Core Web Vitals are three measurements of how a page feels to a real visitor. They are a lightweight ranking signal, but the bigger payoff is that faster, steadier pages convert better.
LCP: Largest Contentful Paint
How long until the main content (usually a hero image or headline) appears. Aim for 2.5 seconds or less. Common fixes: compress and correctly size the hero image, preload it, use a fast host or CDN, and remove render-blocking scripts.
INP: Interaction to Next Paint
How quickly the page responds when someone taps, clicks or types. INP replaced the older FID metric in 2024. Aim for 200 milliseconds or less. Common fixes: break up long JavaScript tasks, delay third-party scripts, and avoid heavy work in click handlers.
CLS: Cumulative Layout Shift
How much the layout jumps while loading. Aim for 0.1 or less. Common fixes: set width and height on images and embeds, reserve space for ads and banners, and avoid inserting content above existing content.
Measure the right data
- Field data (real users) from the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console and the Chrome UX Report is what counts.
- Lab data from Lighthouse is for debugging, not for judging success.
Fix by template
Group URLs by template, such as product, article or category. Fixing one template can move hundreds of URLs from “needs improvement” to “good” at once.
Do not chase a perfect score. Get each key template into the green, then move on to work that grows traffic.