Avada is one of the heavier WordPress themes in terms of page weight. A default Avada site loads significantly more CSS and JavaScript than a lightweight theme and page builder combination. This is a known tradeoff with all-in-one themes. Here is how to reduce the impact.
Avada Performance Options Panel
Go to Avada, then Performance Options. This is the first place to look. Key settings:
- CSS Combining: Merges multiple CSS files into fewer requests. Enable this.
- JS Combining: Merges multiple JS files. Enable this, but test thoroughly — JS combining can break plugins that expect their scripts loaded individually.
- Lazy Loading: Delays loading of off-screen images. Enable for images and iframes.
- Defer JavaScript: Delays non-critical JS until after page render. Enable, but exclude any scripts that are needed immediately (usually nav and slider scripts).
- Async JavaScript: Loads JS without blocking rendering. Use with caution — can conflict with scripts that depend on execution order.
Removing Unused Avada CSS
Avada generates CSS for every element type, every shortcode, and every layout option — regardless of whether your pages use them. Avada does not natively support loading only the CSS used on the current page. To address this:
- Use a plugin like Asset CleanUp to identify and remove Avada CSS files that are not needed on specific page types.
- Enable Avada’s Critical CSS option if available in your version — this generates above-the-fold CSS and defers the rest.
Font Awesome and Icon Library Loading
Avada loads Font Awesome by default. Font Awesome is a large icon font. If your site uses only a handful of icons, this is significant unnecessary weight. In Avada, go to Theme Options, then Icons and disable icon sets you do not use. If you use Elementor alongside Avada, both may be loading Font Awesome separately — resolve this by disabling Font Awesome in one of them.
Avada Slider and Animation Performance
Avada bundles Slider Revolution or LayerSlider in many configurations. These are among the heaviest slider scripts in the WordPress ecosystem. If you are not using a slider, deactivate the slider plugin entirely. If you are using it only on the homepage, use Asset CleanUp or a similar tool to prevent slider scripts from loading on every page.
Avada’s own animation effects (fade-in, slide-up on scroll) add IntersectionObserver JavaScript. Disable animations sitewide under Avada, then Theme Options, then Animations if your site does not require them.
Caching Avada Sites With WP Rocket
WP Rocket works with Avada. In WP Rocket, enable page caching and configure cache exclusions for any pages with dynamic content (cart, checkout, account). Use WP Rocket’s minification for CSS and JS rather than Avada’s built-in combining if you find conflicts — avoid running both simultaneously. Enable WP Rocket lazy loading for images and iframes, and disable Avada’s lazy loading to avoid duplication.
Testing Performance Changes
After each change, test with PageSpeed Insights and WebPageTest before moving to the next setting. Avada has many interdependencies — a JS combining setting that improves one score can break functionality tested on a different page. Always test homepage, a standard page, and a shop or product page if you use WooCommerce.
For deep Avada performance work beyond the settings panel, a WordPress developer can audit specific bottlenecks and implement custom optimisation at the server and code level.