Implement AMP Project framework

thumped

Well-known member
https://www.ampproject.org/

The Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) Project is an initiative to improve the mobile web and enhance the distribution ecosystem. If content is fast, flexible and beautiful, including compelling and effective ads, we can preserve the open web publishing model as well as the revenue streams so important to the sustainability of quality publishing.

AMP HTML is a new way to make web pages that are optimized to load instantly on users’ mobile devices. It is designed to support smart caching, predictable performance, and modern, beautiful mobile content. Since AMP HTML is built on existing web technologies, and not a template based system, publishers continue to host their own content, innovate on their user experiences, and flexibly integrate their advertising and business models -- all within a technical architecture optimized for speed and performance.
 
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I have noticed that Reddit's AMP pages seem to be ranking quite well for a lot of mobile queries.

I know it's Reddit, but still, I have no doubt their AMP implementation has contributed to those rankings. I'd love to know my forum pages have a chance to compete with those queries on an even footing.
 
AMP can be very problematic outside of a default XF install. It is fast for mobile queries, yes... but also has issues in relation to UI aspects that community software contain. It has pros and cons... and honestly, both sides fair near equally, which is why it isn't used as much as it was created for. Responsive solutions can load nearly as fast without any complicated AMP protocol restrictions / changes. Reddit is not the best example, as the default Reddit system is nearly AMP already. Very minimalistic design. It works well in those sites. Not so well in complicated sites.

You can create a watered down style that you control, then feed that to mobile users if you wanted to.
 
For a forum, i think AMP is not necessary. To qualify for a valid AMP, everything have to support it. XenForo core, your add-ons, styles... And may have to removed some features to have AMP available. It's good to have AMP, but it's not a requirement!
 
No you can't. It's nearly impossible to provide the speed that AMP provides!

Most of it's speed comes from google cache i think. The AMP configuration is a ongoing thing and more like SPDY testing what works best, i have it on my forum but can't find any benefits at the moment.
 
It shouldn't be too hard to make, you just want an amp version of the site for google to get people on the forum then any links from that go to the normal version of the site.
 
No you can't.
Yes, you can. Regardless how you deliver the content, the content itself must be called from your server, wherever it is in the world. When you correctly cache and offset irrelevant things in the loading process, getting the page to load its content is very close to the same. I have done the AMP thing, and with a forum, like said above... add-ons, styles, etc, they all screw with it.

AMP is only good for very static content OR sites like reddit where there is no real styling or complicated features. Text with indents. That is Reddit. Not difficult to convert into AMP. Not sure why Reddit bothered, to be honest, as there must be such an insignificant difference between their normal page and the AMP variation based on their structure. An average Wordpress post... now that can save considerably.

Forums have complicated feature sets for community interaction = they don't play nicely with AMP from experience.

If Google give AMP special caching for everything but the content, then that is the only improvement. But again... Google has nothing to do with the user loading the content. Their connection quality and speed, their device, etc etc, all influence loading speed. A phone within the past few years with a 4G connection -- the difference is very marginal when a site is correctly setup to begin with. Cloudflare is always the first step, and if any site doesn't use it, then you are doing your users a disservice from the get go. Cloudflare alone can do exactly what Google can for localised loading of static content / caching.

IMHO, if XF tried to do this, they would need to build a near subset setup aside to the forum, a permanent alternative style, just to limit all the user complaints in relation to add-ons and styling breaking the output. A system where add-ons, template changes, etc, have no affect on that style for AMP to use. Experience has dictated nothing but issues from past developers trying this with an add-on.

AMP is just so finicky, the slightest thing breaks it in Google console.
 
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