Performance fix guide
Missing Preload for Critical Asset
Critical resources (LCP image, key fonts, hero CSS) are not preloaded, causing them to be discovered late in the loading waterfall.
Issue ID: CWV-PRELOAD-001
Severity: moderate
Impact: Med
Effort: S
Use this article when
- You need deeper remediation guidance than the issue card can show.
- You want CMS-specific steps before handing the fix to a developer.
- You want a repeatable re-check path after shipping the change.
What this issue is
Critical resources (LCP image, key fonts, hero CSS) are not preloaded, causing them to be discovered late in the loading waterfall.
Why it matters
Critical resources (LCP image, key fonts, hero CSS) are not preloaded, causing them to be discovered late in the loading waterfall. This affects load speed, Core Web Vitals, and how many visitors stay long enough to convert.
How we detect it
- FreeSiteAudit flags this issue when the rule for CWV-PRELOAD-001 fails and the page evidence points to Performance tool.
- You can usually confirm this by checking the page source or the relevant page settings inside your CMS.
Evidence examples
Check the affected page source, rendered output, or relevant CMS setting to confirm the missing or incorrect element.
How to fix it
- 1Add <link rel="preload"> for the LCP image and critical fonts
- 2Use as="image" for images, as="font" for fonts with crossorigin
- 3Limit preloads to 2-3 truly critical resources
How to re-check it
- Check Network waterfall and confirm critical assets load early
Related tools
This issue is best verified with the full FreeSiteAudit crawl rather than a single-point mini tool.