https://briancrabtree.me/journal/ Field Notes: technical journal, build notes, and engineering logs from Brian Crabtree. en-us Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:00:00 GMT https://briancrabtree.me/journal/why-pagespeed-scores-change-every-run/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/why-pagespeed-scores-change-every-run/ Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:00:00 GMT PageSpeed and Lighthouse scores jump between runs on the same URL—that is normal lab behavior. Here is what moves the number, what to fix first, and how to verify scores honestly. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/performance-checks-before-handoff/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/performance-checks-before-handoff/ Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:54:38 GMT Before handoff I run Lighthouse and Core Web Vitals on the real URL, fix what hurts mobile users, and document what changed—no invented scores, no vanity badges. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/how-this-site-is-built/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/how-this-site-is-built/ Mon, 01 Jun 2026 07:54:38 GMT This site is the working reference build: React 19, a public API layer, Firestore admin, and a deploy path you can inspect yourself—not a theme demo with fake proof. Engineering https://briancrabtree.me/journal/monorepo-vs-split-repos-small-teams/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/monorepo-vs-split-repos-small-teams/ Thu, 28 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've wrestled with frontend/backend splits and consolidated projects for small teams. Deciding between a monorepo vs split repos for small teams isn't dogma; it's about practical friction. Here's what I learned building and maintaining both. Engineering https://briancrabtree.me/journal/css-in-js-runtime-cost/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/css-in-js-runtime-cost/ Mon, 25 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT Runtime styling trades build simplicity for main-thread work. I measure injection, hydration, and cache behavior before picking CSS-in-JS. CSS https://briancrabtree.me/journal/api-rate-limiting-frontend-patterns/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/api-rate-limiting-frontend-patterns/ Thu, 21 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've shipped more rate limit errors than I care to admit. Building frontends that respect API boundaries was a hard lesson, but it means users get what they expect. Here's how I approach it. Backend https://briancrabtree.me/journal/when-frameworks-are-worth-it/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/when-frameworks-are-worth-it/ Mon, 18 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT Frameworks are leverage or tax depending on problem shape. I score interaction density, team skill, and lifecycle before recommending React or static HTML. Engineering https://briancrabtree.me/journal/typescript-strict-mode-production/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/typescript-strict-mode-production/ Thu, 14 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've shipped a lot of TypeScript code, some strict, some not. This post is about why I push for full TypeScript strict mode in production codebases now, despite the initial pain. It's about reducing runtime surprises and building more reliable systems. JavaScript https://briancrabtree.me/journal/fetch-waterfalls-parallel-requests/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/fetch-waterfalls-parallel-requests/ Mon, 11 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT Parallel fetch is not enough if chains start late. I flatten dependencies, colocate data, and cache at the edge. JavaScript https://briancrabtree.me/journal/react-19-server-components-marketing-sites/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/react-19-server-components-marketing-sites/ Thu, 07 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT React 19 Server Components offer a practical solution for specific marketing site challenges. They optimize static content delivery and SEO by shifting rendering to the server, but introduce new tradeoffs and are not a universal fix. It's about strategic application where they truly shine, not blanket adoption. React https://briancrabtree.me/journal/interaction-to-next-paint-inp-guide/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/interaction-to-next-paint-inp-guide/ Mon, 04 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT INP replaced FID as the responsiveness metric that hurts. I trace long tasks on clicks and cut main-thread debt before chasing bytes. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/lighthouse-ci-deploy-pipelines/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/lighthouse-ci-deploy-pipelines/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT I got tired of seeing performance numbers degrade after every major release. Setting up Lighthouse CI in our deploy pipelines catches regressions before they hit production, giving us hard data to back up decisions. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/mobile-first-local-search-service-businesses/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/mobile-first-local-search-service-businesses/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT For service businesses, local search success is tied directly to mobile performance. I've seen too many sites lose leads because they treat mobile as an afterthought. This post details the technical steps I take to ensure mobile-first indexing actually translates to client calls, not just good desktop rankings. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/css-custom-properties-design-tokens/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/css-custom-properties-design-tokens/ Mon, 27 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT Tokens in JavaScript objects die on framework change. Tokens on :root cascade through vanilla CSS and every shell I ship. CSS https://briancrabtree.me/journal/tag-manager-performance-tax/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/tag-manager-performance-tax/ Thu, 23 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've seen Google Tag Manager add significant overhead, especially to Total Blocking Time. It's often where marketing's drive for data clashes with engineering's need for a fast site. My experience shows ignoring the google tag manager performance impact is expensive. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/arizona-smb-headless-wordpress-rebuild/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/arizona-smb-headless-wordpress-rebuild/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT I recently rebuilt a client's critical but sluggish Arizona SMB WordPress site into a performant headless React application. The old setup was failing under increased traffic, causing frustratingly slow page loads. The new architecture shipped with a tangible performance boost and a much more resilient foundation. Backend https://briancrabtree.me/journal/static-prerender-shells-spa/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/static-prerender-shells-spa/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT I ship HTML shells with real copy and LCP images before the bundle hydrates. Users and crawlers get substance, not a spinner. