In our previous Shopify Theme Basics post, we dug into everything you need to know about store speed. Today, we’re looking specifically at Shopify’s speed tool. Let’s dive in!

What is Shopify’s store speed tool?

Shopify’s Web Performance reports measure how real visitors experience your store, and provides actionable insights to help you improve your site’s speed and performance.

The dashboard tracks three key metrics: loading speed (LCP), stability (INP), and interactivity (CLS). Together these metrics are called Core Web Vitals, because they play a crucial role in how customers experience and interact with your site.

Shopify also ranks your store’s performance over time—labelling it either ‘good’, ‘moderate’, or ‘poor’—and gives detailed reports for each metric, so you can know not only when there’s room for improvement but what you can improve.

Why is it a good tool to use?

The Web Performance reports launched at the start of 2024, replacing the older Speed Score tool with a much more accurate and comprehensive system.

While there are many tools available to test site speed, Shopify's dashboard is specifically designed for online stores.

Here’s just a few reasons why Shopify’s dashboard stands out:

It shows trends, not just snapshots. Most speed tests give a one-time score, but scores fluctuate for many reasons. A single data point may tell you less about your store’s performance than factors that are out of your control, like temporary server issues or visitors with slow internet. Shopify calculates a rolling average of the past month to weed out anomalies and provide a fuller picture of your store’s performance.

It uses real user data. Ordinary speed tests merely simulate the ‘mobile experience’ by having a bot crawl your site. Shopify collects performance data based on your visitors' interaction with your site, including the devices they use.

It tracks changes to your store. Shopify flags updates that may affect performance, so you can clearly see whether a drop or improvement in performance followed a specific change—like installing an app or publishing a new theme.

It aligns with Google’s SEO criteria. Despite what you’ve heard, your speed score doesn’t determine search ranking. Google uses Core Web Vitals to rank similar sites—and that’s exactly what Shopify’s dashboard tracks.

How do I use it?

Shopify begins tracking web performance automatically, so there’s no setup required. Once there’s enough data from your live store, you’ll see the Web Performance overview on the themes page in the admin.

To find your store's performance reports, click any of the performance metrics: LCP (Loading speed), INP (Interactivity), or Cumulative Layout Shift. Each metric has a detailed report that includes:

• A chart showing average scores over time

• A chart showing score breakdowns for real user visits

The first chart flags changes that may affect performance with a dotted gray line. Hover over the top circle to view what changed. This can help explain shifts in your score. If scores drop to “poor”, you may want to revisit any updates you made.

In the configuration panel, you can filter performance data by device type or a specific time range. You can also toggle between weekly and monthly views, which is useful if your store gets fewer than 20 visitors per day.

Check out Shopify’s Web Performance guide to learn how to filter and customize your reports for your needs.

What do the results mean?

As mentioned, Shopify tracks three metrics: Loading Speed, Interactivity, and Stability. Here’s a quick summary of what they mean:

• Loading Speed (or LCP, largest contentful paint) measures how fast the largest element on the page loads. A good to moderate score is between 2500 and 4000 milliseconds.

• Interactivity (or INT) measures how quickly your site visually responds to user interaction (e.g. clicking a button). A good to moderate score is between 200 and 500 milliseconds.

• Stability or (or CLS, cumulative layout shift) measures how much the content shifts while loading. A good to moderate score is between 0.1 and 0.25.

For more details, check out Shopify’s guide about Web Performance metrics and what they mean.

How often should I use it?

With Shopify’s ranking system, you can keep a casual eye on your performance when on your themes page of the admin. Since Shopify’s rankings are based on average scores from the past month, there’s no need to check the dashboard daily. Also, if your store is brand new, wait a month or two before diving in to make sure you’re looking at accurate data.

We recommend using the dashboard whenever:

• You or your customers notice your store loading slowly

• You see a performance rating of “poor”

• You’ve made significant changes in the past month (e.g. installed an app, changed themes)

  
  

That's everything you need to know about Shopify's Web Performance dashboard! Check out our other Shopify Theme Basics articles.

How else can we help?

At Fluorescent, we love building relationships with our customers! We’re here to support your business and help you grow.

If you are…

…already using one of our themes and need some assistance, head over to our documentation.

…looking for a speedy new theme, check out our themes Eclipse, Stiletto, and Cornerstone.

…an agency or freelancer, read about our partner program and how it can help grow your business.