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Why Less JavaScript Might Be More

JavaScript has become the default solution for web interactivity, often used where HTML and CSS would suffice. Reconsidering when JavaScript is actually necessary leads to faster, more accessible websites.

The JavaScript Bloat Problem

The average website ships over 400KB of JavaScript. Much of this code powers features that could be achieved with HTML and CSS, or aren’t necessary at all.

Consequences of JavaScript bloat:

Slow page loads, especially on mobile
Poor performance on low-end devices
Broken experiences when JS fails to load
Accessibility issues
Maintenance burden

What HTML and CSS Can Do

Modern HTML and CSS are surprisingly powerful:

Forms and validation: HTML5 form inputs (type="email", required, pattern) handle most validation without JavaScript.

Accordions: The <details> and <summary> elements create expandable sections natively.

Modals: The <dialog> element provides accessible modals without libraries.

Animations: CSS transitions and animations handle most visual effects.

Layouts: Flexbox and Grid solve layout problems that once required JavaScript.

Smooth scrolling: scroll-behavior: smooth in CSS replaces scroll libraries.

Progressive Enhancement

The progressive enhancement approach:

Build core functionality with HTML
Enhance presentation with CSS
Add JavaScript only for features HTML/CSS can’t provide

This ensures basic functionality works for everyone, with enhancements for capable browsers.

When JavaScript Is Necessary

JavaScript remains essential for:

Dynamic data fetching
Complex user interactions
Real-time updates
Client-side routing (SPAs)
Advanced form handling beyond HTML capabilities

The question isn’t “never use JavaScript” but “is JavaScript necessary here?”

Practical Reduction Strategies

Ways to reduce JavaScript:

Audit dependencies: Review every package. Many can be replaced with vanilla JS or removed entirely.

Use platform features: Browser APIs have expanded significantly. Many libraries duplicate built-in functionality.

Code split: Send only JavaScript needed for current page, lazy-loading additional code.

Server-side rendering: Generate HTML on the server instead of shipping JSON and rendering client-side.

Remove unused code: Tree-shaking and dead code elimination remove unnecessary code from bundles.

The Performance Impact

Reducing JavaScript improves metrics across the board:

Faster First Contentful Paint
Lower Time to Interactive
Better Lighthouse scores
Improved Core Web Vitals
Reduced bandwidth usage

Conclusion

JavaScript is powerful and necessary for many modern web features. But it’s overused, applied to problems that simpler solutions would solve better.

Before writing JavaScript, ask: Can HTML do this? Can CSS do this? If yes, use the simpler solution. Reserve JavaScript for problems that actually require it.

Less JavaScript often means more performance, better accessibility, and easier maintenance.

Explore youmightnotneedjs.com for HTML/CSS alternatives to common JavaScript patterns.