Preload
A browser hint that tells the browser to fetch a resource early because it will be needed soon.
Quick Definition
A browser hint that tells the browser to fetch a resource early because it will be needed soon.
Full Explanation
Preload is a resource hint that tells the browser to fetch a resource as soon as possible because it will be needed for the current page. Use link rel='preload' with the 'as' attribute specifying the resource type (image, font, script, style). Preloading is especially useful for resources discovered late in the loading process, like fonts referenced in CSS or images set via JavaScript. For LCP optimization, preloading the LCP image can significantly improve scores. Be careful not to overuse preload as it can delay other important resources. Related hints include prefetch (for future pages) and preconnect (for establishing connections early).