Proven Tips for Adobe Commerce Speed Optimization to Boost Store Performance

How long would you wait for a website to load?

Three seconds? Two? Not even that?

Now imagine your customers doing the same thing, except they don’t just get annoyed. They just navigate awayyy….

The issue is not the product, pricing, or marketing. It’s speed. That’s why Adobe Commerce speed optimization isn’t a technical checkbox anymore. It has become a growth catalyst for emerging brands or businesses nowadays in driving conversions, improving search rankings, and delivering a reliable user experience. So, if your eCommerce store feels heavy, slow, or inconsistent, this guide explains how Adobe Commerce speed optimization tips can make your business stand out without dumbing down the tech. Keep reading.

Why Adobe Commerce Store Performance Matters

Adobe Commerce supports large catalogs, heavy traffic, and advanced workflows. But you may fail to scale your business if you do not focus on proper site optimization, and that’s how stores slow down.

Here’s what the site's slow performance costs Adobe Commerce stores:

• Poor conversion rate
• Bad SEO rankings
• Low customer trust
• Less checkout completion

Note that Google favors fast sites and high speed, which obviously captivates more users for faster UI load and navigation. That’s why brands look to upscale their brand recognition by investing in website speed optimization, not after performance issues start hurting revenue.

Here’s why building a store on Adobe Commerce matters:

• Reduced operational costs like cloud hosting and a well-optimized site.
• Improved SEO and brand visibility
• Reduces bounce rate
• Enhanced User Experience (UX)
• Higher conversion rates and revenue

What Adobe Commerce Speed Optimization Really Means

Speed optimization isn’t just about a better PageSpeed score.

Adobe Commerce speed optimization focuses on:

• Faster server response times by keeping the database clean and optimizing indexes.
• Optimized frontend rendering for rapid page loading and leveraging Fastly CDN for image optimization.
• Efficient database queries involve proactive analysis, strategic query writing, and robust infrastructure management.
• Smart caching layers that reduce response times by 50% or more.
• Scalable infrastructure by using powerful mechanisms like Varnish caching and Redis for database/session storage.

This is where eCommerce performance optimization becomes a competitive advantage, not just a backend task. It proactively engineers a faster, more responsive, and more stable shopping experience that helps with SEO rankings, conversion rate increases, and, eventually, revenue. In short, it’s about creating an experience that feels instant across devices, regions, and traffic spikes.

Common Reasons Adobe Commerce Stores Slow Down

If your Adobe Commerce store feels slow, it’s rarely because of one big mistake. Most of the time, it’s a bunch of small technical issues piling up until performance takes a hit. Let’s break down the most common reasons behind bad Adobe Commerce store performance so that you won’t make it next time.

Code Quality

Low-quality code increases execution time and server load. Even if the frontend looks fine, backend inefficiencies slow everything down. Over time, many stores accumulate custom modules, quick fixes, and third-party extensions that were added to solve short-term problems. Some of the common code-level issues include:

• Unoptimized observers and plugins firing too often
• Heavy logic running on every page request
• Inappropriate written custom modules overriding core functionality

Infrastructure Issues

Many Adobe Commerce stores run on hosting setups that aren’t designed for enterprise eCommerce traffic. Outdated PHP versions (lower than 8.2), poorly configured servers, and inadequate server resources, such as low RAM or CPU power, and a lack of CDN, are some of the typical infrastructure problems. More includes:

• Lack of proper indexing or improper MySQL databases
• Missing or misconfigured OPcache
• No CDN support for static assets
• Inconsistent server response times

Without proper Adobe Commerce server optimization, page load times fluctuate, especially during traffic spikes. That inconsistency hurts both user experience and search rankings.

Database Problems

Databases don’t break overnight. They gradually slow down. Adobe Commerce databases grow fast, where product data, customer sessions, logs, reports, and indexing tables all expand over time. But when regular maintenance is skipped, queries take longer, and page rendering slows.

Common database issues include:

• Bloated log and report tables
• Missing indexing
• Long-running queries triggered by custom code

Note that these problems usually show up first in checkout delays or admin panel slowness. If they are left untreated, they become a major barrier to effective Adobe Commerce performance optimization.

Caching Gaps

Caching is where most speed wins happen. It’s also where many stores mess up. Adobe Commerce supports advanced caching layers, but they only work if configured correctly.

Typical caching gaps include:

• FPC or Varnish/Fastly Misconfiguration
• Invalidated cache during constant reindexing
• Non-cacheable pages (category or product pages) being marked cacheable=”false” in layout files
• Browser caching rules missing for static assets

When caching fails, the server does extra work for every request, which directly affects Adobe Commerce page speed optimization and increases infrastructure load without adding any value.

