In Salesforce applications, performance isn’t just about making Apex queries run faster. It is also influenced by system architecture, data flow, and user interface design. Pages with multiple dynamic parts can still feel slow or show old data if they aren’t built right, even if the backend logic is good.
This article discusses a real-world scenario involving dynamic Lightning Web Components, the challenges encountered during their implementation, and the architectural strategies employed to address these issues while preserving performance, security, and data integrity.
Table of Contents
Understanding the Real Problem: Dynamic LWC Performance
Let’s begin with the situation
We had a Lightning page with a lot of moving parts:
- Each part showed data from a server that was separate from the others.
- Users could do whatever they wanted (edit, save, switch tabs)
- Parts were conditionally rendered without changing the URL
- Data could change a lot during a session
Everything looked good on paper:
- Apex queries were picky
- The limits set by the governor were followed
- No extra loops
But users had problems with:
- Stale data: When they went back to a component after switching, the information was out of date.
- Performance lag: Components loaded slowly, which made things take longer than they should have.
- User experience gaps: Actions felt slow, even though Apex queries were improved.
The problem wasn’t SOQL, which didn’t work well. It wasn’t Apex that wasn’t bulkified. It wasn’t even the governor’s limits.
It was about architecture.
You need a reactive design for dynamic Lightning pages. When components are rendered separately without a shared state strategy, inconsistencies and performance bottlenecks naturally emerge.
Why Traditional Fixes Didn’t Work
The first tries included:
- Each part makes Imperative Apex calls that are shown
- Updating data only when users trigger an action
- Not paying attention to reactive data patterns
This method worked, but it didn’t work because:
- Redundant server calls made the latency worse
- Components frequently displayed obsolete information
- The interface was slow for users
It became clear that improving performance required a design change rather than small fixes.
Architectural Strategies to Improve LWC Performance
Let’s walk through the practical improvements that significantly enhanced performance and user experience.
1. Reactive Data Retrieval with @wire
To keep data updated without extra refresh logic, the @wire decorator was used for components relying on server data.
import { LightningElement, wire } from 'lwc';
import getComponentData from '@salesforce/apex/MyController.getComponentData';
export default class DynamicComponent extends LightningElement {
@wire(getComponentData, { recordId: '$recordId' })
data;
}
Using reactive data retrieval simplified component behavior and improved consistency.
2. Optimized Apex Queries
Although Apex queries were already efficient individually, we discovered redundant queries across components. Consolidating them further reduced server calls. In several places, similar queries were being executed multiple times.
To address this,
- Similar queries were consolidated to avoid unnecessary server calls.
- Queries were updated to retrieve only the fields each component needed instead of fetching entire objects.
// Efficient SOQL example
SELECT Id, Name, Status__c, LastModifiedDate
FROM CustomObject__c
WHERE Id = :recordId
This change reduces payload size and respects governor limits. It also improves overall page performance without caching sensitive data.
3. Efficient Component Rendering
The rendering strategy also played an important role. Instead of loading every component at once, rendering was limited to only the components visible to the user.
Skeleton loading states were introduced so users received immediate visual feedback while data was being fetched.
<template if:true={isLoading}>
<div class="skeleton-box"></div>
</template>
This small UX change made the page feel faster and more responsive to user interactions.
Results
After implementing these architectural changes, the improvements were easy to see
- Fresh data: Each component consistently reflects the latest state
- Faster rendering: Only necessary components load at any given time
- Better UX: Skeleton screens provide instant visual feedback
- Optimized server load: Fewer redundant queries reduce processing
Interactions on the page became smoother and more responsive without compromising security or data integrity.
Key Takeaways:
- Performance is holistic: Backend optimization is not enough; component design, data flow, and UX must all work together.
- Reactive data patterns (@wire) keep components updated without caching sensitive data.
- Efficient Apex queries (merged, minimal fields) reduce server load.
- Conditional rendering and skeleton screens enhance perceived performance.
- Independent component design ensures security and scalability, even with dynamic pages.
Final Thoughts
Dynamic LWC pages work better when the architecture is well-designed. You can greatly improve performance and the user experience by using reactive data fetching, optimized queries, and controlled rendering.
A lot of the time, Salesforce performance problems aren’t caused by complicated Apex code, but by how components load, interact, and refresh data on the page. If you pay attention to these patterns early on, you can create apps that are easier to keep up with, handle more users, and give users a better experience.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
In most real-world Salesforce projects, performance issues in dynamic Lightning Web Components are not caused by slow Apex queries alone. The root cause is usually architectural design.
Common triggers include repeated imperative Apex calls, multiple components querying the same data independently, rendering components that are not visible, and missing reactive data patterns. Even when individual queries are optimized, inefficient data flow and rendering strategies can make a page feel slow or inconsistent.
Performance problems in LWC are often about how components interact, not just how fast they query data.
Improving LWC page performance requires a combination of backend and frontend strategies. The most effective approach includes:
Using
@wirefor reactive data retrievalConsolidating duplicate SOQL queries
Fetching only required fields instead of entire objects
Rendering components conditionally
Avoiding unnecessary imperative Apex calls
Implementing skeleton loaders for better perceived speed
When these practices work together, the result is smoother navigation, fresher data, and reduced server load.
The @wire decorator is ideal when you need reactive, read-only data that should automatically update when parameters change — such as when a recordId changes.
Imperative Apex is better suited for situations that require:
Manual execution control
Sequential logic
Conditional calls
DML operations
Choosing the right data retrieval pattern is one of the most important decisions in LWC performance optimization. Overusing imperative calls is a common reason dynamic pages feel slow.
Stale data usually appears when components do not refresh properly after navigation or updates. This often happens when data is fetched imperatively on first load and not refreshed afterward.
Using reactive @wire patterns, properly managing component state, and calling refreshApex() only when necessary can prevent most stale data issues.
If your component doesn’t re-render or re-fetch data when context changes, outdated information will remain visible.
Yes — when used correctly.
Marking Apex methods with @AuraEnabled(cacheable=true) allows Salesforce to cache read-only responses, which reduces repeated server calls and improves response time.
However, this should only be used for non-sensitive, read-only operations. If your data changes frequently, you must implement a refresh strategy to avoid showing outdated information.
Caching improves efficiency — but only when aligned with your data refresh logic.
Conditional rendering ensures that only active components load and execute logic.
If five components exist on a page but only one is visible, rendering all five wastes resources. By using template conditions like if:trueYou prevent unnecessary lifecycle execution, wire calls, and memory usage.
This strategy reduces initial load time and improves overall responsiveness, especially in component-heavy Lightning pages.
Yes, especially if they are all rendered and loaded at once.
Each component consumes memory, executes lifecycle hooks, and may trigger server calls. When multiple dynamic components load simultaneously, performance degradation becomes noticeable.
The solution isn’t reducing components — it’s controlling when and how they render and fetch data.
Skeleton loaders don’t reduce actual load time, but they dramatically improve perceived performance.
Instead of leaving users staring at a blank space while data loads, skeleton screens provide immediate visual feedback. This makes the interface feel responsive and reduces frustration.
In modern Salesforce UI design, perceived speed is just as important as technical speed.
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Ritika Goel
I’m a Salesforce Developer who enjoys turning complex business requirements into clean, scalable solutions. I specialize in Apex, Lightning Web Components, Flows, and Salesforce integrations. My focus is always on writing optimized, bulkified, and maintainable code that follows industry best practices.
- Ritika Goel#molongui-disabled-link
