Core Web Vitals are Google's metrics for measuring user experience on websites. They focus on loading, interactivity, and visual stability. They are a ranking factor for search.

The Three Core Web Vitals

View the Metrics

LCP (Largest Contentful Paint): Loading performance. How quickly the main content loads. Target: under 2.5 seconds.
INP (Interaction to Next Paint): Interactivity. How quickly the page responds to user input. Target: under 200ms. (Replaced FID in 2024)
CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift): Visual stability. How much the page layout shifts unexpectedly. Target: under 0.1.

Why Core Web Vitals Matter

  • Google ranking factor (part of page experience)
  • Directly impacts user experience
  • Affects conversion rates
  • Mobile experience increasingly important

How to Check

  • Google Search Console (Core Web Vitals report)
  • PageSpeed Insights
  • Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools)
  • Google's web.dev/measure

Improving Core Web Vitals

Optimise images, use fast hosting, minimise JavaScript, implement lazy loading, reserve space for ads/images (prevents CLS), and use a CDN. Often requires developer involvement.