Founder of Goodspeed
Framer is a powerful tool that enables designers and developers to build visually stunning, interactive websites with minimal effort. However, while Framer’s no-code capabilities are impressive, many users incorporate custom code to add advanced functionality.
If not optimised properly, these scripts can slow down your site, leading to poor load times and a frustrating user experience.
The good news? By making strategic refinements, such as reducing redundant scripts, optimising function calls, and minimising external dependencies, you can dramatically improve your site’s performance.
This guide will walk you through essential techniques for code optimisation for Framer website performance, helping you maintain a fast, responsive, and efficient website.
Reviewing Framer’s Code Injection Points
Adding custom code to a Framer website is common, but without a structured approach, it can lead to bloated and inefficient scripts. Understanding where and how your code is injected is the first step towards streamlining your website’s performance.
Identifying Custom Code Blocks
Framer provides designated areas for injecting custom code, including the “Code” panel and “Custom Code” settings. While these sections offer flexibility, adding multiple overlapping scripts can lead to unnecessary processing delays.
To avoid this, create a pre-injection checklist that includes:
Identifying the core functionalities your custom scripts need to fulfil.
Ensuring no duplicate or redundant code is injected across different pages.
Checking if the same functionality can be achieved with built-in Framer tools instead of external scripts.
For example, a startup using Framer for a marketing site may have added multiple JavaScript tracking codes across various pages, unknowingly slowing down performance. A quick audit can help eliminate redundant scripts, keeping the codebase lean.
Minimising Inline Scripts
Inline JavaScript is often used for quick fixes, but embedding too many scripts directly into your HTML can clutter the DOM, making it harder to maintain and process efficiently.
Instead of scattering inline scripts, structure your code by:
Consolidating scripts into a single external file or a well-organised code block.
Using event delegation instead of adding multiple individual event listeners.
Keeping interactive elements lightweight by ensuring JavaScript runs only when necessary.
By following this approach, you reduce render-blocking elements, resulting in faster page loads. A case study on The Nations demonstrated that optimising script execution significantly improved site speed while maintaining interactive elements.
Reducing Unnecessary Libraries & Dependencies
Many Framer users rely on external libraries for animations, utilities, or integrations. While these can add powerful features, they can also introduce unnecessary bloat, slowing down your website. Carefully reviewing and reducing dependencies is a crucial step in improving performance.
Auditing External Libraries
One of the most common performance pitfalls is importing a large JavaScript library for a small function. If you’re pulling in an entire framework just to use a few utility methods, you might be adding unnecessary load time.
Better alternatives include:
Rewriting simple functions instead of relying on heavy third-party libraries.
Checking for native Framer solutions before reaching for an external dependency.
Exploring lightweight alternatives (e.g., using date-fns instead of Moment.js for date formatting).
A great example of dependency reduction comes from the Formula Bot case study, where optimised code dependencies resulted in a 75% faster loading speed.
Conducting PageSpeed Insights tests can reveal opportunities to refine script execution, ensuring your website remains both lightweight and high-performing.
Modularising or Tree-Shaking Code
If you are using advanced code bundling techniques, ensure you only import the necessary modules instead of loading an entire library. Tree-shaking eliminates unused code, ensuring your site doesn’t load unnecessary scripts.
Steps to modularise code effectively:
Break down functions into reusable components instead of embedding everything in one large script.
Use dynamic imports to load code only when required.
Leverage Framer’s built-in components before adding custom scripts.
By reducing library weight and unused code, you’re not just optimising for speed—you’re also ensuring a cleaner, more maintainable codebase.
If you need more help with advanced integrations, read our guide on Exploring Advanced Features in Framer Templates: What You Need to Know.
A 1-second delay in page load time can lead to 7% lower conversion rates, highlighting why leaner scripts are crucial.
Best Practices for Handling Third-Party Integrations
Third-party scripts such as chat widgets, analytics tools, and marketing trackers can significantly enhance functionality on Framer websites. However, if not implemented strategically, they can increase page load times, cause render-blocking issues, and degrade the overall user experience. By optimising how and when these scripts load, you can maintain a high-performing site without sacrificing essential functionality.
A well-structured third-party integration approach ensures faster script execution, contributing to overall site optimisation without compromising Framer performance.
Script Loading Strategies
Many third-party scripts, such as Google Analytics or chatbot widgets, execute synchronously by default, meaning they block other critical resources from loading until they finish. This can cause longer Time to Interactive (TTI), impacting both performance and SEO rankings.
To mitigate this:
Use async or defer attributes when embedding scripts to prevent blocking the main content.
Load analytics scripts after the page has fully loaded to avoid delaying important visual elements.
Prioritise critical scripts (e.g., security scripts) while deferring non-essential ones (e.g., heatmaps).
Sites on Google’s first page load in 1.65 seconds on average, highlighting why prioritising non-blocking scripts is crucial for search rankings.
Lazy-Loading Third-Party Components
Many external features, such as chat widgets or social media embeds, do not need to load immediately when a visitor lands on a page. Instead, they can be set to load dynamically based on user interaction.
