Inline Critical CSS to Paint Faster

Inline Critical CSS to Paint Faster

Your CSS file is render-blocking — the browser won't show anything until it loads. But you only need a small slice of CSS to draw the top of the page. Inlining that slice lets the page paint immediately. Think of it as keeping a quick-start guide on the cover instead of inside the manual.

The playbook:
—
1. Identify the styles for content visible without scrolling — the header and hero.
—
2. Use a free tool like the 'Critical' generator or DevTools Coverage tab to find them.
—
3. Paste that small set of styles inside <style> tags in your head.
—
4. Load the full CSS file afterward without blocking, using a media trick or defer pattern.
—
5. Re-test and watch your first paint happen sooner.

Keep the inlined part tiny — a few kilobytes — or you lose the benefit.

Try this: Open the DevTools Coverage tab to see how much of your CSS is unused.