Magento 2 Checkout Slow: Advanced Techniques To Speed Up

A Magento 2 checkout slow issue isn’t unfamiliar among developers or Magento 2 store owners. We have noticed many store owners struggle with this issue, and their frustration rises when they cannot resolve it.

And the frustration is valid, as it can lead to cart abandonment or unsatisfied shoppers. 😤

If you are looking for a way to fix this issue,  you have reached the right place. Our Magento 2 experts have spilled out secrets and advanced techniques to speed up the checkout process helping you to make a delightful shopping experience.

At the end of the blog, you will have a clear idea on

•  Magento 2 Checkout Slow: Reasons & Consequences
•  Magento 2 Checkout Slow: Advance Techniques To Speed Up The Process

Magento 2 Checkout Slow: Reasons & Consequences

There is no single answer to the cause or reason for the slow checkout process. There are many contributing factors to this, and some of the most factors are:

1. Your JavaScript code is one of the significant factors for slow load.
2. There might be many unnecessary elements activated on your website.
3. The third-party module that you are using is not compatible with your store.
4. Your checkout page design is complex.

And these factors lead to the following:

• Cart Abandonment: After delightfully finding a product, and going through the entry process of the buying cycle, if the final step gets messed up, the shoppers will instantly leave the cart disappointed.
• Dissatisfied customer experience: While some shoppers might wait to finish the checkout process, others might leave dissatisfied without taking the final action.
• Lower Customer Lifetime Value: Even if the customer makes the final purchase, the product’s lifetime value can be low, as the first impression might have gone down.

Magento 2 Checkout Slow: Advance Techniques To Speed Up The Process

Now that we understand the cause and effect of slow checkout. Let us look at the advanced techniques to speed up this process.

Minifying and Bundling JavaScript

This is essential to reduce the file size and improve the page’s load time. Minifying refers to reducing the size of JavaScript. Here you remove unnecessary characters and spacing without hindering any functionalities. And on the other hand, bundling refers to combining multiple JavaScript files into a single file. This helps reduce the number of HTTP requests and leads to faster page loading.

You can implement the process using built-in JavaScript techniques or third-party tools.

Here are the steps to enable Magento 2 built-in bundling and minification:

a. Log in to your Magento Admin Panel.
b. Go to Stores > Configuration.
c. Under the Advanced section, click on Developer.
d. Expand the JavaScript Settings section.
e. Set the Enable JavaScript Bundling and Enable JavaScript Minification options to Yes.
f. Save the configuration.

After hitting save, Magento will bundle and minify JavaScript files during deployment.

Third-Party Tools for Minifying and Bundling JavaScript

If you want to go for third-party tools, you can pick from one of these popular tools. If you select any third-party tools, it is essential to read the requirements and documentation of the particular tool to use it at its maximum potential.

1. Grunt
Grunt is a popular task runner tool that can automate tasks, including minification and bundling. To configure Minify and Bundle, you must create Gruntfile.js in your theme’s directory. You can also streamline various workflows to run and define various tasks.

2. Webpack
Webpack is a module bundler for JavaScript files. You can easily bundle various files and effectively improve your load time. It is widely used to bundle, optimize, and manage various dependencies of web assets.

3. Gulp
Glup is another popular task runner like Grunt. The platform works perfectly to run various tasks and automate them. You will need to install the necessary Glup plugins to minify your files.

Lazy Loading and Asynchronous Loading

Using the lazy loading technique, you can reduce the initial load time. Instead of loading all your content simultaneously, you can dynamically load content as the user scrolls through your page. You can opt for Magento 2’s built-in functionalities or use third-party tools to load your content asynchronously.

The Magento_LazyLoading module is for lazy loading. This functionality is available for Magento 2.3.4. Follow the below steps to enable it:

a. Log in to your Magento Admin Panel.
b. Go to Stores > Configuration.
c. Under the Advanced section, click on Developer.
d. Expand the Image Lazy Loading section.
e. Set the Enable Lazy Loading option to Yes.
f. Save the configuration.

After hitting save, your content will load as the user scrolls through the page, reducing initial page load time.

Third-Party Tools for Lazy Loading and Asynchronous Loading

Here are our recommendations for the third-party tool you can use for lazing loading and getting other helpful functionalities for your store.

1. Intersection Observer API
The Intersection Observer API allows you to load images and other resources lazily. You can use the API directly in your JavaScript code to implement lazy loading.

2. LazyLoad
LazyLoad is a lightweight and customizable JavaScript library that provides lazy-loading functionality for images and other resources. It offers various options for customization and works well with Magento 2.

3. Lazysizes
Lazysizes is another popular lazy-loading tool. The tool has basic and advanced features to improve the loading time progressively. You can easily integrate this tool into your Magento 2 store theme.

Caching Strategies

A well-planned caching strategy helps to improve the checkout performance of your Magento 2 store. There are three main areas where you should focus: Full page caching, block caching, and dynamic block caching. Focusing on these aspects will help you make accurate and up-to-date checkout data.

Let us understand each advanced technique in detail:

Full Page Caching

A Full Page caching technique involves caching the entire page, including the checkout page. So, instead of creating an HTML for each request, the rendered HTML gets stored in a cache and served directly to a particular user. If you conduct this carefully, you can improve the performance of the checkout process without compromising on the dynamic content.

Here are the steps you can follow to enable full-page caching:
a. Log in to your Magento Admin Panel.
b. Go to Stores > Configuration.
c. Under the Advanced section, click on System.
d. Expand the Full Page Cache section.
e. Set the Caching Application option to an appropriate caching backend, such as Varnish or Redis.
f. Save the configuration.

