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Ship Faster Code, Not Slower Sites

Use AI to automatically monitor performance metrics, run A/B tests between branches, and get actionable optimization suggestions based on real user data from Netlify Analytics
Did You Know? Netlify is more than just static hosting! It offers:This guide shows you how to leverage these features through natural language with Continue CLI!

What You’ll Learn

This cookbook teaches you to:
  • Run A/B tests between branches to measure performance impact
  • Monitor Core Web Vitals and build performance metrics
  • Automatically block deploys that degrade performance using Deploy Contexts
  • Optimize build times with Build Plugins and bundle sizes with AI assistance

Prerequisites

  • GitHub repository with a web project
  • Netlify account (free tier works)
  • Node.js 22+ installed (required for Netlify)
  • Continue CLI
  • Netlify MCP configured
  • Netlify Development Rules (recommended)

Quick Setup

The Netlify Development Rules bundle includes guardrails for:
  • Proper .gitignore configuration
  • Function structure and placement
  • Edge function constraints
  • Local development best practices
For all options, first:
1

Install Continue CLI

2

Install Netlify CLI

  1. Install Netlify CLI: npm i -g netlify-cli
  2. Authenticate with Netlify: netlify login

Netlify Continuous AI Workflow Options

🚀 Fastest Path to Success

Skip the manual setup and use our pre-built Netlify Continuous AI agent that includes optimized prompts, rules, and the Netlify MCP for more consistent results.
After completing Quick Setup above, you have two paths to get started:
To use the pre-built agent, you need either:
  • Continue CLI Pro Plan with the models add-on, OR
  • Your own API keys configured as environment variables
The agent will automatically detect and use your configuration along with the Netlify MCP for deployment operations.

Performance Optimization Steps

Step 1: Baseline Performance Metrics

Establish your current performance baseline using cn CLI:
Test in Plan Mode First: Before making performance optimizations that might affect your site, test your prompts in plan mode (see the Plan Mode Guide; press Shift+Tab to switch modes). This shows you what the agent will do without executing it. For example: "Set up A/B testing between main and feature branch with performance monitoring"
Netlify automatically tracks:
  • Build Performance: Compile times, cache hits
  • Runtime Performance: Core Web Vitals, Time to Interactive
  • Resource Usage: Bandwidth, function execution times

Step 2: A/B Test Branch Performance

Compare performance between branches:
Enhanced Analytics: Combine Netlify’s A/B testing with PostHog session recordings to understand not just which variant performs better, but why users behave differently. See our PostHog session analysis guide to set up session tracking and create a complete continuous AI analytics workflow.

Step 3: Advanced Build Optimization with Netlify

Leverage Netlify’s powerful build features to dramatically reduce build times:
Netlify Build Features You’re Getting:These features can reduce build times by 50-70% for most projects!
Discover more optimization prompts! The Netlify community has documented dozens of build optimization strategies in their Support Guide: How can I optimize my Netlify build time.Use this guide as inspiration for cn CLI prompts not covered in this cookbook, such as:
  • "Configure my builds to skip Dependabot PRs automatically"
  • "Set up custom ignore patterns for documentation-only changes"
  • "Optimize my Contentful webhooks to prevent duplicate builds"
  • "Show me how to use build hooks instead of automatic git triggers"
  • "Help me choose between Astro and Hugo based on build performance"
The community guide contains real-world scenarios that you can turn into AI-assisted solutions - just describe what you want to achieve and let cn CLI handle the implementation!

Step 4: Bundle Analysis with Netlify’s Built-in Tools

Use Netlify’s bundle analyzer and optimization features:

Netlify's Performance Arsenal

Features Available Through Netlify MCP:

Step 5: Image Optimization

Optimize images for better performance:

Continuous Performance Monitoring

Step 6: Performance Budget Enforcement with Lighthouse CI

Set and enforce performance budgets with automated testing:
This comprehensive setup will automatically test every deploy preview and production deployment, blocking any changes that violate your performance budgets.

Step 7: Real User Monitoring with Netlify Analytics

Leverage Netlify’s built-in analytics and integrate advanced RUM solutions:
Note: Netlify Analytics Pro requires a paid Netlify Pro account ($19/month per site). The prompt above assumes you have this plan. For free tier users, focus on steps 2-5 which use Netlify Functions and Edge Functions to build custom analytics.
Netlify Analytics Advantages:Unlike Google Analytics, Netlify Analytics:
  • Doesn’t slow down your site (server-side)
  • Captures 100% of traffic (no ad blockers)
  • Respects user privacy (no cookies)
  • Shows bot traffic separately
Pro Tip Combine Netlify Analytics with Edge Functions to create a powerful RUM solution that:
  • Tracks performance by user segment
  • A/B tests performance optimizations
  • Personalizes content based on connection speed
  • Automatically serves lighter assets to slow connections

Automated Performance Checks

Add GitHub Secrets

Navigate to Repository Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions and add:
  • CONTINUE_API_KEY: Your Continue API key from continue.dev/settings/api-keys
  • NETLIFY_AUTH_TOKEN: Your Netlify personal access token
  • NETLIFY_SITE_ID: Your Netlify site ID

GitHub Actions Performance Guard

Block PRs that degrade performance:
This workflow will:
  • Block merge if performance score drops >10 points
  • Warn on any performance regression
  • Celebrate improvements with green indicators

Performance Testing Locally

Step 8: Local Performance Testing

Test performance before deploying:

Step 9: Pre-commit Performance Checks

Prevent performance regressions before they happen:

Performance Troubleshooting

Debug Performance Issues

Identify and fix performance bottlenecks:

Performance Issue Quick Fixes

What You’ve Accomplished

Performance-First Development

You’ve built an AI-powered performance optimization system that:
  • Automatically monitors Core Web Vitals
  • Runs A/B tests between branches
  • Blocks deployments that degrade performance
  • Provides actionable optimization suggestions

Discover Netlify’s Hidden Performance Gems

Features many developers don’t know Netlify offers:

Edge Functions

Netlify Edge Functions
  • Run code at the edge, closer to users
  • Transform responses on-the-fly
  • A/B test at the edge level
  • Personalize content without client-side JS

Netlify Graph

Netlify Graph
  • Unified GraphQL gateway for all your APIs
  • Automatic TypeScript generation
  • Built-in authentication handling
  • Zero client-side API keys needed

On-Demand Builders

On-Demand Builders
  • Generate pages only when requested
  • Cache dynamically generated content
  • Perfect for large sites (10k+ pages)
  • Reduce build times dramatically

Netlify Functions

Background Functions
  • Run tasks up to 15 minutes
  • Process webhooks asynchronously
  • Handle heavy computations
  • No timeout worries

Performance Best Practices

The Netlify Performance Rules enforce:

Build Optimization

  • Dependency caching enabled
  • Parallel builds when possible
  • Incremental compilation
  • Smart cache invalidation

Runtime Performance

  • Automatic image optimization
  • Efficient resource hints (preload, prefetch)
  • Optimal cache headers
  • CDN configuration

Monitoring Standards

  • Performance budgets enforced
  • Core Web Vitals tracking
  • Real user monitoring
  • Automated alerts

Advanced Performance Strategies

Progressive Enhancement

Multi-variant Testing

Predictive Prefetching

Next Steps

Resources