Switching to a system font stack can be one of the most significant factors for speeding up your MyListing WordPress website. System fonts require no browser download time, and as a bonus…they look great!
The use of Google Fonts seems to be at the center of a long-running debate about font optimization. Should I host Google Fonts locally? What are the pros and cons? Should I use Google Fonts at all?
Despite ongoing debates, system fonts have advanced significantly, leading to the adoption of a system font stack by major players like GitHub, Medium, and others.
Key Takeaways
- MyListing Pro makes switching to System Fonts a breeze.
- Switching to system fonts removes extra font files, which cuts requests and improves load time on MyListing sites.
- System fonts use the fonts already on the visitor’s device, which reduces render delay and can improve Core Web Vitals.
- Use a consistent system font stack across headings and body text to keep typography predictable.
- After switching fonts, recheck spacing, font weights, and button styles so the design still looks intentional.
- Test results before and after (page speed and layout) so you can confirm the performance gain.
The Solution
MyListing Pro provides a simple toggle to apply this performance optimization.
Understanding System Fonts
Web fonts were fine when computers had a handful of good fonts pre-installed, but with buy-in from manufacturers like Apple, Microsoft, Google, etc., most computers now have a great set of fonts pre-installed, which is a great option if you want to speed up your website.
System Font Stack Cheat Sheet
- apple-system and BlinkMacSystemFont: These refer to system fonts on Apple devices (typically San Francisco or Helvetica Neue), depending on the operating system version
- system-UI: On some newer browsers, this can now be used to do the job of both apple-system and BlinkMacSystemFont
- Segoe UI: Windows systems
- Roboto: Android devices
- Oxygen-Sans: Linux systems using KDE
- Ubuntu: Ubuntu Linux
- Cantarell: Linux systems using Gnome (apart from Ubuntu)
- Helvetica Neue: Common fallback font for many systems (especially Apple) when previous ones all fail
- sans-serif: If all else fails, fall back to the default browser sans-serif font, which is not desirable and is why you often see ‘sans-serif’ paired with another font
Note: System Font Stacks attempt to load the fonts in the order you place them in, so if you have a need (or a preference) to load a font before another, please keep this consideration in mind.
Performance Alternatives
Web Safe Fonts
Fonts supported by the majority of web browsers and operating systems are considered web-safe. Operating systems automatically include these fonts, so visitors don’t have to download them from your server.
Web-safe fonts can look outdated compared to other, more modern fonts, so they aren’t the preferred option these days.
Web Fonts (Hosted Locally)
Fonts that look more modern than web-safe fonts can be hosted locally on your server for faster delivery, but they still require download time for users if not already cached in their browser.
Hosting these fonts locally can be a challenge for non-technical website owners, which often results in installing another plugin to make the process easier. This approach is counterproductive to our goal of performance optimization.
Frequently Asked Questions About System Fonts for MyListing Website Performance
What are System Fonts in WordPress?
System fonts are fonts that already exist on a user’s device (like the default fonts in Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android). In WordPress, using system fonts means you skip loading third-party font files and use a system font stack in your theme or builder.
Why do System Fonts improve MyListing website performance?
System fonts can improve performance because the browser does not need to download font files before showing text. That can reduce requests, lower page weight, and help avoid delays where text appears late.
Will switching to System Fonts change my site design?
Yes, the look can change because each device renders system fonts a little differently. Plan to review headings, body text, button labels, and line height after the switch, then adjust sizing and weights until it looks consistent.
Where should we set System Fonts on a MyListing site?
MyListing Pro provides a simple toggle to apply this performance optimization.
How do we confirm the change actually improved speed?
Run a before-and-after test on the same page using the same tool and settings. Track key metrics like total requests, page weight, and text render timing, then confirm that layout and spacing still look correct.