Web performance consultant for Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Optimize performance on Salesforce Commerce Cloud stores

Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC) powers premium international brands. Its flexibility through custom cartridges is also its main source of technical debt. I work on cartridges, ISML cache, OCAPI and the SFRA frontend for stable Core Web Vitals.

100% satisfied clients Data 2023-2026 • 8+ years XP • 35+ clients partnered

View my client cases

They trust me

SFCC symptoms calling for an audit

A poorly framed SFCC store shows observable signals on the user side and the Business Manager side.

🐢 TTFB drifting on PDP and checkout

Poorly optimized custom cartridges, uncalibrated ISML cache, blocking synchronous OCAPI calls. Without audit, PDP TTFB easily exceeds 1 second at peaks.

🧩 Custom cartridges piled up without documentation

10 to 30 active cartridges, some inherited from previous agencies, sometimes undocumented. Dead code, hooks no longer serving, unmaintained dependencies.

📦 SFRA JavaScript bundle above 1 MB

Native SFRA embeds jQuery, Bootstrap, theme-specific code. Custom cartridges add their own assets. Main thread saturates, mobile INP drifts.

🖼️ Product images without next-gen formats nor fetchpriority

SFCC DynamicImageService doesn't generate WebP/AVIF by default. Explicit configuration + fetchpriority on the PDP LCP image gains 300 to 500ms.

🌐 Synchronous OCAPI calls blocking rendering

Custom helpers calling OCAPI or SCAPI synchronously in ISML rendering block the server. Async calls or short-term OCAPI caches free the situation.

🛒 Long checkout and red mobile INP

Multi-step, AJAX tax/shipping calculations, heavy JS validations. Chrome DevTools profiling identifies Long Tasks, refactoring targets optimizations.

SFCC optimization methodology

4 steps to transform your performance

Step 1

1. Cartridges + Business Manager audit

Inventory active cartridges, measure their impact on PDP/PLP/checkout. Audit page cache, fragment cache, varyby configuration.

Step 2

2. ISML and cache optimization

Refactor heavy ISML templates, calibrate cache fragments, remove useless includes. Activate HTML compression.

Step 3

3. OCAPI/SCAPI and external services

Audit OCAPI/SCAPI calls in controllers and templates. Move to async or short-term cache for calls that can be.

Step 4

4. SFRA frontend or Composable migration

In-place SFRA optimization (defer scripts, JS refactor, image prioritization) or migration evaluation to PWA Kit / Composable Storefront.

Step 1

1. Cartridges + Business Manager audit

Inventory active cartridges, measure their impact on PDP/PLP/checkout. Audit page cache, fragment cache, varyby configuration.

Step 2

2. ISML and cache optimization

Refactor heavy ISML templates, calibrate cache fragments, remove useless includes. Activate HTML compression.

Step 3

3. OCAPI/SCAPI and external services

Audit OCAPI/SCAPI calls in controllers and templates. Move to async or short-term cache for calls that can be.

Step 4

4. SFRA frontend or Composable migration

In-place SFRA optimization (defer scripts, JS refactor, image prioritization) or migration evaluation to PWA Kit / Composable Storefront.

Mission commitments

-50% typical PDP TTFB

Cartridges audited and rationalized

ISML cache calibrated on critical templates

Continuous SFCC store partnered

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can SFCC reach green Core Web Vitals?

Yes, but requires strong discipline on cartridges, ISML cache and frontend. Several premium sites running on SFCC hold green Core Web Vitals — it's harder than on modern stacks, but reachable. Most struggling SFCC sites suffer from piled-up, unaudited cartridges.

Should I migrate to Composable Storefront (PWA Kit)?

That's the direction on the Salesforce side. PWA Kit (built on React + Express) modernizes the frontend and lets you hit Core Web Vitals much more easily than with SFRA. Migration is an enterprise project (12 to 24 weeks based on complexity). Worth evaluating case by case.

OCAPI or SCAPI for new integrations?

SCAPI (modern Shopper API) is the evolution recommended by Salesforce. More performant, more flexible, better documented. For existing OCAPI integrations, migration isn't urgent but fits the roadmap. For a new integration, SCAPI by default.

How are your SFCC engagements structured?

My SFCC engagements run long-term. The first sprint frames the stack (cartridges, ISML cache, OCAPI/SCAPI, SFRA or PWA Kit frontend) and the roadmap. Following sprints work optimizations with measurement and validation. On a premium store, performance stays maintained through continuous presence covering cartridges, releases and new developments.

Optimize your Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Cartridges audited

ISML cache calibrated

Frontend optimized or migrated

100% satisfied clients
Data 2023-2026

Testimonials

What my clients say

Excellent work.
Paul has significantly improved the site's speed and perfectly aligned it with Google's recommendations.
Professional, thorough, and efficient, I highly recommend.

Nicolas - April Moto

Digital & E-commerce Director

We are very satisfied with Paul's work. He is quick, available, and particularly effective. Since his arrival, very good results have been observed, both in terms of performance and responsiveness. A real asset for our team.

Léo - Luxury brand

E-commerce Product Owner

I don't know if we've said it enough.
But if you want to improve your loading speed,
Make Google happy and get your Core Web Vitals in the green,
Contact Paul Delcloy.

Florian Darroman - Les Makers

Co-founder

SFCC, premium platform and cartridges debt

Salesforce Commerce Cloud (formerly Demandware) powers a significant share of premium international e-commerce — luxury, beauty, fashion, enterprise retail. Its commercial model (revenue share) demands performance and stability, but extensibility via custom cartridges quickly opens the door to massive technical debt.

The e-commerce web performance optimization angle on SFCC is particular: no direct server access (Salesforce-managed platform), everything goes through cartridges, Business Manager, OCAPI or SCAPI. Levers concentrate on custom cartridges audit, ISML optimization, page and fragment cache calibration, and frontend modernization (SFRA or Composable Storefront).

Custom cartridges, first work-stream

A typical SFCC site accumulates 10 to 30 custom cartridges over the years. Each cartridge adds controllers, ISML templates, hooks, sometimes frontend JavaScript dependencies. Without regular auditing, you accumulate dead code, hooks running uselessly, heavy ISML templates.

The cartridges audit measures each cartridge's consumption on critical pages (PDP, PLP, checkout), identifies costly patterns (heavy custom helpers, synchronous OCAPI calls, blocking external services) and arbitrates rebuild or removal.

ISML cache and SFRA frontend

ISML (Internet Store Markup Language) is the SFCC template engine. Its cache (page cache and fragment cache) is powerful but demands strict modeling discipline: coherent cache keys, properly used varyby, targeted exclusions. A SFCC site without disciplined page cache can serve a 1-2 second TTFB at peak; well-configured, the same site drops below 300ms.

On the frontend, SFRA (Storefront Reference Architecture) stays heavy by default (jQuery, Bootstrap, code specific to custom cartridges). Moving to Composable Storefront (PWA Kit, React-based) is the future on the Salesforce side. For sites still on SFRA, in-place optimization (defer scripts, JS refactor, image prioritization) remains profitable.

Technologies

Other expertise Technologies

Angular

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Astro

Astro optimized: islands architecture, image optimization, view transitions, content collections. Near-static sites with green Core Web Vitals.

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Drupal

Drupal optimized: Render API and cache contexts, Dynamic Page Cache + BigPipe, Views performance, MySQL tuning. Core Web Vitals green on strategic templates.

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