Additionally, if you configure a caching backend like Varnish or Ranish with this process, you can speed up the performance of your checkout page.

Block Caching

Block Caching in Magento 2 lets you cache individual blocks within a checkout page to improve the overall performance. Through this process, you can avoid executing caching frequently, which can help you reduce the render time. Here are the steps to implement block caching:

a.Identify the block you would like to cache on the checkout page.

b. Now, in the layout XML files of your theme, you can add the necessary cache directives to the block definitions. For example, you can use the cacheable=”true” attribute to enable caching for a specific block.

Dynamic Block Caching

Dynamic Block Caching is useful fpr cache specific blocks within a page. The static content remains cached in this process, while the dynamic content gets updated whenever required.

This technique helps to keep a balance between caching performance and keeping the store updated with personalized information. Follow these steps to implement Dynamic Block Caching in Magento 2.

a. Configure your block classes to implement the Magento\Framework\View\Element\Block\ArgumentInterface interface.

b. Use the getCacheKeyInfo() method to define cache keys based on the dynamic content in your block class. This method should return an array of cache keys that uniquely identify the block’s content.

c. Add cache tags to the block using the addCacheTag() method. These tags will help you with cache invalidation when related data gets updated.

AJAX Requests and Optimizations

Optimize AJAX requests made during the checkout process to reduce latency and improve responsiveness. Analyze and streamline the data sent through AJAX requests, eliminate unnecessary requests, and leverage Magento 2’s built-in AJAX caching mechanisms.

Minimize the Number of Requests

Reduce the number of AJAX requests by combining multiple requests into a single request where possible. For example, if you have multiple data updates, you can batch them together into a single AJAX request instead of sending separate requests for each update. This reduces the overhead of establishing multiple connections and decreases latency.

Implement Data Compression

Compress the data transferred in AJAX requests using compression techniques like Gzip. By compressing the payload, you can reduce the size of the data getting transferred, resulting in faster transmission and improved responsiveness. Make sure that the server supports and enables data compression.

Optimize Network Latency

In order to optimize your network latency, you can implement HTTP/2 or WebSocket. They both help in the optimization process.
– HTTP/2 supports multiplexing that means multiple requests gets sent over a single connection. Therefore, reducing the latency connected with establishing new connections.
– WebSocket provides a persistent and a bidirectional communication channel, eliminating the need of repeated AJAX requests altogether.

Implement Server-Side Caching

Implementing server-side caching mechanisms helps to store and serve frequently accessed data. By doing this, you can reduce the process time and avoid redundant database queries. We recommend you to utilize appropriate cache expiration policies to ensure the data freshness remains intact.

Database Query Optimization

You need to optimize your database queries during the checkout process. Here you can use Magento 2’s query profiling tools to identify slow or inefficient queries. Using such tools and techniques you can conduct activities such as indexing, query caching, and data denormalization.

Server-Side Performance Optimization

One of the last optimizations you need to keep in mind is server-side optimization. You can configure various serve settings to improve response time.

Optimize Database Performance

Here start with optimizing data performance by optimizing your database configuration and queries:

• Configure database query caching to reduce the overhead of repetitive queries.
• Use tools like Magento profiler or database profiling tools to analyze slow queries.
• Optimize your database indexes and table structure to improve the query execution time.
• Consider using a separate database server or caching mechanisms to offload the database load.

Enable Flat Catalog

Magento 2 enables the flat catalog features to reduce the number of database joins and optimize the query performance. You can improve the performance by generating a flat database table that combines product attributes.

Minimize Extensions and Modules

Go through the list of installed extensions and remove the unnecessary or unused ones, as they can impact the server performance and overall performance. Only keep the number of extensions needed.

Implement PHP OPcache

PHP OPcache is a bytecode caching extension used to improve the performance of PHP. This extension stores the precompiled bytecode, reducing the need to recompile scripts on each request.

Use PHP Accelerators

A PHP accelerator helps to improve the performance of PHP apps. The accelerator cache operation code gets regenerated by PHP files which then helps to reduce the serving load.

Optimize Server Configuration

You will also need to keep an eye on your server configuration for the smooth functioning of your Magento 2 performance. Here are a few things to look at for:

• Ensure the server has adequate resources (CPU, memory, disk I/O) to handle the expected traffic.
• Adjust PHP settings such as memory_limit, max_execution_time, and max_input_vars to accommodate the needs of your Magento installation.
• Configure web server (Apache or Nginx) settings, such as keep-alive connections, worker processes, and request buffering, for optimal performance.

Implement Content Delivery Networks (CDNs)

Utilize a content delivery network to offload static asset delivery and improve page load times. CDNs cache static files like images, CSS, and JavaScript files in multiple locations worldwide, reducing latency and improving server response times.

Conclusion

& that is a wrap from our end!

You can apply these actionable steps to your Magento 2 store and see a difference in your Magento 2 slow checkout process. We hope our blog helped you understand the issue. Likewiserender blocking resources elimination in Magento 2 significantly affect the loading speed of your store.

If you have any questions about this issue. Let us know in the comment section; our experts will gladly help you. And if you found it helpful, share it with your friends and Magento 2 communities.

Good luck with speeding up your checkout page. ✨

Related read:

1. How to Restrict Magento 2 Checkout Based on Various Conditions

2. How to Add Custom Template on Magento 2 Checkout Page