Question

How can I load jQuery from a CDN, and what are the benefits of using a CDN for jQuery?

I’m setting up a new project and want to include jQuery in it. I’ve heard about loading jQuery from a CDN, but I’m not sure how to do it properly. Could someone show me how to include jQuery from a popular CDN? Also, what are the advantages of using a CDN for jQuery instead of hosting it locally, especially in terms of performance and caching?

Answer 1

All you need to do is include a <script> tag in your HTML file that references the jQuery file on a CDN. Here's an example using Google's CDN:

<!-- Load jQuery from Google's CDN -->

<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.5.1/jquery.min.js"></script>

Or use Cloudflare or Microsoft's CDN for example:

<!-- Load jQuery from Cloudflare CDN -->

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.5.1/jquery.min.js"></script>

Advantages of Using a CDN for jQuery

Faster page load times: A CDN distributes content from servers in multiple regions around the world. What this means is users get to download jQuery from a server much closer to them, thus resulting in faster page load times.

Caching: CDNs cache static files. If the user has already visited a site using the same version of jQuery from a CDN, the browser can serve the cached version, avoiding an additional network request and speeding up the page load time.

Reliability: CDNs are optimized for high availability and reliability. They offer redundancy in case of server failures, ensuring the jQuery file is always available.