SVG optimization is the process of reducing file size and improving rendering performance of Scalable Vector Graphics, all without compromising visual quality. When done right, optimized SVGs load faster, use less bandwidth, and contribute to better Core Web Vitals scores.
Why does this matter? Because page speed is a confirmed Google ranking signal. Every extra kilobyte of unoptimized SVG code increases load time, especially on mobile networks where bandwidth is limited. A single animated SVG might seem lightweight on its own, but stack a few unoptimized ones on the same page, and the performance drag becomes very real.
Let’s break down exactly what you need to do to optimize your SVG animations and static SVG files for peak web performance.
Table Of Contents
How To Optimize SVG Animations To Improve Your Page Speed Score
What Is PageSpeed Score And Why Is It Important?
How To Improve Your Google PageSpeed Score With Optimized SVGs
How To Optimize SVG Files Before Animating
How To Optimize The Loading Time Of SVG Animations
How To Optimize The SVG Animation Player
How To Optimize The SVG Animation Start
How To Optimize Exported SVG Files
How To Use Gzip To Reduce SVG File Size
How To Lazy Load Your SVG Animations
What Is PageSpeed Score And Why Is It Important?
Google provides webmasters with a PageSpeed Insights tool to measure and improve page speed. It analyses your page load speed and offers tips on how to optimize it, from basic changes to more complex improvements. You can also use Google’s Lighthouse Page Speed tool to measure page quality in real time.
Fast load time is especially crucial for shopping websites. Zeropark’s research on consumer trends suggests that it takes precisely 2.6 seconds for a consumer to decide upon their purchase. A slow website experience may cost you a potential customer.
If you have a good page speed score, your page loads fast and provides a good user experience. Google considers fast pages more valuable and may rank them higher. That’s why it’s vital to measure your PageSpeed consistently and keep up with the latest SEO trends or use technical SEO services to improve your rankings.
How To Improve Your Google PageSpeed Score With Optimized SVGs
Below, you’ll find seven practical ways to optimize your SVG animations and improve your page speed score.
1. How To Optimize SVG Files Before Animating
Optimizing your SVG starts before you animate it. SVGO is an open-source tool that can optimize SVG files by removing unnecessary code. It also has a visual interface (SVGOMG) where you can upload your SVG, toggle optimization options, and preview the results in real time. Beware that some options might change the SVG and lead to undesired results.
There is also an export plugin for Illustrator based on SVGO.
If you use Illustrator to create the SVGs you animate, take advantage of these features to reduce file size:
- Use a simplified path to draw your illustration. Avoid setting your Pencil or Brush tools to Accurate since this creates more nodes than necessary and increases file size.
- Use a Path to create a dotted line rather than a series of individual circles.
- Avoid using textured brushes, as they can seriously increase your file size.
2. How To Optimize The Loading Time Of SVG Animations
Multiple SVG animations on a page can slow down First Contentful Paint (FCP) because the browser needs to evaluate all JavaScript before rendering.
An animated SVG contains JavaScript inside the file. Complex animations mean complex JavaScript, which makes the browser do more work before it can display the first render.
You can optimize this by not loading the JavaScript from SVGs until the page is fully loaded. To do this, extract the script tags from inside the SVG, place the JavaScript in an external file, and set it to load when a specific event triggers. This improves load time and makes the page more responsive.
3. How To Optimize The SVG Animation Player
The animation player is the JavaScript that runs the SVG animation. Until recently, the player was always embedded inside the SVG file. Now, SVGator offers the option to load the player from a CDN instead.
The player is stored on CloudFront and cached on AWS edge locations globally. When a user accesses your page, the player downloads from the closest server, which reduces load time. The browser also caches it for further requests.
You can enable this by selecting the external player export option in SVGator.
When multiple SVGs use the external player, it is downloaded only once and used by all animations. This is much faster than embedding the player in every SVG file.
4. How To Optimize The SVG Animation Start
Starting SVG animations on scroll reduces CPU usage. SVG animations are small compared to GIFs or videos, but when you have many of them, they can use more CPU than expected and make navigation laggy.
Browsers use a single thread for each tab and don’t take advantage of other CPU cores. With start on scroll, your animations will not play until a portion of the SVG is visible. This is customisable. You can set the percentage of the viewable SVG at which the animation starts.
5. How To Optimize Exported SVG Files
For simple animations that start on hover or on load, the CSS export option is a good choice. CSS animations use the GPU for rendering, which makes them faster and more efficient. You can use them in CSS background property, img, and object tags. In these tags, the SVG will animate only on load.
The downside of CSS animations is that not all animations are supported in all browsers, and they have fewer interactivity options. Check the supported options on our help page.
The most common SVG elements are Paths. These are made of points connected with a line. More points create a smoother line but also increase file size and CPU usage. Sometimes a path can have far more points than necessary, making the SVG heavier than it needs to be.
SVGOMG can help reduce the size of your exported SVG. We’ve managed to reduce SVG file size by about 30% with this tool, though results vary depending on how well-formed the SVG already is. This step is mostly recommended before animating, but it can sometimes work after export too. While most SVGOMG options break animations, some are useful depending on the animators and elements you used.
6. How To Use Gzip To Reduce SVG File Size
SVGs exported from SVGator are already minified. You can reduce their size even further by enabling gzip compression on your web server.
To enable gzip, configure your server to add the Content-Encoding: gzip header for SVG files. The setup varies depending on your server, but the key step is ensuring your deployment process compresses assets as gzip. Here’s a guide on how to do it.
7. How To Lazy Load Your SVG Animations
Lazy loading improves page speed by loading SVGs only after the page has fully loaded. The implementation depends on your framework and programming language.
One approach: place the SVG in an object element using a custom attribute like data-object instead of data. After the page loads, change data-object to data and the SVG loads on demand. You can trigger this on scroll or on another user event.
Make sure to set the width and height of the object element to match the SVG dimensions. This way, the browser reserves the correct space for the SVG and prevents content from shifting when it renders.
Final Thoughts
Page speed matters for both Google rankings and your website’s visitors. Optimizing your SVG animations improves your PageSpeed score, provides a smoother user experience, and increases your chances of ranking higher.
With SVGator, you can take advantage of built-in optimization features like the external CDN player, CSS export, start on scroll, and minified SVG output to keep your animations fast and lightweight. Start optimizing your SVG animations today and let your works of art load faster from any device!
FAQ
Do SVG animations slow down your website?
SVG animations can slow down your website if they are not optimized. Each animated SVG contains JavaScript that the browser must evaluate before rendering the page. Multiple unoptimized SVG animations increase CPU usage and delay First Contentful Paint (FCP). You can reduce this impact by deferring animation JavaScript, using an external CDN player, and starting animations on scroll.
How does start on scroll optimize SVG animation performance?
Start on scroll prevents SVG animations from playing until a portion of the SVG is visible in the viewport. This reduces CPU usage because browsers use a single thread per tab and cannot distribute animation work across multiple cores. You can set the percentage of the viewable SVG at which the animation begins, so animations only run when the user can actually see them.
Does SVG file size affect page speed score?
Yes. Larger SVG files take longer to download and parse, which increases page load time and lowers your PageSpeed score. You can reduce SVG file size by removing excess path nodes, stripping metadata, minifying the code, and enabling gzip compression on your server. SVGs exported from SVGator are already minified, but gzip can reduce their transfer size even further.
