Webflow svg as image or embed

Design help General
1

For sake of performance, is it better to use svg in an image element, or as an inline embed element?
Is there a difference at all?

2

According to GPT-4;

The performance benefits of using SVG images in an image element or as an inline embed element depend on your specific use case and requirements.

  1. Image element (<img> tag): Using SVG in an image element is beneficial when:
  • You have multiple instances of the same SVG across the website, as the browser will cache the SVG file, resulting in faster subsequent load times.
  • You want to keep your HTML markup clean and separate from the SVG code.
  • You don’t need to manipulate the SVG through CSS or JavaScript.

Drawbacks:

  • The SVG code cannot be manipulated with CSS or JavaScript, which can limit your styling and interaction options.
  1. Inline embed element: Using SVG as an inline embed element is beneficial when:
  • You need to manipulate the SVG with CSS or JavaScript, allowing for more dynamic styles and interactions.
  • The SVG is unique to the page and not used elsewhere, reducing the benefits of caching.

Drawbacks:

  • The HTML markup can become cluttered, especially with large or complex SVGs.
  • Browser caching benefits are lost, as the inline SVG code is loaded with each page request.

In summary, if you need more control over the SVG’s appearance and interactivity, use an inline embed element. However, if you are more concerned about performance and don’t need to manipulate the SVG, use an image element. In both cases, the difference in performance might be negligible for smaller and simpler SVGs, but it can become significant for larger and more complex ones or when used across a high-traffic website.

I concur with AI on this response.

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