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/image-srcset-lcp-sizing/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/image-srcset-lcp-sizing/ Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've seen too many sites ship massive desktop images to mobile devices. Getting srcset and sizes right is essential for Largest Contentful Paint. Stop wasting user bandwidth on pixels nobody can actually see. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/phoenix-metro-local-seo-technical-foundation/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/phoenix-metro-local-seo-technical-foundation/ Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT When a client asked for a deep dive on their Phoenix local SEO technical foundation, I found the usual suspects: NAP inconsistency, missing schema, and Core Web Vitals dragging. This post breaks down what we fixed and how it impacted their local visibility. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/framework-churn-what-survives/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/framework-churn-what-survives/ Mon, 13 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT New frameworks ship weekly. HTML, HTTP, CSS, and SQL outlive all of them. I bet on boundaries and boring ops. Engineering https://briancrabtree.me/journal/service-worker-caching-mistakes/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/service-worker-caching-mistakes/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT I learned the hard way that aggressive service worker caching on marketing sites causes more problems than it solves. Stale content and broken deployments are a headache. This is how I fixed my service worker caching mistakes. JavaScript https://briancrabtree.me/journal/gilbert-az-business-website-speed/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/gilbert-az-business-website-speed/ Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT I often see Gilbert AZ businesses losing customers before their site even loads. Many owners miss the real culprits behind their slow websites, thinking a pretty design is enough. It's about profit, not just aesthetics. I'll break down the technical debt costing them conversions and what to actually fix. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/java-spring-content-apis-headless/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/java-spring-content-apis-headless/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT Spring Boot still powers serious content backends. I expose JSON that React and static sites can cache without fighting JPA on every request. Backend https://briancrabtree.me/journal/critical-css-without-build-tool-religion/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/critical-css-without-build-tool-religion/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've spent years shaving milliseconds off page loads. Getting critical CSS right, especially for smaller sites or those purposefully avoiding heavy tooling, doesn't have to be a nightmare. This is my blunt take on how to do it manually and effectively. CSS https://briancrabtree.me/journal/form-spam-without-captcha-friction/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/form-spam-without-captcha-friction/ Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT Form spam is a constant headache, but I hate making users jump through hoops with CAPTCHAs. I've been refining a set of invisible defenses that effectively block bots without adding any friction for real humans. It's about smart server-side checks and client-side deception. HTML https://briancrabtree.me/journal/mobile-first-css-that-scales/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/mobile-first-css-that-scales/ Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT Mobile-first is write small screen rules first, enhance with min-width, not shrink desktop comps in a panic on Friday. CSS https://briancrabtree.me/journal/brotli-vs-gzip-static-sites/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/brotli-vs-gzip-static-sites/ Thu, 26 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've configured compression for static sites for years. The brotli vs gzip static site debate isn't new, but my production approach has become very clear. I'll lay out exactly what I enable on my servers today and why it works best for client projects. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/firebase-vs-self-hosted-smb-dashboards/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/firebase-vs-self-hosted-smb-dashboards/ Tue, 24 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've built dashboards for small businesses, grappling with backend choices. Deciding between Firebase and self-hosted isn't theoretical; it's about budgets, sleepless nights, and shipping features. Here's what I've learned. Backend https://briancrabtree.me/journal/hydration-cls-react-fixes/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/hydration-cls-react-fixes/ Mon, 23 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT Layout shift after hydration is a logic bug, not a metric curse. I align server HTML, reserve space, and defer DOM surgery. React https://briancrabtree.me/journal/cloudflare-cache-stale-assets-after-deploy/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/cloudflare-cache-stale-assets-after-deploy/ Thu, 19 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've wrestled with Cloudflare caching keeping old assets alive after a deploy. This post covers the specific headaches, what went wrong in my setup, and the concrete steps I took to finally get new files showing up consistently. It details advanced cache control, targeted purging, and asset fingerprinting for reliable Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/spring-boot-content-api-pagination/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/spring-boot-content-api-pagination/ Tue, 17 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT I often deal with paginating content APIs for headless clients. Getting spring boot content api pagination right means balancing backend efficiency with frontend flexibility, avoiding common pitfalls like slow offsets and data inconsistencies. Backend https://briancrabtree.me/journal/third-party-scripts-performance-cost/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/third-party-scripts-performance-cost/ Mon, 16 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT Analytics, chat widgets, and A/B snippets run on your main thread, not theirs. I inventory, defer, and delete with data. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/lab-vs-field-data-pagespeed/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/lab-vs-field-data-pagespeed/ Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've seen too many teams celebrate perfect Lighthouse scores while real users suffer. Lab vs field data in PageSpeed Insights tells two different stories. Relying only on synthetic tests is a quick way to miss actual performance problems. