What can I do to improve my website's loading speed in Webflow, particularly in terms of optimizing images for mobile devices and reducing total blocking time?

TL;DR

Optimize mobile images using WebP, proper sizing, compression, and lazy loading.
Reduce TBT by minimizing scripts, disabling unused components, simplifying animations, and optimizing code placement.
Limit fonts, clean unused styles, reduce DOM size, and preload key assets.
Continuously test site performance with Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights to monitor and improve load metrics.

Improving your Webflow website’s loading speed, especially on mobile and reducing Total Blocking Time (TBT), requires strategic optimization of images, assets, and scripts.

1. Optimize Images for Mobile Devices

Use WebP format whenever possible. Webflow supports WebP images, which are smaller and faster-loading than JPG or PNG.
Compress images before uploading using tools like TinyPNG or Squoosh.
Use appropriate image sizes. Export images with dimensions matching their display size on mobile; avoid using oversized desktop images.
Enable responsive images in Webflow. Webflow auto-generates multiple image sizes for different breakpoints—ensure this feature is on.
Use background images sparingly on mobile. If necessary, upload lower-resolution versions targeted for mobile breakpoints.
Leverage lazy loading by using the loading="lazy" attribute, which Webflow applies automatically to most images unless disabled.

2. Reduce Total Blocking Time (TBT)

Minimize custom code placement. Move non-critical or third-party custom scripts (like chat widgets or tracking codes) to the Before tag in your Page Settings.
Limit heavy JavaScript. Avoid excessive interaction-based animations or complex third-party integrations that cause long scripting tasks.
Turn off unused Webflow components. If you're not using components like sliders, lightboxes, or interactions, disable them in Project Settings > Custom Code > Footer to reduce their script loading.
Simplify on-page Interactions and Animations. Use fewer combo triggers, limit looping animations, and avoid running multiple interactions on load.
Avoid large Lottie animations especially on page load. Instead, use them on scroll or interaction to reduce blocking.

3. Use Best Practices in Webflow for Performance

Minimize font weights & families – limit to 1–2 font families and 2–3 font weights.
Clean up unused styles – reduce clutter by removing unused classes in the Style Manager.
Reduce DOM size – avoid deeply nested structures and duplicate content sections.
Preload key assets via custom code in <head> for fonts or above-the-fold images.

4. Test and Monitor Performance

Use Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools or tools like GTmetrix or PageSpeed Insights to measure load speed, TBT, and see recommendations.
Focus on TBT, Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) scores to guide improvements.

Summary

To improve loading speed and reduce TBT in Webflow: optimize images for mobile using WebP, compression, sizing, and lazy loading, and minimize render-blocking scripts, animations, and third-party code. Regularly test your site using performance tools to identify bottlenecks and implement targeted optimizations.

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