Speculation Rules Rule, near instant page loading times!

Summary: Almost instant page loading times, with just a small code change, who doesn't want that? Thanks to the Google Chrome dev team, this can be your reality. Want to learn more? Let Barry tell you all about it!

  • by Jordy Scholing
  • Published
  • Reading time ± 2 minutes
  • Speculation Rules
Speculation Rules Rule, near instant page loading times!

Get ready for a major website speed boost in 2024! Speculation Rules is a new feature that's already supported by WordPress and Hyvä, and it's bringing significant improvements to Time To First Byte (TTFB). This, in turn, will positively impact First Contentful Paint (FCP) and Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which are key metrics for Core Web Vitals.

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Why are Speculation Rules such a "big thing"?

Besides that fact that it will improve your Core Web Vitals it has other benefits as well:

  • No JavaScript needed: Unlike other methods, Speculation Rules don't require any JavaScript, so they won't slow down your website.
  • Easy to implement: Setting up Speculation Rules only involves a bit of JSON code and some CSS or regular expression rules.
  • Works everywhere: Even if a browser doesn't support Speculation Rules, your website won't break. It's progressively enhanced.
  • Free cache warming: Speculation Rules can pre-load resources into your CDN or FPC cache, potentially eliminating the need for separate pre-rendering services.

Implementing Speculation Rules

Integrating the Speculation Rules API into your website is a straightforward process. You simply need to add this:

Platforms and Plugins

To make the integration process even easier, several platforms and CMS providers have already developed plugins and extensions to enable Speculation Rules out of the box. WordPress, Hyvä, and Shopware are just a few examples where you can simply install a plugin and start benefiting from prerendering.

These platform-specific solutions often provide a user-friendly interface, allowing you to configure the prerendering behavior without delving into the technical details. This makes the Speculation Rules API accessible to a wide range of website owners and developers.

Limitations and considerations

While the Speculation Rules API is a powerful tool, it's important to be mindful of its limitations and potential pitfalls. For example, the API is currently only supported in Chromium-based browsers, so Safari and Firefox users may not benefit from the prerendering functionality.

Additionally, it's crucial to strike a balance between the benefits of prerendering and the potential impact on server resources. Overusing the prerendering feature can lead to increased data usage and carbon emissions, so it's important to carefully analyze your user flows and only prerender the most critical pages.

The future of Speculation Rules

The Speculation Rules API is an evolving technology, and the Chrome team is continuously working to enhance its capabilities. Future improvements may include better support for mobile devices, integration with machine learning-based predictions, and expanded cross-domain prerendering functionality.

As web performance advocates, we should keep a close eye on the development of the Speculation Rules API and explore ways to leverage this powerful tool to deliver exceptional user experiences. By optimizing our websites for instant navigation, we can create a more engaging and delightful web for all.

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