Whilst editing a new site we were working on, we had converted to the Elementor Pro Flexbox system as it seemed to be getting a lot of hype.
Elementor’s new container system replaces the older sections, columns, and inner sections, offering a more efficient and flexible way to design webpages.
- Containers hold elements like widgets and other containers, with two main types: Grid containers (symmetrical layouts) and Flexbox containers (asymmetrical layouts).
- Containers improve web page performance by reducing the DOM size, offer greater design freedom through nesting and alignment control, and allow for flexible element reordering for different screen sizes.
- Additionally, containers enhance workflow by enabling the reuse of design elements as templates.
On first use it really opened up the potential of what we could do with Elementor Pro, however then we started to notice the speed as it was taking a lot more resources and slowing down the loading of changes inside the Elementor editor itself – which was painful.
So we asked ChatGPT all about this and the end result of our searching was this:
Flexbox, while a powerful layout tool for web design, can sometimes slow down Elementor for several reasons:
1. Increased Complexity in Layout Calculation:
- Reason: Flexbox layouts require the browser to perform more complex calculations to determine how elements should be sized, positioned, and aligned. When you use Flexbox extensively within Elementor, especially for dynamic layouts, the browser must continuously recalculate these positions, which can add to the rendering time.
- Impact: This can cause Elementor to feel slower, especially in the editor mode, where changes are reflected in real-time.
2. Rendering Overhead:
- Reason: Elementor is a visual page builder, and it needs to render both the backend (what you see in the editor) and the frontend (what your visitors see). Flexbox’s flexibility means there are more possible rendering states, which can increase the processing load on the browser.
- Impact: This additional rendering overhead can make the editing experience less responsive.
3. DOM Size and Complexity:
- Reason: Flexbox often leads to a more complex Document Object Model (DOM) structure, as it may involve nested containers and additional wrapper elements. A larger DOM size can slow down the browser’s ability to manipulate and render elements, which, in turn, affects Elementor’s performance.
- Impact: The editor may take longer to load and respond, particularly on pages with many Flexbox-based elements.
4. CSS and JavaScript Processing:
- Reason: Elementor generates CSS and JavaScript dynamically for the layouts you create. When using Flexbox, the CSS required can become more complex, and the JavaScript needed to handle responsive adjustments can increase in size and complexity.
- Impact: This can lead to slower page loads in the editor as the browser processes these files, and it can also affect the frontend if the code is not optimized.
5. Browser Compatibility:
- Reason: Although modern browsers support Flexbox, they may handle it differently, leading to potential performance discrepancies. Elementor must ensure compatibility across different browsers, adding extra layers of code to manage these differences.
- Impact: This can result in slower performance, particularly if your design relies heavily on Flexbox features that may not be consistently optimized across all browsers.
6. Live Editing Load:
- Reason: When editing a page live in Elementor, every change triggers a re-render of the elements involved. Flexbox-based layouts can add to the load because of the recalculations and reflows required to adjust the layout.
- Impact: This can make the editing process feel sluggish, especially when working with complex layouts or on less powerful hardware.
Optimizing Flexbox Usage in Elementor
- Use Flexbox Judiciously: Only apply Flexbox where necessary. For simple layouts, consider using other layout options like grids or traditional block elements.
- Minimize Nested Flex Containers: Avoid excessive nesting of Flexbox containers, as this can significantly increase the complexity of the DOM.
- Optimize CSS and JavaScript: Ensure that any custom CSS or JavaScript used in conjunction with Flexbox is optimized to reduce processing overhead.
- Test Across Browsers: Test your Elementor pages across different browsers to identify any performance issues that might be browser-specific.
By understanding and managing these factors, you can minimize the performance impact of using Flexbox within Elementor and maintain a smoother editing experience.
