Smart Hints make code-free performance simple

Fetch Priorities automatic using the power of Cloudflare’s network. Almost a year ago we launched Early Hints. Early Hints are a method that allows web servers to asynchronously send instructions to the browser whilst the web server is getting the full response ready. This gives proactive suggestions to the browser on how to load the webpage faster for the visitor rather than idly waiting to receive the full webpage response.

In initial lab experiments, we observed page load improvements exceeding 30%. Since then, we have sent about two-trillion hints on behalf of over 150,000 websites using the product.

In order to effectively use Early Hints on a website, HTTP link headers or HTML link elements must be configured to specify which assets should be preloaded or which third-party servers should be preconnected. Making these decisions requires understanding how your website interacts with browsers, and identifying render-blocking assets to hint on without implementing prioritization strategies that saturate network bandwidth on non-critical assets (i.e. you can’t just Early Hint everything and expect good results).

For users who possess this knowledge and can configure Early Hints at the origin (or via a Worker), it works seamlessly. However, for users who lack access to their origin server (e.g. SaaS platforms), or are unsure about the optimal assets to preload/prioritize, or simply prefer to focus on building their own application, the question arises: "As an intermediary server, shouldn't Cloudflare know the best way to prioritize my website for performance?"

The answer is yes, which is why we’re excited to start talking about how Smart Hints will determine the best priority for web assets without developers needing to configure anything. If you’re interested in helping us beta test this feature, you can sign up here and we will contact you with further instructions on helping us test Smart Hints later this year.

Background

When you visit a webpage, your browser is actually requesting numerous individual resources from the server. These resources include everything from visible elements like images, text, and videos, to the behind-the-scenes logic (JavaScript, etc.) that powers the website analytics, functionality, and more. The order in which these resources are loaded by the browser plays a crucial role in determining how quickly users can view and interact with the page.

Prioritization Tools

How are we going to prioritize assets?

How can I help Cloudflare do this?

Conclusion

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