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/headless-wordpress-when-plugins-become-product/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/headless-wordpress-when-plugins-become-product/ Tue, 10 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT I pushed a WordPress site to its limits by over-relying on plugins, and it eventually buckled. The spiraling performance cost and relentless maintenance overhead made me ask: headless WordPress, when to switch? Here’s a blunt look at what broke and how we navigated away from the plugin ecosystem. Backend https://briancrabtree.me/journal/container-queries-responsive-components/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/container-queries-responsive-components/ Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT Viewport media queries lie inside grids and sidebars. I size components from their parent box with container queries and stay sane. CSS https://briancrabtree.me/journal/fixed-price-web-project-vs-hourly/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/fixed-price-web-project-vs-hourly/ Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've seen enough web projects go sideways to know pricing isn't simple. Fixed-price vs hourly web development contracts each have sharp edges. Small businesses especially need to know what questions to ask before signing on. I'll explain what I've learned from both sides of the table. Engineering https://briancrabtree.me/journal/prefers-reduced-motion-beyond-checkbox/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/prefers-reduced-motion-beyond-checkbox/ Tue, 03 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT I thought prefers-reduced-motion was a simple media query checkbox. It's not. I've shipped features that broke accessibility for users who need it most, and learned that best practices mean more than just fading out animations. Here's what I actually do now. CSS https://briancrabtree.me/journal/html-forms-without-framework-magic/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/html-forms-without-framework-magic/ Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:00:00 GMT Native forms with server actions and honest validation beat heavy client kits on most marketing sites. I wire them without losing UX. HTML https://briancrabtree.me/journal/staging-to-production-checklist/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/staging-to-production-checklist/ Thu, 26 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've seen too many launches go sideways because critical steps were missed. This post covers the non-negotiable checks I run when moving from staging to production, ensuring a smooth deployment and fewer surprises for both the client and the users. Engineering https://briancrabtree.me/journal/responsive-tables-without-scroll-hell/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/responsive-tables-without-scroll-hell/ Tue, 24 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've shipped a lot of tables that broke on small screens. Horizontal scrollbars are a user experience crime. Here's how I build responsive tables without relying on JavaScript or making users pinch and zoom. CSS https://briancrabtree.me/journal/wordpress-plugin-performance-tax/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/wordpress-plugin-performance-tax/ Mon, 23 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT Every plugin is PHP, SQL, CSS, and JS on every request until proven otherwise. I audit active plugins like credit card statements. Backend https://briancrabtree.me/journal/ga4-core-web-vitals-reporting/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/ga4-core-web-vitals-reporting/ Thu, 19 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT I've built a lot of Google Analytics dashboards. Most Core Web Vitals reports in GA4 are useless for owners and product managers. Here's how I set up GA4 to actually report on site performance metrics that matter. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/print-stylesheets-invoices-specs/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/print-stylesheets-invoices-specs/ Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT I'm still surprised by how many businesses struggle with printouts of their own data. Invoices, spec sheets, legal documents – these often look awful when printed directly from a browser. Ignoring print stylesheets means extra work fixing bad output, which is easily avoidable. CSS https://briancrabtree.me/journal/font-loading-without-layout-shift/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/font-loading-without-layout-shift/ Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT Web fonts sell brand and steal stability. I limit families, subset glyphs, and match metrics so CLS stays quiet on mobile. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/json-ld-schema-local-business/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/json-ld-schema-local-business/ Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT I ditched schema plugins years ago after seeing them tank site performance and break structured data parsing. Now, I hand-code json-ld local business schema directly into the DOM, keeping full control and avoiding bloat. It's cleaner, faster, and works every time. HTML https://briancrabtree.me/journal/skip-links-keyboard-nav-spa/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/skip-links-keyboard-nav-spa/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT I shipped a React SPA without proper skip links or keyboard navigation, and the accessibility report was brutal. We fixed it, but understanding how client-side rendering impacts focus management for assistive tech was key. Here's what actually worked. HTML https://briancrabtree.me/journal/webp-avif-modern-image-delivery/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/webp-avif-modern-image-delivery/ Mon, 09 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT JPEG is not dead but it is not the default either. I pair modern formats with dimensions, lazy loading, and honest LCP preloads. Performance https://briancrabtree.me/journal/managed-hosting-vs-cheap-shared-hosting/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/managed-hosting-vs-cheap-shared-hosting/ Thu, 05 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT Bad hosting cripples good businesses. Managed hosting is vital for site security, speed, and avoiding constant issues. I'll explain why this upgrade is a critical investment for long-term reliability and growth. Engineering https://briancrabtree.me/journal/wcag-contrast-brutalist-dark-ui/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/wcag-contrast-brutalist-dark-ui/ Tue, 03 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT I learned the hard way that aggressive dark UIs and brutalist designs often fail WCAG contrast without deliberate planning. Shipping accessible dark mode meant rethinking color systems, not just inverting values. This is how I tackled those compliance issues head-on. CSS https://briancrabtree.me/journal/backend-json-api-design-for-frontends/ https://briancrabtree.me/journal/backend-json-api-design-for-frontends/ Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:00:00 GMT Chatty REST and bloated graphs both hurt. I design endpoints for one screen, stable keys, and pagination that does not punish mobile. Backend