Lazy Loading

web performance technique

01 Definition

Lazy Loading meaning: Delaying the load of images or content until a user is about to see it.

Lazy loading defers loading of images, videos, or other resources until they are needed, usually as the user scrolls near them. This cuts initial page weight and speeds up first load. Poorly configured lazy loading can hide content from crawlers or cause layout shifts, so it needs care.

Also called

deferred loading

Why it matters

How Lazy Loading fits the work

It reduces how much a browser loads upfront, improving initial load speed and saving bandwidth, especially on image-heavy or long pages.

In context

The blog added lazy loading to images below the fold, cutting the initial page weight almost in half without harming what readers saw first.

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Practical note

Do not lazy load above-the-fold or important images, and use native loading attributes carefully, since content that never loads for crawlers may not be indexed.