Quick answer: To speed up an Elementor website, turn on Elementor performance features, switch to Flexbox containers, remove unused add-on packs, use one compressed WebP hero image, load fewer fonts, add page caching and delay chat and tracking scripts. Fix hosting first if the server response is slow.
“Elementor is slow, should I rebuild the site?” I get this question a lot. My honest answer is usually no. Most slow Elementor sites I open are slow because of how they were built, not because of Elementor itself.
Too many widgets inside widgets. Three add-on packs that each load their own CSS. A 4 MB background video on the homepage. Fix those and the same site often goes from red to green on mobile. I have done this on business sites, landing pages and WooCommerce stores, and the steps are almost always the same.
Here is how I speed up an Elementor website for clients, in the order I actually do it.
Table of Contents
First, find out what is slow
Do not install a speed plugin first. Open PageSpeed Insights, test your homepage and one inner page on mobile, and write down three numbers: LCP, CLS and total page size. Then look at the “Diagnostics” list. It tells you if the problem is images, scripts, fonts or the server.
If the server response time (TTFB) is over one second, no Elementor setting will save you. Fix hosting or caching first.
9 fixes to speed up an Elementor website
1. Turn on Elementor performance features
In Elementor → Settings → Features, turn on the stable performance options such as optimized DOM output, improved asset loading, improved CSS loading and lazy load for background images. Test the site after each one. On older sites one of them can break a layout, so do not switch everything on blind.
2. Use Flexbox containers instead of sections and columns
Old section, column and inner-section layouts create a lot of extra HTML. Containers do the same job with fewer wrappers. On a big page I have seen the DOM size drop by almost half after converting.
3. Remove add-on packs you barely use
Each Elementor add-on plugin loads its own CSS and JavaScript, often on every page. If you use one widget from a pack of eighty, find another way to build it and delete the pack.
4. Fix the hero section
The first screen decides your LCP. Use one compressed WebP image, not a slider, not a video. Do not lazy load this image. Lazy load everything below it.
5. Load fewer fonts
Every font weight is a separate file. Pick one font family and two or three weights. Host them locally instead of loading from Google Fonts.
6. Compress and resize images
Upload images at the size they are shown, not straight from the camera. Convert to WebP. A 3000px wide photo shown at 600px is the most common problem I find.
7. Use page caching
On LiteSpeed hosting use LiteSpeed Cache. On other hosting use a good cache plugin. Exclude cart, checkout and account pages if you run WooCommerce.
8. Delay third-party scripts
Chat widgets, Facebook Pixel, review widgets and analytics can load after the visitor scrolls or taps. This alone often fixes Total Blocking Time.
9. Clean up old plugins and the database
Deactivate and delete plugins you do not use. Remove old revisions and expired transients. A smaller admin also means faster editing in Elementor.
What a typical speed job looks like
Most Elementor jobs I take follow the same pattern. On day one I test, take notes and make a full backup. Then I remove what is not needed: unused plugins, extra add-on packs, the slider nobody clicks. Only after that do I touch settings and caching, because there is no point caching a page that is still too heavy.
The last step is the boring part that matters most. I open the site on a real mid-range Android phone on mobile data, click through the main pages, and fill in the contact form. A green score means nothing if the menu stopped working or the form does not send.
Clients are often surprised that the biggest gains come from deleting things, not from adding a new tool.
What not to do
- Do not stack two cache plugins. They fight each other.
- Do not turn on every minify and combine option at once. Change one thing, test, then the next.
- Do not judge speed only by desktop scores. Google ranks on mobile.
- Do not rebuild in a new theme before trying the fixes above.
When to rebuild instead
Sometimes the fixes are not enough. If the site uses a heavy multipurpose theme, five add-on packs and hundreds of nested sections, rebuilding the key pages with containers or a custom theme can be cheaper than patching. I wrote about that choice in ACF vs Elementor, and about the signs in my WordPress website redesign guide.
For a full walk-through with real before and after numbers, read WordPress speed optimization: from 30 to 99. And if you build in Elementor from Figma files, the setup steps in Figma to Elementor keep the site light from day one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Elementor bad for website speed?
Not by itself. Elementor adds some CSS and JavaScript, but most slow Elementor sites are slow because of add-on packs, heavy images, too many nested sections and no caching.
What PageSpeed score can an Elementor site get?
A well-built Elementor site can score 90 or higher on mobile. It needs good hosting, caching, optimized images, few fonts and delayed third-party scripts.
Do I need a paid plugin to speed up Elementor?
No. Elementor performance features, a free cache plugin like LiteSpeed Cache, WebP images and removing unused plugins fix most sites without paying for anything.
How long does it take to speed up an Elementor website?
A small business site usually takes one to two days. A large WooCommerce store or a site that needs sections converted to containers can take longer.
Elementor site still slow after trying these? Send me the link and I will tell you what is slowing it down. See my WordPress development services or hire an Elementor developer.
