The Shopify Speed Optimization Playbook
9 fixes that move Lighthouse — and 4 popular ones that don't.
Our actual 12-minute checklist. The fixes we use on every paid speed engagement. With code samples you can copy-paste into your theme today.
Email me the playbook
What's inside
The full table of contents
Every chapter is actionable. No filler, no padded intros — the shortest possible path from question to fix.
- 01
The 4 speed fixes everyone recommends — and why 3 of them don't move the needle
- 02
Lazy-loading images correctly (not the way most tutorials show you)
- 03
Critical CSS extraction in Liquid — a 5-minute copy-paste recipe
- 04
The Shopify app audit: a 60-second test for which apps to kill
- 05
Why your hero LCP is bad and the exact fix
- 06
Removing render-blocking JS without breaking your theme
- 07
Font loading strategy: when to preload, when to swap
- 08
Reading your Lighthouse report — what to ignore
Why this playbook exists
Most Shopify speed advice on the internet is either generic ("compress your images") or wrong ("switch to Hydrogen"). This playbook is the actual checklist we use on paid speed engagements — the same one that takes stores from a 35 mobile Lighthouse to 92+ in a week. If you can read it and ship the fixes yourself, great. If you'd rather hand it to us, that's what the audit form is for.
Questions
Things people ask first.
Is this written for developers or merchants?
Both. The high-level chapters (which fixes to prioritize, which to skip) are written for store owners. The code samples are written for whoever is implementing — your dev, your agency, or us.
Will this work for any Shopify theme?
Yes. The patterns are theme-agnostic. We give Liquid examples that work on Dawn, Prestige, Pacific, Verso, and most premium themes. We call out anywhere a theme-specific tweak is needed.
How long until I see results?
Most of the fixes take 30 minutes to ship and show up in your next Lighthouse run. The deeper structural fixes (critical CSS, font loading) take 2-4 hours but compound — they make every subsequent fix easier.
Do you spam me after I download?
No. You get one email with the playbook, and one optional follow-up two weeks later asking how it went. No drip sequences, no "hey just checking in" emails. Reply unsubscribe at any time.
Rather have us do it?
We use this exact playbook on every paid engagement. Fixed quote, real timeline, 30 days of free post-launch support.