Implement Aggressive Asset Caching

How to optimize medium.com

Generic SiteScore: 63/100Analyzed March 2026Re-analyze this site

Implement Aggressive Asset Caching

Medium Impact+5 points estimated

Why It Matters

Short cache lifetimes force users to re-download 4 KiB of assets on repeat visits.

How to Fix

Set cache headers for static assets to at least 1 year (31536000 seconds). Configure your CDN to cache CSS files like unbound.css for longer periods. Use versioned filenames for cache busting instead of short TTLs to ensure updates reach users while maximizing cache efficiency.

0Needs Improvement

What This Score Means

A score of 63 falls in the "Needs Improvement" range (50-89). While it is better than poor (0-49), you should aim for 90+ to provide an optimal user experience and maximize SEO benefits.

This site is slower than approximately 35% of similar sites. The main issues affecting performance are image optimization, JavaScript execution time, and layout stability.

Addressing these issues could improve your conversion rate by 15-20% and boost your search engine rankings.

Core Web Vitals Analysis

LCP

Largest Contentful Paint

4.2s
Poor

Good: < 2.5s

Measures how long it takes for the main content to appear on screen

INP

Interaction to Next Paint

412ms
Needs Improvement

Good: < 200ms

Measures how quickly the page responds to user interactions

CLS

Cumulative Layout Shift

0.00
Good

Good: < 0.1

Measures visual stability - how much content shifts during page load

AI Performance Analysis

Medium.com has poor performance with a score of 63/100, primarily due to excessive JavaScript that's slowing down the site significantly. The biggest issue is unused JavaScript code (685 KB worth) that's causing a 4.2-second delay in loading the main content and making the page unresponsive for over 11 seconds. The site is loading massive amounts of unnecessary code, particularly from reCAPTCHA and the main application bundle, which is blocking user interactions and creating a frustrating experience. Removing unused JavaScript, optimizing script loading, and reducing the overall code size could dramatically improve performance by cutting load times in half.

Other Optimization Recommendations

Remove Unused JavaScript Code

High Impact+25 points estimated

Why It Matters:

685 KiB of unused JavaScript delays LCP by 1.8 seconds and blocks user interactions.

How to Fix:

Remove or defer the unnecessary reCAPTCHA script that's loaded on every page but only needed on forms. Split your main JavaScript bundle using code splitting to load only required functionality. Use dynamic imports for non-critical features to reduce initial bundle size.

Optimize JavaScript Execution Performance

High Impact+20 points estimated

Why It Matters:

2.6 seconds of main-thread work creates 1,070ms of blocking time, preventing user interactions.

How to Fix:

Break up long-running JavaScript tasks by using setTimeout or requestIdleCallback to yield control back to the browser. Optimize the reCAPTCHA and main.js execution by loading them asynchronously. Consider using a web worker for heavy computations to keep the main thread responsive.

Keep Your Site Fast After Optimization

Once your site is optimized, maintain that speed. Use DeployHQ for zero-downtime, automated deployments—so performance fixes and updates go live safely every time, without breaking your site.

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