Core Web Vitals
Google's set of user-experience metrics, loading, interactivity and visual stability, that factor into rankings.
In depth
What it really means
Core Web Vitals are Google’s page-experience metrics: how fast the main content loads, how quickly the page responds to input, and how stable the layout is as it loads. They are part of how Google judges user experience.
They are a real but modest ranking factor. Great vitals won’t save weak content, but poor vitals can hold good content back and hurt conversions.
The three vitals
| Metric | Measures | Good |
|---|---|---|
| LCP | Loading of main content | Under 2.5s |
| INP | Responsiveness to input | Under 200ms |
| CLS | Visual layout stability | Under 0.1 |
Best practices
- Measure real-world vitals, not just lab scores.
- Optimize images and reduce heavy scripts for LCP.
- Cut and defer JavaScript to improve responsiveness.
- Reserve space for images and embeds to avoid layout shift.
- Fix the worst-performing templates first.
FAQs
What are Core Web Vitals?
Google’s user-experience metrics for loading (LCP), responsiveness (INP) and visual stability (CLS).
Are Core Web Vitals a ranking factor?
Yes, a real but modest one. They help as a tiebreaker and improve conversions, but content and relevance matter more.
What is a good score?
Roughly LCP under 2.5s, INP under 200ms, and CLS under 0.1, measured on real users.
How do I improve Core Web Vitals?
Optimize images, reduce and defer JavaScript, and reserve space for elements to prevent layout shift.
Lab data or field data?
Google uses real-world field data for ranking, so optimize for that, not just lab tests.
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