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Stagehand performance depends on several factors: DOM processing speed, LLM inference time, browser operations, and network latency. This guide provides proven strategies to maximize automation speed.

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Quick Performance Wins

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1. Plan Ahead with Observe

Use a single observe() call to plan multiple actions, then execute them efficiently: 
// Instead of sequential operations with multiple LLM calls await page.act("Fill name field"); // LLM call #1 await page.act("Fill email field"); // LLM call #2 await page.act("Select country dropdown"); // LLM call #3  // Use single observe to plan all form fields - one LLM call const formFields = await page.observe("Find all form fields to fill");  // Execute all actions without LLM inference for (const field of formFields) {  await page.act(field); // No LLM calls! }
Performance Tip: Acting on observe results avoids LLM inference entirely. This approach is 2-3x faster than direct act() calls and is the recommended pattern for multi-step workflows.

Caching Guide

Learn advanced caching patterns and cache invalidation strategies

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2. Optimize DOM Processing

Reduce DOM complexity before Stagehand processes the page: 
// Remove heavy elements that slow down processing await page.evaluate(() => {  // Remove video elements  document.querySelectorAll('video, iframe').forEach(el => el.remove());    // Hide complex animations  document.querySelectorAll('[style*="animation"]').forEach(el => {  (el as HTMLElement).style.animation = 'none';  }); });  // Then perform Stagehand operations await page.act("Click the submit button");

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3. Set Appropriate Timeouts

Use shorter timeouts for simple operations and longer ones for complex page loads: 
// Simple actions - reduce action timeout await page.act({   instruction: "Click the login button",  actTimeout: 5000 // Default is 30000ms, reduce for simple clicks });  // Complex page loads - optimize navigation await page.goto("https://heavy-spa.com", {  waitUntil: "domcontentloaded", // Don't wait for all resources  timeout: 15000 // Shorter than default 30s });

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Advanced Performance Strategies

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Smart Model Selection

Use faster models for simple tasks, premium models only when needed: 
class SpeedOptimizedStagehand {  private fastModel: Stagehand;  private premiumModel: Stagehand;   async smartAct(page: Page, prompt: string, complexity: 'simple' | 'complex') {  const model = complexity === 'simple' ? this.fastModel : this.premiumModel;  return await model.page.act(prompt);  } }  // Use fast model for simple clicks/forms await stagehand.smartAct(page, "Click submit", 'simple');  // Use premium model for complex reasoning await stagehand.smartAct(page, "Find the cheapest flight option", 'complex');

Model Configuration

Compare model performance and costs

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Page Load Optimization

Skip unnecessary resources during page loads: 
// Block heavy resources globally await context.route('**/*', (route) => {  const resourceType = route.request().resourceType();  if (['image', 'font', 'media'].includes(resourceType)) {  route.abort();  } else {  route.continue();  } });  // Use faster navigation await page.goto(url, {   waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded', // Don't wait for images/fonts  timeout: 10000  });

Cost Optimization

Balance speed with cost considerations

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Performance Monitoring and Benchmarking

Track performance metrics and measure optimization impact:

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Performance Tracking

class PerformanceTracker {  private speedMetrics: Map<string, number[]> = new Map();   async timedAct(page: Page, prompt: string): Promise<ActResult> {  const start = Date.now();  const result = await page.act(prompt);  const duration = Date.now() - start;    if (!this.speedMetrics.has(prompt)) {  this.speedMetrics.set(prompt, []);  }  this.speedMetrics.get(prompt)!.push(duration);    console.log(`Action "${prompt}" took ${duration}ms`);  return result;  }   getAverageTime(prompt: string): number {  const times = this.speedMetrics.get(prompt) || [];  return times.reduce((a, b) => a + b, 0) / times.length;  } }
Example Output: 
Action "Fill form" took 1000ms Action "Click submit" took 2000ms Action "Confirm submission" took 5000ms

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Before vs After Benchmarking

// Before optimization console.time("workflow"); await page.act("Fill form"); await page.act("Click submit"); await page.act("Confirm submission"); console.timeEnd("workflow"); // 8000ms  // After optimization with observe planning console.time("workflow-optimized"); const workflowActions = await page.observe("Find form, submit, and confirm elements");  // Execute actions sequentially to avoid conflicts for (const action of workflowActions) {  await page.act(action); } console.timeEnd("workflow-optimized"); // 500ms
Example Output: 
Workflow took 8000ms Optimized workflow took 500ms

Observability & Metrics

Set up comprehensive performance monitoring

Caching Strategies

Advanced caching patterns for maximum performance

Cost Optimization

Balance speed improvements with cost considerations

Browser Configuration

Optimize Browserbase settings for speed

Model Selection

Choose the right model for speed vs accuracy
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