loading 100+ items visibly on the page.

9. Use Clean and Semantic Structure

• Stick with semantic HTML tags (e.g., section, header, main) for better SEO and accessibility.
• Avoid clustering elements under unnamed divs; give elements meaningful class names.

10. Host Videos Properly

• Use third-party sites like YouTube or Vimeo for video hosting.
• Add ?rel=0 to the video embed URL to prevent additional video suggestions.
• Prefer custom thumbnails and use light embeds instead of full iframe loads if possible.

Summary

To improve Webflow site performance, optimize images, minify assets, limit scripts, and simplify structure. Regular performance audits using tools like Lighthouse ensure your site stays fast and efficient.