A slow PrestaShop store loses sales with every second, and its rankings suffer. Slowness nearly always has identifiable causes.
Measure first
Check Core Web Vitals, then test home, category, product and cart pages. Separate a slow server from a heavy page.
The levers
- Modules: the first cause — remove unused ones, measure the rest
- Configuration: debug off, Smarty cache on, CSS/JS combining (test it), OPcache
- Database: purge stats and cart tables, add indexes, fix slow queries
- Images: WebP/AVIF, right sizes, lazy loading
- Theme: lighter or custom if needed
- Hosting and version: recent PHP and PrestaShop, CDN — see migrating to PrestaShop 9
A fast store does not have more optimisations — it has less to load.
Slow PrestaShop: FAQ
Why is my store slow?
Usually too many modules, a heavy theme, a cluttered database or weak hosting.
Is a cache module enough?
It helps public pages but does not fix slow queries, cart and checkout, or page weight.
Get your store audited
Our PrestaShop agency in Paris runs performance audits measured on Core Web Vitals. Request an audit.