The present disclosure involves systems, software, and computer implemented methods for optimizing a critical resource path for a web application. One example process includes operations for identifying a visual completeness criteria for the web application. The web application includes a plurality of N resources. The web application is initialized for execution and the network roundtrips of each resource are monitored until the visual completeness criteria is satisfied and a first total elapsed time is determined. A total of N further initializations of the web application are performed, wherein each further initialization is performed while delaying loading of a different one of the N resources during a particular iteration. A particular resource is determined as not relevant to the CRP when the total time elapsed to the visual completeness criteria in the further initialization where the particular resource is delayed is below a threshold amount above the first total elapsed time.