Improve PrestaShop performance step by step

To improve a shop, start with one specific operation: a category, product page, search or back-office task. Note the time, errors and resource usage before changing the configuration. Keep a recoverable backup and test major changes on staging.

PHP and OPcache

Check the PrestaShop compatibility matrix for your branch and its modules. Choose a PHP version with security maintenance and proven compatibility; being the latest version does not guarantee that your shop can use it.

If the shop depends on unsupported components, plan their upgrade. Test the catalogue, back office, orders, email, tasks and payment integrations before changing production. Also check OPcache for the website's PHP version from the PHP selector.

Smarty and template cache

Under Advanced Parameters > Performance, avoid forcing template recompilation on every visit in production. It can be useful during development; when you publish, use a strategy that matches how you deploy and purge changes.

"Never recompile template files" requires regenerating them whenever the template changes. "Never clear cache files" is not a universal solution either: check that design and content changes show up. Note the previous state and check several pages after each change.

CCC and page resources

Test minification and the other CSS and JavaScript options your version offers one at a time. Combining files or moving scripts can affect modules, filters, menus, consent and checkout. Not every version keeps the same settings.

Using LiteSpeed does not mean the rules called Apache optimization are automatically useless; check what they generate and whether they are compatible. For images and geographic distribution, follow the media servers and CDN guide.

Choosing the cache layers

Template cache, object cache and page cache do different jobs. Do not select APC just because PHP shows APCu: compatibility depends on the driver in your PrestaShop branch and cannot be inferred from similar names.

For page cache, use the LiteSpeed Cache module if it is compatible. Check two sessions, currencies, prices, taxes and cart behaviour. Do not keep two page cache modules competing with each other.

Geolocation and statistics

If you use geolocation, check its database and what happens when it cannot identify an address. Do not disable it without checking whether it plays a part in restrictions or business features. If a related 503 appears, see the diagnosis of that error.

Assess whether you need the visits and visitors modules that write data to the database. If they are not used, check how to disable them and what data to keep before removing them. External analytics measures differently and is not automatically more accurate for every question.

If the shop is still slow

Match the time of the problem with resources, tasks and imports. Use PHP X-Ray to find costly queries or calls and test the fix on a copy.

Repeat the same operation after each change and keep only improvements that preserve correct behaviour. More resources can help with sustained genuine demand, but they are no substitute for fixing a module that repeats unnecessary work.