Reduce font-awesome size with node.js + express.js website

Question

I am working on a website based on node.js + express.js, using font-awesome as icon technique.

Font-awesome is locally hosted, and JS file [font-awesome.js] is 1.2 mb, although we are using 10-15 icons only. Want to reduce that size.

Option I understand,

If I open JS file, there is an array named icons, listing SVG content for all icons. So, I can delete all but required ones. However, obvious issue with this option is that if I want to use another icon in future, I need edit it again.

Option I don't understand,

There exists an [svc-javascript-core] package ( https://fontawesome.com/how-to-use/on-the-web/advanced/svg-javascript-core ), that allows creating required subset. It also mentions that if you are not using any tool doing tree-shaking (I'm not), you can use deep-imports ( https://fontawesome.com/how-to-use/javascript-api/other/tree-shaking ).

However, I don't understand,

• Would it result in creating a new JS file containing only the subset (or can I code that myself?)
• Would that change the way I use font-awesome in my pages?

Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 1

You can use the Subsetter App for Font Awesome , which let you choose only the icons you're using in your website.

To answer your other question: no, this would not change the way you're using Font Awesome. Except for having to update your subset when you need new icons.