Best practices for lazy-loading third-party elements:
Load scripts only after a user scrolls down or spends a few seconds on the page.
Use event-based triggers (e.g., clicking on a chat icon) to delay script execution.
Reduce the number of simultaneously loaded external requests by bundling scripts where possible.
If you want to know more about adding third-party applications, check out our guide on How to Add Unique Features to Your Framer Template Without Coding.
Code Profiling & Debugging in Framer
Even after implementing script-loading optimisations, your site may still experience performance bottlenecks due to inefficient custom code. This is where code profiling and debugging come into play. By leveraging browser developer tools and performance analysis platforms, you can pinpoint slow-executing scripts and refine them for a smoother experience.
Conducting PageSpeed Insights tests as part of your code optimisation for Framer website performance can reveal critical improvements in JavaScript execution and overall efficiency.
Need a structured approach for an audit? Check out How to Conduct a Comprehensive Performance Audit on Your Framer Website.
Dev Tools & Browser Inspection
Every browser provides built-in developer tools that help profile JavaScript execution, identify memory leaks, and analyse CPU load. The most commonly used tools include:
Chrome DevTools (Performance tab): Tracks CPU usage, script execution time, and layout shifts.
Firefox Developer Tools: Similar to Chrome but offers detailed breakdowns for JavaScript execution.
Steps to identify slow scripts:
Open Chrome DevTools (F12) → Performance Tab.
Record a session while interacting with your Framer site.
Look for spikes in CPU usage or excessive script execution times.
Optimise functions causing unnecessary reflows or excessive processing.
This testimonial from GameU reflects how Goodspeed excels at quickly diagnosing performance issues: “It was great to see how fast they were able to ramp up our project and understand what we were trying to build.”
Lighthouse & PageSpeed Insights for Script Analysis
Google’s Lighthouse tool provides detailed insights into render-blocking scripts, unused JavaScript, and site speed inefficiencies. Running a PageSpeed Insights test can highlight:
Which scripts are slowing down your site.
How much JavaScript is blocking rendering.
Opportunities for removing or deferring unused code.
Maintaining Clean, Modular Code
Even after optimising script execution and reducing third-party dependencies, maintaining a clean and modular code structure is crucial for long-term Framer performance. Without structured code organisation, future updates can reintroduce performance issues, making debugging and scalability difficult. By keeping scripts organised and following best practices for version control, you ensure your Framer website remains efficient over time.
Organising Scripts by Feature
Many developers tend to scatter scripts throughout their projects, making it harder to track changes and optimise performance. A more scalable approach is to structure your scripts based on specific site features.
Best practices for script organisation:
Group related functions together—e.g., all form validation scripts in one file, all animation scripts in another.
Use modular functions instead of writing long, repetitive code blocks.
Name files descriptively (e.g., nav-animation.js, form-validation.js) to make maintenance easier.
Avoid inline scripts—keeping them separate makes debugging simpler.
For example, an e-commerce store using Framer for its landing pages improved page load times by restructuring scripts into separate modules—eliminating unnecessary inline code. By following a feature-based approach, they maintained better control over animations, forms, and navigation scripts without performance trade-offs.
Version Control & Testing
Version control is often overlooked in Framer website development, especially for projects that integrate custom code. However, tracking changes can help prevent performance regressions and allow for faster debugging when issues arise.
Running PageSpeed Insights tests before and after code changes can reveal bottlenecks affecting script execution, ensuring your speed optimisation efforts are effective.
Why version control matters for Framer performance:
Ensures older, unoptimised code doesn’t accidentally get reintroduced.
Enables rollback options if a new update causes slowdowns.
Facilitates collaboration when multiple developers are working on a project.
If you’re exporting code from Framer, consider using Git repositories to track changes systematically. Running performance tests before deployment can help catch potential issues before they impact users.
This FinTech company testimonial highlights Goodspeed’s efficiency in structured workflows: “They were great at ensuring smooth project execution and communication.”
Testing Your Code for Performance:
Use Lighthouse audits to flag scripts that slow down your site.
Profile memory usage with Chrome DevTools to spot leaks.
Perform A/B testing when rolling out new features to compare performance differences.
By incorporating structured version control and performance testing, you can prevent unnecessary code bloat and maintain long-term speed optimisation for your Framer website.
Conclusion
The key to effective code optimisation for Framer website performance is selectivity—using only what’s necessary while eliminating redundant scripts, inefficient functions, and excess dependencies.
By following these best practices:
Implement a structured script organisation to avoid performance pitfalls.
Use debugging tools like Lighthouse and PageSpeed Insights to track site optimisation progress.
Maintain structured, modular code to prevent future slowdowns and support ongoing speed optimisation efforts.
A well-optimised site leads to better user experience, improved SEO rankings, and higher conversions. Whether you’re fine-tuning an existing Framer website or building a new one, applying these strategies ensures consistent speed and efficiency.
If you’re looking to implement these strategies but need professional assistance, our team can help you streamline your Framer project for maximum speed and performance. Book a free consultation to optimise your Framer website speed or download our Framer migration checklist for further guidance.
Written By
Harish Malhi
Founder of Goodspeed
Share this article
