Performance FAQ

Questions about optimizing VitePress site performance.

Build Performance

Q: My build is taking too long

A: Optimization strategies:

1. Reduce the number of pages
2. Optimize images before adding them
3. Use dynamic imports for large components
4. Enable parallel processing
5. Use SSD storage for faster I/O

Q: How can I speed up the development server?

A: Tips for faster dev server:

• Use --host flag for network access
• Reduce the number of files being watched
• Close unnecessary browser tabs
• Use --debug to identify bottlenecks

Runtime Performance

Q: My site loads slowly for users

A: Performance improvements:

1. Optimize images: Use WebP format, proper sizing
2. Enable compression: Gzip/Brotli on server
3. Use CDN: Serve static assets from CDN
4. Minimize JavaScript: Remove unused code
5. Lazy load content: Load content as needed

Q: How do I optimize images?

A: Image optimization techniques:

// In .vitepress/config.js
export default {
  vite: {
    plugins: [
      // Add image optimization plugin
    ]
  }
}

• Use appropriate formats (WebP, AVIF)
• Compress images before adding
• Use responsive images with srcset
• Implement lazy loading

Bundle Size

Q: My JavaScript bundle is too large

A: Reduce bundle size:

1. Tree shaking: Remove unused code
2. Code splitting: Split into smaller chunks
3. Dynamic imports: Load components on demand
4. Analyze bundle: Use bundle analyzer tools

Q: How do I analyze my bundle size?

A: Use bundle analysis tools:

npm install --save-dev rollup-plugin-visualizer

Add to vite config:

import { visualizer } from 'rollup-plugin-visualizer'

export default {
  vite: {
    plugins: [
      visualizer({
        filename: 'dist/stats.html',
        open: true
      })
    ]
  }
}

Caching Strategies

Q: How do I implement proper caching?

A: Caching configuration:

1. Static assets: Long-term caching with versioning
2. HTML files: Short-term caching
3. Service worker: For offline functionality
4. CDN caching: Edge caching for global users

Q: My updates aren't showing for users

A: Cache busting solutions:

• Check cache headers
• Use versioned asset names
• Implement proper cache invalidation
• Clear CDN cache after deployment

Core Web Vitals

Q: How do I improve Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)?

A: LCP optimization:

• Optimize server response times
• Remove render-blocking resources
• Optimize images and media
• Use preload for critical resources

Q: How do I reduce Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)?

A: CLS improvements:

• Include size attributes on images
• Reserve space for dynamic content
• Use CSS aspect-ratio property
• Avoid inserting content above existing content

Q: How do I improve First Input Delay (FID)?

A: FID optimization:

• Minimize JavaScript execution time
• Use web workers for heavy computations
• Optimize third-party scripts
• Implement code splitting

Monitoring

Q: How do I monitor my site's performance?

A: Monitoring tools:

• Lighthouse: Built-in Chrome auditing
• PageSpeed Insights: Google's performance tool
• WebPageTest: Detailed performance analysis
• Real User Monitoring: Track actual user experience

Q: What metrics should I track?

A: Key performance metrics:

• Core Web Vitals: LCP, FID, CLS
• Time to First Byte: Server response time
• First Contentful Paint: Initial content rendering
• Speed Index: Visual completeness
• Total Blocking Time: Main thread blocking