Theme speed & performance
Akira is built with performance as a default, not an afterthought. This page covers what the theme does for you automatically, and what's actually worth your attention if your store feels slow.
What Akira does automatically
- Lazy-loaded, responsive images – images load only as they're about to enter the viewport, and the browser is served an appropriately sized version rather than one oversized file for every screen.
- Split JavaScript – code is broken up so a page only loads the JavaScript it actually needs. A page with no product form doesn't load the product form's code.
- Reduced-motion support – animations respect the visitor's operating system preference for reduced motion, so customers who've turned that setting on get a calmer, less animated experience.
What actually slows most stores down
In practice, the biggest speed cost on most Shopify stores isn't the theme, it's oversized uploaded images and too many apps injecting extra scripts. Both are within your control:
| Cause | What to do |
|---|---|
| Oversized images | Resize and compress images before uploading rather than relying on the browser to shrink a huge file. See the Image sizing guide. |
| Unused apps | Periodically review installed apps and remove ones you're no longer using. Every active app can add its own scripts to every page, whether you're using it or not. |
Tip: Before adding a new app, check whether it needs to run on every page or just one. Some apps let you limit where their script loads, which is worth doing if the option is available.