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---
title: Should you preload fonts for performance? | daily.dev
description: Font preloading can improve or harm web performance depending on implementation. While it eliminates layout shifts and double paints, Chrome's behavior since...
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og:title: Should you preload fonts for performance? | daily.dev
og:description: Font preloading can improve or harm web performance depending on implementation. While it eliminates layout shifts and double paints, Chrome's behavior since...
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# Should you preload fonts for performance?

**[WebCraft](https://daily.dev/sources/webcraft)** · [@mouad_dadda](https://daily.dev/mouad_dadda) · 11 upvotes · 5 comments

## Summary

Font preloading can improve or harm web performance depending on implementation. While it eliminates layout shifts and double paints, Chrome's behavior since 2023 delays First Contentful Paint until preloaded fonts arrive, with timeouts of 100ms and 1500ms to prevent excessive delays. Best practices include preloading only above-the-fold fonts, self-hosting fonts, and prioritizing text fonts over icon fonts for better user engagement.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://www.erwinhofman.com/blog/should-you-preload-fonts-for-performance>

## Community discussion

Top comments from developers on daily.dev.

**@jeanne** · 3 upvotes

> The link seems to be broke, here it is: https://www.erwinhofman.com/blog/should-you-preload-fonts-for-performance/.
>
> Well explained, I'll keep it in mind, didn't know about that.
>
> I've got a question, slightly out off the topic (maybe?). The article mentions :
> > When preloading, be sure to always include crossorigin for fonts, even when downloaded from the same hostname.
>
> Why? Is it related to the performance matter? Thank you in advance for any clarification

---

Tags: [#webdev](https://daily.dev/tags/webdev), [#google-chrome](https://daily.dev/tags/google-chrome)

[View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/heo8o54rx)

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