Bricks Builder Speed Optimisation: Build Lightning-Fast WordPress Sites

Bricks Builder promises fast, flexible WordPress websites. But without proper optimisation, even the cleanest builder can slow your site down. Here's how to squeeze every millisecond of performance from your Bricks builds.

What Makes Bricks Builder Different

Unlike Elementor or other page builders, Bricks generates clean HTML and CSS without bloated shortcodes. It loads minimal JavaScript and gives you granular control over what gets loaded where.

This foundation makes Bricks inherently faster. But you still need to optimise it properly.

1. Configure Bricks Performance Settings

Start with Bricks' built-in performance features:

Dashboard > Bricks > Settings > Performance

• Enable "Inline critical CSS"
• Turn on "Minify CSS"
• Enable "Generate CSS in external files"
• Disable "Load CSS print media files"

Pro Tip: The external CSS files option is crucial. It allows your CSS to be cached by browsers instead of loading inline every time.

2. Optimise Your Global Styles

Bricks' global styles system prevents CSS duplication across pages.

Set up a consistent design system:

1. Go to Bricks > Global Classes
2. Create reusable classes for common elements (buttons, headings, cards)
3. Use CSS custom properties for colours and spacing
4. Avoid inline styles wherever possible

This approach generates cleaner, more cacheable CSS. Your visitors download the styles once, then reuse them across your entire site.

3. Master Conditional Loading

Bricks lets you control exactly when assets load. This is where it beats other builders.

For element-specific CSS:

1. Select any element in the Bricks editor
2. Go to Advanced > Custom CSS
3. Use the "Load only when element is present" option

For custom JavaScript:

1. Navigate to Bricks > Code
2. Add your scripts with conditional loading
3. Set them to load only on specific pages or when certain elements exist

4. Leverage Dynamic Data Efficiently

Dynamic content can slow things down if not handled properly.

Query Loop Optimisation:

• Limit post queries to what you actually need
• Use pagination instead of loading everything at once
• Cache database queries where possible
• Avoid nested loops

Meta Field Tips:

• Only load the meta fields you're displaying
• Use ACF's local JSON for faster field loading
• Consider using transients for expensive queries

5. Optimise Images in Bricks

Images are usually your biggest performance bottleneck.

Built-in Image Optimisation:

1. Always set explicit width and height attributes
2. Use the "Lazy load" option on images below the fold
3. Choose WebP format when browsers support it
4. Implement proper responsive image sizes

Pro Tip: Bricks generates proper srcset attributes automatically, but only if you set up your image sizes correctly in WordPress.

6. Reduce HTTP Requests

Every element in Bricks can potentially add HTTP requests.

Icon Strategy:

• Use icon fonts or SVGs instead of image icons
• Bundle multiple SVGs into a sprite when possible
• Consider using CSS-only icons for simple shapes

Font Loading:

• Limit yourself to 2-3 font families maximum
• Use font-display: swap for better perceived performance
• Preload critical fonts in your theme

7. Implement Critical CSS Loading

Bricks can inline critical CSS, but you need to configure it properly.

Steps to optimise critical CSS:

1. Enable "Inline critical CSS" in Bricks settings
2. Test your pages with PageSpeed Insights
3. Adjust what counts as "above the fold" content
4. Fine-tune for your most important pages

8. Database Query Optimisation

Heavy database queries can kill your page speed, especially with dynamic content.

Query Performance Tips:

• Use WP_Query arguments efficiently
• Implement proper caching for repeated queries
• Avoid queries inside loops
• Use get_posts() for simple post retrieval

Pro Tip: Install Query Monitor plugin to identify slow database queries in your Bricks templates.

9. Choose the Right Hosting

Your hosting setup affects Bricks performance dramatically.

Essential hosting features:

• PHP 8.1 or higher
• Object caching (Redis or Memcached)
• CDN integration
• Regular server-level caching

If you need reliable WordPress hosting optimised for builders like Bricks, we can help you choose the right setup.

10. Test and Monitor Performance

Regular testing catches performance regressions early.

Essential testing tools:

• Google PageSpeed Insights for Core Web Vitals
• GTmetrix for detailed waterfall analysis
• WebPageTest for real-world testing conditions

What to monitor:

• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) under 2.5s
• First Input Delay (FID) under 100ms
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) under 0.1

Use our free website audit tool to get an instant performance overview.

Common Bricks Performance Mistakes

Avoid these speed killers:

• Loading unnecessary CSS frameworks
• Using too many custom fonts
• Implementing heavy animations on mobile
• Ignoring image optimisation
• Not setting up proper caching

Advanced Performance Techniques

For power users:

• Implement service workers for offline caching
• Use intersection observer for advanced lazy loading
• Implement resource hints (prefetch, preload, preconnect)
• Optimise your CSS delivery with media queries

Measuring Success

Track these key metrics to measure your optimisation success:

• Page load time reduction
• Core Web Vitals scores
• Bounce rate improvements
• User engagement metrics

Keep Learning

Bricks Builder evolves rapidly. New performance features appear regularly. Stay updated with the official documentation and community forums.

Need help optimising your Bricks Builder site? Our team specialises in WordPress performance optimisation and can help you achieve lightning-fast load times.

Remember, fast websites don't just improve user experience. They rank better in search results, convert more visitors, and cost less to host. Every millisecond counts.