Content delivery networks for ecommerce: how a CDN speeds up your store
A content delivery network serves your pages and files from locations near each shopper. Check whether your store uses one and how to add it.
2 min read
Area
Store discovery
Severity
Low
Fix effort
Medium
Stores failing
0%
Of 35 stores we scanned where this check applies, 0% fail it and 80% pass. See all benchmarks.
A content delivery network, or CDN, keeps copies of your pages and files on servers around the world and serves each visitor from a nearby one. Distance adds delay, so a CDN cuts load time for shoppers far from your host. Hosted platforms include one; self-hosted stores often need to add it.
Why it matters
A shopper in Sydney loading a store hosted in Virginia pays for every mile of that trip on each request. A CDN shortens it. The benefit grows with the share of your customers who live far from the server.
What the audit looks at
The audit looks for signs that your pages and files are served through a content delivery network.
What usually causes it
- A self-hosted store on a single server with no CDN
- A CDN set up for images only and not for pages
- Assets served from the origin because a plugin bypasses the CDN
- A CDN that is configured but not caching dynamic pages
How to fix it
Serve the store through a content delivery network so pages load quickly everywhere. The effort is medium, a theme or template edit that takes an afternoon.
- Put a CDN (Cloudflare, Fastly, CloudFront) in front of the store and cache static files at the edge.
On Shopify
- Shopify already runs on its own CDN, so this is usually a false alarm for a custom domain behind Shopify; nothing to change.
On WooCommerce
- Turn on Cloudflare (free plan is enough) or your host's CDN, and connect it in your caching plugin.
How to check it yourself
- Open DevTools Network, click the main request and look in the response headers for cdn, cf-cache-status or similar.
- Test your site speed from two locations far apart.
- Ask your host or developer which provider is in use.
Frequently asked questions
Does Shopify include a CDN?
Yes. Shopify serves pages and assets through its own global network.
Is a CDN worth it for a local store?
If nearly all customers are near your server, the gain is small. For a national or international audience it is usually worth it.
Related checks
Check your own store
See whether your store passes this check
Paste your store URL. The audit loads your pages in a real browser and shows the result for this check with the evidence behind it.