App Speed Report · Updated February 2026

Does GemPages Slow Down Your Shopify Store?

Speed impact analysis of GemPages (Page Builder) — how much it affects your page load time, what scripts it loads, and how to mitigate the performance cost.

GemPages Speed Impact Summary

Speed Impact Level High Impact

Scripts Loaded

330KB

Total Script Size

300-550ms

Avg. Load Time Impact

App Name

GemPages

How GemPages Affects Your Store Speed

GemPages is a feature-rich page builder with templates, animations, and interactive elements. Its extensive element library loads significant JavaScript on built pages.

When a visitor lands on your store, GemPages loads 5 JavaScript files totaling approximately 330KB. These scripts need to be downloaded, parsed, and executed by the browser — all of which takes time and competes with your core page content for network bandwidth and CPU resources.

The measured impact is 300-550ms of additional page load time. To put that in perspective: Google research shows that each additional 100ms of load time reduces conversion rates by up to 7%. If GemPages adds 300-550ms to your page load, that's a measurable impact on your bottom line.

As a high-impact app, GemPages is likely one of the top speed offenders on your store. This doesn't mean you should uninstall it — page builder functionality is important — but you should prioritize optimizing how it loads.

What These Scripts Do

GemPages's scripts handle its core page builder functionality on your storefront. This typically includes:

• Core functionality script — The main JavaScript bundle that powers GemPages's features on your pages
• Tracking/analytics script — Monitors user interactions and behavior for GemPages's dashboard and reporting
• UI/widget scripts — Renders visual elements like popups, widgets, or embedded components on your storefront

The problem isn't that these scripts exist — it's that they often load synchronously and on every page, even pages where GemPages's functionality isn't needed. A visitor browsing your blog doesn't need GemPages's full page builder scripts loading and executing.

How to Reduce GemPages's Speed Impact

You don't have to choose between GemPages's functionality and a fast store. Here's how to minimize its performance impact while keeping the features you need:

Use GemPages only for key landing pages — don't build your entire store with it

Disable animations and scroll effects on GemPages elements

Compress images before uploading to GemPages — the builder doesn't auto-optimize

Remove unused GemPages pages to prevent residual script loading

Limit interactive elements (tabs, accordions, sliders) per page

Use GemPages' lazy loading options for all image elements

Consider using native theme sections for simple pages instead

🔍 SEO impact: Reducing GemPages's speed impact helps your store pass Core Web Vitals — Google's official ranking signal since 2021. Better speed = higher rankings = more organic traffic.

The Bigger Picture: App Bloat on Shopify

GemPages is just one app on your store. The average Shopify store has 15-25 apps installed, and each one adds its own JavaScript and CSS to your storefront. The cumulative effect is what really kills your speed score.

Think about it: if GemPages adds 300-550ms and you have 10+ other apps each adding 100-400ms, your total third-party script overhead could be 2-5 seconds. That's the difference between a store that converts and one that loses visitors before the page even loads.

Manually optimizing each app's loading behavior is time-consuming and requires technical knowledge. You'd need to edit theme files, understand JavaScript loading patterns, and constantly monitor for regressions when apps update their scripts.

This is exactly the problem Thunder was built to solve. Thunder automatically scans every app on your store, measures each one's actual speed impact (including GemPages), and optimizes how they all load — deferring non-essential scripts, reducing blocking time, and ensuring your critical page content loads first.

⚡ See How GemPages Affects Your Store

Thunder scans your installed apps — including GemPages — and shows you exactly how much each one impacts your speed. Then it fixes them automatically.

Install Thunder Free →

Free plan available · Scans all your apps · No code changes required

Frequently Asked Questions

Does GemPages slow down Shopify stores?

GemPages has a high speed impact on Shopify stores, typically adding 300-550ms to page load time. It loads 5 scripts totaling approximately 330KB. While this isn't negligible, you can mitigate the impact by deferring its scripts, limiting which pages it loads on, and using a speed optimization app like Thunder to manage its loading behavior.

How much does GemPages affect my PageSpeed score?

GemPages typically reduces your PageSpeed Insights mobile score by 3-15 points depending on your store's baseline performance and other installed apps. The 330KB of JavaScript it loads contributes to longer Time to Interactive (TTI) and potentially affects Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) if scripts block rendering. The actual impact varies — stores with fewer apps will notice it more.

Should I uninstall GemPages to improve speed?

Not necessarily. GemPages provides valuable functionality (page builder) that likely benefits your store. Instead of uninstalling, optimize how it loads: defer non-critical scripts, limit it to pages where it's needed, and use Thunder to automatically manage its loading priority. Only uninstall if you're not actively using the app or if the speed cost outweighs the business value.

Can I use GemPages and still have a fast Shopify store?

Yes. Many high-performing Shopify stores use GemPages successfully. The key is optimization: don't load GemPages's scripts on pages where they're not needed, compress your images to offset the script overhead, and use a tool like Thunder to defer GemPages's JavaScript until after your critical content has loaded. A well-optimized store with GemPages can still score 80+ on PageSpeed mobile.