Instagram Feed is very slow to load

Here’s what influences the loading speed:

1. The number of sources and filters in your feed. The widget makes one request to Instagram for each source and filter you have, so the more sources, the more requests. And as each request takes some time, the more sources and filters you have, the longer it takes to load the feed.
2. The size of your grid. In case there are 12 photos in the grid, they will be loaded slower than 6 or 9. Thus, it makes sense to adjust grid size to get the loading time you need.
3. The images limit option. We have a default limit of 100 images per source, to keep up the plugin performance. The higher the limit, the longer it takes for the plugin to load. 

Ways to speed up the plugin loading:

1. There is a server-side cache in the plugin. So it takes time to load for the first time, or when the cache is expired. But all further requests are loaded much faster, as the plugin gets the data from the cache. You need to make sure that your cache is working. To do it, check for the storage folder at /wp-content/plugins/elfsight-instagram-feed-cc/api/storage.
2. There is the client-side cache as well. It allows to store the images in your browser’s local storage. This is useful for the sites that feature one InstaShow feed on several pages. This way when a visitor is browsing your website, the feed loads without delay on each page after the initial load. You can set the client-side cache in Cache time field on More tab of the plugin’s settings.
3. The size of the grid and the number of sources you use also affect the loading speed in a negative way. Using a smaller grid and fewer sources will lead to a significant increase in loading speed.