App Speed Report · Updated February 2026

Does LayoutHub Slow Down Your Shopify Store?

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

LayoutHub Speed Impact Summary

Speed Impact Level High Impact

Scripts Loaded

260KB

Total Script Size

250-450ms

Avg. Load Time Impact

App Name

LayoutHub

How LayoutHub Affects Your Store Speed

LayoutHub is a page builder with pre-designed templates. Like other page builders, it loads its own rendering engine and element scripts on published pages.

When a visitor lands on your store, LayoutHub loads 4 JavaScript files totaling approximately 260KB. 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 250-450ms 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 LayoutHub adds 250-450ms to your page load, that's a measurable impact on your bottom line.

As a high-impact app, LayoutHub 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

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

• Core functionality script — The main JavaScript bundle that powers LayoutHub's features on your pages
• Tracking/analytics script — Monitors user interactions and behavior for LayoutHub'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 LayoutHub's functionality isn't needed. A visitor browsing your blog doesn't need LayoutHub's full page builder scripts loading and executing.

How to Reduce LayoutHub's Speed Impact

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

Use LayoutHub for landing pages only — not for your entire store

Minimize the number of sections and elements per page

Compress all images before uploading them to LayoutHub

Remove published LayoutHub pages you no longer need

Disable animations and transition effects in LayoutHub elements

Consider native theme sections as lighter alternatives for simple page layouts

🔍 SEO impact: Reducing LayoutHub'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

LayoutHub 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 LayoutHub adds 250-450ms 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 LayoutHub), and optimizes how they all load — deferring non-essential scripts, reducing blocking time, and ensuring your critical page content loads first.

⚡ See How LayoutHub Affects Your Store

Thunder scans your installed apps — including LayoutHub — 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 LayoutHub slow down Shopify stores?

LayoutHub has a high speed impact on Shopify stores, typically adding 250-450ms to page load time. It loads 4 scripts totaling approximately 260KB. 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 LayoutHub affect my PageSpeed score?

LayoutHub typically reduces your PageSpeed Insights mobile score by 3-15 points depending on your store's baseline performance and other installed apps. The 260KB 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 LayoutHub to improve speed?

Not necessarily. LayoutHub 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 LayoutHub and still have a fast Shopify store?

Yes. Many high-performing Shopify stores use LayoutHub successfully. The key is optimization: don't load LayoutHub'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 LayoutHub's JavaScript until after your critical content has loaded. A well-optimized store with LayoutHub can still score 80+ on PageSpeed mobile.