Boost Your Website’s Speed with Link Prefetching
When it comes to online browsing, speed matters. Studies have consistently shown that faster load times lead to higher conversion rates. The reason is simple: users want quick access to information, and if your website can’t deliver, they’ll move on to the next best option. So, how can you reduce the chances of users abandoning your application? The answer lies in improving page load times using link prefetching.
What is Link Prefetching?
Link prefetching is a technique that involves fetching links in advance, which significantly speeds up subsequent navigations. But before we dive into the libraries that can help you achieve this, let’s take a look at the browser’s built-in method for prefetching links.
Browser-Based Prefetching
The browser has a built-in mechanism for prefetching links, which uses the <link rel="prefetch"> tag. This tag tells the browser to prefetch the specified resource in the background, storing it in the cache. When the user navigates to the prefetched page, the content is retrieved from the cache, resulting in a significantly faster load time.
Limitations of Browser-Based Prefetching
While the browser’s built-in prefetching mechanism is useful, it has its limitations. For instance, it only works with <link> tags, and there’s little room for customization and flexibility. This is where third-party libraries come in.
InstantClick: The Instant Navigation Solution
InstantClick is a JavaScript library that dramatically speeds up your website, making navigation almost instant. It works by prefetching links as soon as a user hovers over them (or touches them on mobile devices). By the time the user clicks the link, the page is already downloaded, resulting in a seamless navigation experience.
quicklink: The Lightweight Prefetching Solution
quicklink takes a different approach to prefetching links. It involves four steps:
- Checking all links currently in the viewport
- Detecting if the browser is idle
- Checking if the user is on a slow connection
- Prefetching the URLs to the links
quicklink is lightweight, weighing in at less than 1kb minified and gzipped, making it an attractive option for developers.
Guess.js: The Data-Driven Prefetching Solution
Guess.js requires a bit more setup overhead, but its data-driven approach makes it a powerful tool for prefetching links. It uses real-world data from analytics tools like Google Analytics to predict which links to prefetch, making it a highly accurate and efficient solution.
Statistics and Trends
According to recent statistics, quicklink and Guess.js are the most downloaded libraries in the last six months, with quicklink overtaking Guess.js around May this year. InstantClick has the lowest downloads on npm, possibly due to its unofficial package status.
Developer Experience
When choosing a prefetching library, there are several factors to consider, including size, ease of setup, and customization options. The table below provides a summary of the pros and cons of each library:
| Library | Size | Ease of Setup | Customization Options |
| — | — | — | — |
| InstantClick | Medium | Easy | Limited |
| quicklink | Small | Easy | Moderate |
| Guess.js | Large | Complex | High |
Getting Started with Link Prefetching
Whichever library you choose, the benefits of link prefetching are undeniable. By improving page load times, you can increase conversion rates, reduce bounce rates, and provide a better user experience. So, what are you waiting for? Get started with link prefetching today and watch your website’s speed soar!