P0Issue #76

Navigation Types

❓ What does it mean?

❓ What are Navigation Types? Navigation types describe how a user reaches a page. In web performance and SEO audits, analyzing navigation types helps identify bottlenecks in user journeys. The main navigation types are: Navigation (Normal Load) – User enters a URL, clicks a bookmark, or performs a fresh load. Reload (Refresh) – User reloads the current page (F5 or ⟳). Back/Forward – User navigates using browser’s back/forward buttons. Prerender/Soft Navigation – Page is preloaded or navigated without a full reload (SPA routing).

✅ How to Fix It

❌ Example of Poor Navigation Handling A Single Page Application (SPA) site doesn’t implement proper client-side routing. Each navigation between product pages triggers a full reload → higher TTFB and LCP on every click. SEO Impact: Search engines see inconsistent performance metrics, and users face delays.

❌ Bad Example

✅ Example of Good Navigation Handling An e-commerce SPA implements optimized client-side routing with prefetching. First load is a navigation type: normal, but subsequent product pages load via soft navigation (no reload) in milliseconds. SEO Impact: Faster user experience, reduced INP, better engagement metrics, improved rankings.

✅ Good Example

🛠 How to Optimize Navigation Types Leverage Client-Side Routing (for SPAs/Next.js/React apps) – Reduce full reloads. Prefetch & Preload Links – Anticipate user navigation to improve speed. Cache Static Resources – Ensure back/forward navigation is instant. Optimize First Navigation (Normal Load) – Use CDN, reduce RTT/TTFB. Track Navigation Types – Use browser APIs (performance.getEntriesByType("navigation")) to monitor and fix bottlenecks.

⚡ Result

📈 SEO & UX Impact Efficient navigation reduces page load times and improves Core Web Vitals. Smooth transitions (especially in SPAs) improve INP and reduce bounce rates. Search engines favor sites with fast, consistent navigation experiences.