M/prefetch

m/Prefetch: Prefetch Resources for Enhanced Website Performance

m/Prefetch is a tool that helps improve website performance by prefetching resources in the background before users request them. It analyzes site usage to predict which assets are likely to be needed next.

What is M/prefetch?

m/prefetch is an open-source JavaScript library that aims to improve website performance by prefetching resources before users request them. It works by analyzing user behavior and usage patterns to predict which assets (images, scripts, stylesheets, etc.) are likely to be needed next.

Here's how it works: As users navigate a website, m/prefetch running in the background observes the clicked links, mouse movements etc. to build an understanding of typical paths users take. Using this insight, it intelligently prefetches resources in idle moments when the browser would otherwise be inactive, so that assets are instantly available when users go to click on something.

The prefetching happens seamlessly in the background without any impact on the page loading times or user experience. But when users do click to the next pages, the assets are fetched from the disk cache instead of the network, making the transitions faster.

Overall, m/prefetch can lead to significant improvements in perceived website performance and loading times. The prefetching algorithms are designed to be lightweight, responsive to user actions, and avoid wasting bandwidth on resources that won't be needed. The library works well for content-heavy sites where predicting navigation patterns is easy.

M/prefetch Features

Official Links