Asset Bloat

This one hurts, especially on mobile. Modern Adobe Commerce stores heavily rely on visuals, scripts, and interactive components. But when assets aren’t optimized, they quietly drag performance down. Some issues usually involve:

• CSS and JS not minified
• Too many JavaScript files loading on every page
• Oversized images uploaded without compression
• Using “flat catalog” feature, which isn’t recommended for modern Adobe Commerce

Asset bloat increases page weight and delays rendering, even if the backend is optimized. From a user’s perspective, the store just feels heavy. From a technical standpoint, this directly impacts website speed optimization efforts.

Too Many Extensions

Installing unnecessary third-party modules can add a heavy load to the application. Plus, badly coded extensions can cause bottlenecks. It is advised to audit extensions and remove those causing issues.

Adobe Commerce Speed Optimization Tips That Actually Work

Here are some robust Adobe Commerce speed optimization tips that can impact the whole speed loading system scenario of your eCommerce store.

Server and Hosting Optimization

You now need to choose high-quality hosting, which is one of the fastest ways to improve Adobe Commerce performance. Optimizing hosting directly impacts PHP execution time, database response, cache efficiency, and overall page rendering. What to look for:

• PHP 8.2 or higher
• VPS or cloud hosting (AWS, Google Cloud, Azure)
• SSD storage (HDDs are too slow)
• Adequate RAM (minimum 8GB, preferably 16GB+)
• Built-in caching capabilities

Better infrastructure reduces server response time, stabilizes traffic spikes, and eventually improves conversion rates. This is one investment that consistently pays back. 

Caching Best Practices

Implement advanced caching strategies because, without a strong caching layer, even well-written code will struggle under real traffic.

Full Page Cache (FPC)

FPC serves pre-rendered HTML pages instead of dynamically generating them on every request. This drastically reduces PHP execution and database queries for guest users.

Varnish Cache

Varnish acts as an HTTP accelerator between the user and the web server. It delivers cached responses directly from memory at extremely high speeds. Most high-performing Adobe Commerce stores rely on Varnish to handle traffic efficiently during promotions and peak sales periods.

Redis

Redis stores session data and frequently accessed cache entries in memory. This minimizes database calls and prevents session locking issues under concurrent traffic. Proper Redis configuration significantly improves backend performance and admin responsiveness. When implemented correctly, Adobe Commerce caching strategies transform store performance completely. The only difference is immediate and measurable.

Frontend Performance Fixes

JavaScript and CSS directly affect rendering speed. Browsers must download, parse, and execute these files before meaningful content appears. Here are the key frontend optimization techniques:

• Merge CSS and JavaScript files to reduce HTTP requests
• Minify code to remove unnecessary characters
• Enable JavaScript bundling in Adobe Commerce
• Apply async or defer attributes to non-critical scripts
• Remove unused or redundant code

Adobe Commerce provides built-in tools for CSS and JavaScript optimization. These can be enabled from the admin panel under Stores, Configuration, Advanced, Developer. 

Database and Backend Optimization

Over time, Adobe Commerce databases accumulate unnecessary data. Log tables grow large, queries slow down, and fragmentation increases response time. Regular maintenance is thus important. For this:

• Clean log tables monthly or weekly for high-traffic stores
• Optimize MySQL tables periodically
• Archive historical order data
• Remove test and dummy records
• Keep database statistics updated
• Apply proper indexing

Image and Asset Optimization

On most eCommerce sites, images account for more than half of the total page weight. This makes media optimization one of the highest impact performance improvements available.

Effective Image Optimization Techniques for Adobe Commerce

These optimizations reduce Adobe Commerce page load time without compromising visual quality. Customers never notice smaller files. They absolutely notice faster pages. Using tools like TinyPNG or ImageOptim makes compression easy. Set up a workflow where images get optimized before upload. This prevents bloat from accumulating and reduces server response time.

Use a CDN for Faster Global Delivery

Content Delivery Networks (CDN) distribute static assets across geographically distributed servers. Users receive content from the nearest location, significantly reducing latency. For Adobe Commerce stores serving international customers, a CDN is essential. A shopper in Asia should not wait for assets to load from a server location in North America.

Here are some commonly used CDN options:

• Fastly as an Adobe recommended partner
• Cloudflare for ease of use and cost efficiency
• Akamai for enterprise level traffic handling
• Amazon CloudFront for AWS based infrastructure

Basically, CDNs cache product images, CSS, JavaScript, and fonts. This offloads traffic from the origin server and allows it to focus on dynamic requests. For global stores, CDN usage is not optional. It is a performance requirement.

Why Brands Choose Codilar for Adobe Commerce Optimization

❝

We optimized Aldo’s entire Adobe Commerce stack to ensure high-speed performance across storefronts without compromising scalability or brand experience.❞

Venugopal C | Solution Architect

9+ Years of Experience

Codilar provides specialized Adobe Commerce speed optimization services focused on long-term performance improvements rather than surface level fixes. From server setup and caching strategies to frontend tuning and backend optimization, Codilar helps brands:

• Improve Adobe Commerce performance
• Maintain consistent site speed
• Deliver reliable user experiences