Speed diagnostics that find
the cause, not the symptom.
Ballast goes beyond Core Web Vitals scores. It traces the dependency chain behind every performance issue — telling you exactly what is slow, why it is slow, what depends on it, and precisely how to fix it.
is slow
per issue
visibility flags
Move analytics-bundle.js to </body> or add defer. This unblocks hero image load and reduces LCP by an estimated 2.1s. polyfill.min.js is unnecessary for Chrome 110+ — conditionally load only.
Knowing your score doesn't tell you how to fix it.
PageSpeed Insights tells you your LCP is 4.2 seconds. GTmetrix tells you your page weight is too high. Neither tells you which specific file is the root cause, what depends on it, what it depends on, or exactly what to change to fix it. Ballast does.
Scores and recommendations without causation
- Reports that LCP is slow — not what is causing it
- Flags render-blocking resources — not their dependency chain
- Suggests "reduce JavaScript" — not which files or why
- No awareness of what depends on what
- No view of how load order affects crawl access
- No connection to AI bot visibility
Causal chain analysis with granular fix paths
- Traces the exact dependency chain behind each issue
- Identifies which files block others and by how long
- Flags whether slow code is a dependency for critical rendering
- Recommends specific file-level changes with estimated impact
- Advises optimal load order and placement for crawl efficiency
- Flags content invisible to AI bots due to JS rendering order
Six diagnostic categories. Every issue traced to its root.
Dependency Graph Analysis
Maps the full dependency chain for every resource on the page — what each file depends on, what depends on it, and how that chain affects load sequence and render timing.
Root cause identificationRender-Blocking Chain Tracing
Identifies which resources block rendering, traces back to the source, and calculates how much time each element adds to LCP, FCP, and INP — before and after proposed fixes.
LCP / FCP / INP impactCode Weight Reduction
Analyses resource payload at file level, identifies redundant code, unnecessary polyfills, and unused CSS — with specific removal or conditional loading recommendations per file.
Payload analysisPlacement Optimisation
Advises exactly where each resource should be placed in the document for minimum crawl and compute cost — script defer, async, preload hints, and critical CSS inlining recommendations.
Load order guidanceAI Bot Crawl Visibility
Flags content that is invisible to AI crawlers — GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot — because it is only accessible after JavaScript renders. Identifies which elements in the dependency chain are causing the visibility block.
AI Search crawlabilityBefore / After Impact Estimation
Each fix recommendation includes an estimated time saving, calculated from the dependency chain analysis. See the projected LCP improvement before you make a single code change.
Projected impact per fixBuilt for the people who fix the code, not just read the report.
Ballast is a desktop application — not a dashboard subscription. You run it against a URL, get a complete dependency-mapped diagnostic, and act on specific file-level recommendations. No ongoing account, no data sent to a cloud platform.
Tauri v2 Desktop App
Same architecture as Prism — lightweight Tauri binary, no Electron runtime, no cloud dependency. Runs on Windows. Your diagnostic data stays on your machine.
Windows primaryNo Subscription Required
Ballast is a tool you own, not a service you rent. No monthly fee to run a diagnostic. No data leaving your machine to a cloud provider. No per-report charge.
One-time licenceThe Only Speed Tool with AI Crawl Visibility
Ballast flags content that is invisible to AI crawlers — GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot — due to JavaScript rendering order or load dependencies. No other speed tool connects performance to AI Search visibility.
AI Search angleWebmasters and Developers
You need to know which file to change, where to move it, and why. Ballast gives you file-level answers, not dashboard metrics.
Technical SEOs
You need to brief developers accurately. Ballast produces specific, actionable recommendations you can hand directly to a dev team without interpretation.
AI Search Practitioners
You need to know if AI bots can actually read your content. Ballast connects load order and dependency chains directly to AI crawler visibility — a gap no other tool addresses.
Ballast is in early development. Built to stay ahead of a fast-moving landscape.
The AI search landscape is shifting faster than most speed tools are built to track. Ballast is being developed with that in mind — a diagnostic tool that understands not just what slows a page down, but what that means for the AI crawlers that are increasingly deciding what gets cited.
Register your interest and you'll receive early access pricing and an invitation to beta test before public release.