This content originally appeared on Level Up Coding - Medium and was authored by Gurseerat Kaur
Reduce Initial Load Time of Angular Application (Updated for Angular v17+)
Explore various methods to use to optimize your Angular application and reduce the initial load time.
Even a tiny hiccup can drive users away — Google reports that 53% of mobile visitors abandon pages taking longer than 3s to load. Thankfully, Angular has evolved dramatically since 2020. In versions 17+, we get out-of-the-box tools to slash build times, shrink JavaScript bundles, and speed up rendering. Let’s explore the most effective strategies to optimize Angular performance.
1. Optimize Angular Builds Using ESBuild
Back in the day, we wrestled with custom Webpack configs and UglifyJS. Those days are over. The Angular CLI now uses ESBuild (and Vite under the hood) for both development and production builds.
# fast, tree-shaken production build
ng build --configuration production
No more manual bundling — just ng build and you’re off to the races.
2. Use Standalone Components & Tree-shakable Providers
Throw away the boilerplate NgModules around every feature. Standalone components are now the default, and any providers you attach are automatically tree-shaken when unused.
import { bootstrapApplication } from '@angular/platform-browser';
import { AppComponent } from './app/app.component';
bootstrapApplication(AppComponent, { providers: [] });Lean code, smaller metadata, faster startup.
3. Implement Declarative Lazy-Loading with *defer
Why split only at the router? Template-level code splitting via *defer (and the experimental #view directive) lets you lazy-load components exactly where you need them.
<button (click)="showChart = true">Load Chart</button>
<ng-container *defer="showChart; import('./chart/chart.component').then(m => m.ChartComponent)"></ng-container>
Granular loading, leaner initial bundle.
4. Leverage Angular Signals for Reactive Performance
Ditch heavy RxJS chains in templates. Angular Signals compile to simple JS getters, cutting change-detection overhead.
import { signal, computed } from '@angular/core';
const count = signal(0);
const double = computed(() => count() * 2);With Signals fully stable in v20 ( effect , toSignal , linkedSignal ), reactivity is both powerful and lightweight.
5. Switch to Zoneless Mode & Coalesced Change Detection
Zone.js had its day. With zoneless mode, Angular lets you control change detection explicitly and coalesce multiple updates into single frames.
ng config zone-less true
ng build --configuration production
Fewer CD cycles, smoother UI.
6. Use SSR Streaming, Hydration & Incremental Hydration
Angular Universal now streams HTML to the browser as it’s rendered and patches only interactive parts (v17). By v19, we get incremental hydration and per-route render modes for granular control.
ng add @nguniversal/express-engine
npm run build:ssr && npm run serve:ssr
See content faster, hydrate smarter.
7. Configure Browserslist & Minimize Polyfills
Forget the one-size-fits-all polyfills.ts . The CLI prunes polyfills automatically based on your Browserslist. Keep it tight (e.g., last 2 Chrome/Firefox, Safari ≥ 14) and target ES2020+.
8. Optimize Images Using Angular Image Directives
Manual image plugins? No thanks. Angular’s Image Directives handle lazy-loading, responsive srcset , and inlining assets.
<img ngSrc="assets/hero.jpg" width="800" height="400" priority />
Lighter pages, faster rendering.
9. Enable Module Federation & Build Caching
- Module Federation
Dynamically load micro-frontends at runtime — keep each deploy lean. - Persistent Cache
Angular CLI caches build artifacts across runs, giving you near-instant rebuilds.
Deprecated Angular Practices to Avoid
- Custom Webpack + UglifyJS → Replaced by ESBuild-based builder
- String loadChildren → Use dynamic imports or *defer
- Explicit --aot flag → AOT is default since v9
- Manual tree-shaking via selective imports → Modern CLI handles this
Additional Angular Performance Tips
- HTTP/2 Push & CDN: Push critical assets and serve via a global CDN.
- Performance Budgets: Set limits in angular.json to avoid bloated bundles.
- Preload Strategies: Use PreloadAllModules or custom strategies for key route preloading.
- Web Vitals Monitoring: Integrate RUM tools (e.g., web-vitals) to track metrics like LCP, FID, CLS.
Final Thoughts: speed Up Angular App Load Time for Better UX
Angular v17+ transforms how we build, bundle, and render apps. by combining ESBuild, standalone components, Signals, zoneless mode, SSR streaming, and modern defaults — plus micro-optimizations like Module Federation — you’ll deliver ultra-fast initial loads every time.
Whether you’re building an eCommerce platform, SaaS dashboard, or PWA, these optimizations will enhance performance and user satisfaction.
Other Posts by Us
- Javascript features that every Web Developer should know
- Developer’s guide to Unit Testing in Angular — Part 1
Reduce Initial Load Time of Angular Application was originally published in Level Up Coding on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
This content originally appeared on Level Up Coding - Medium and was authored by Gurseerat Kaur
Gurseerat Kaur | Sciencx (2025-07-14T01:29:44+00:00) Reduce Initial Load Time of Angular Application. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/07/14/reduce-initial-load-time-of-angular-application/
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