A fast shop sells more and ranks better. Acanthus is built to be fast; what you add (pictures, films and apps) decides how fast it stays.
What the theme already does
- Pictures load in the right size for each screen, and only as they come into view.
- Films start only when they are on screen, and pause when they leave.
- Effects such as the carousel, the scroll film and the fluid wordmark only run while visible.
- Scripts load after the page is shown, and only on pages that use them.
- Visitors who prefer reduced motion get lighter pages without the animations.
What you can do
| Do | Why |
|---|---|
| Upload pictures at the recommended sizes, not straight from the camera | A 12 MB photo is slow even after Shopify resizes it |
| Keep films short and light (films) | Under 20 MB for full width, under 5 MB for cards |
| Use 10 to 18 sections on the home page | Each section adds pictures to load |
| Remove apps you no longer use | Many apps add scripts to every page, even after they are uninstalled |
| Put one film per screen | Several playing at once slow phones |
If your shop became slow, check apps first. After uninstalling an app, look in Online StoreThemes > ... > Edit code for leftover app snippets, or ask the app's support to remove them. Also check the theme editor's App embeds (the icon in the left bar) and turn off any you no longer use.
Measure it
- Shopify's report: AnalyticsReports, "Online store speed". It uses real visits, so it changes slowly.
- PageSpeed Insights (pagespeed.web.dev): paste a page's address for a detailed report. Test your home page, a collection and a product.
Scores vary from test to test. Compare the same page over time rather than chasing a single number.
Further reading on the iVishwa blog: Video on Shopify without a slow store
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