Optimizing Hugo Performance: Speed Up Your Site

Introduction

Performance is crucial for user experience and SEO. In this guide, we’ll explore various techniques to optimize your Hugo site for maximum performance.

Asset Optimization

Image Optimization

Images often contribute the most to page weight. Here’s how to optimize them:

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{{ $image := .Page.Resources.GetMatch (printf "%s" (.Get "src")) }}
{{ $options := dict "targetWidth" 800 "quality" 85 }}
{{ $processed := $image.Process "resize 800x webp q85" }}
<img src="{{ $processed.RelPermalink }}" 
     alt="{{ .Get "alt" }}"
     loading="lazy"
     class="rounded-lg shadow-lg">

CSS and JavaScript

Minimize your asset footprint:

• Minify CSS and JavaScript
• Bundle assets appropriately
• Remove unused code

Caching Strategies

1. Browser Caching

   • Set appropriate cache headers
   • Use versioned assets
   • Implement service workers

2. Hugo Caching

   • Use .Scratch for expensive operations
   • Cache partial results
   • Implement memoization

Content Delivery

CDN Setup

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[params.cdn]
  enable = true
  provider = "cloudfront"
  domain = "cdn.example.com"

Edge Computing

Leverage edge computing for faster content delivery:

• Deploy to multiple regions
• Use edge functions when needed
• Implement geo-routing

Performance Monitoring

Key Metrics

1. Core Web Vitals

   • Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
   • First Input Delay (FID)
   • Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

2. Additional Metrics

   • Time to First Byte (TTFB)
   • First Contentful Paint (FCP)
   • Total Blocking Time (TBT)

Advanced Optimization Techniques

Resource Hints

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<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preload" href="/fonts/main.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin>

Critical CSS

Inline critical styles for faster rendering:

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<style>
  /* Critical CSS here */
  .hero { /* ... */ }
  .nav { /* ... */ }
</style>

SEO Optimization

1. Structured Data
2. XML Sitemaps
3. Meta Tags

Conclusion

Optimizing your Hugo site is an ongoing process. Regular monitoring and adjustments ensure your site maintains peak performance.

Resources

• Hugo Performance Documentation
• Web.dev Performance Guide
• PageSpeed Insights