What Are Core Web Vitals?
Core Web Vitals are a set of specific factors that Google considers important in a webpage’s overall user experience. These metrics consist of three specific page speed and user interaction measurements: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).
In short, Core Web Vitals are a subset of factors that will be part of Google’s overall “page experience” score—which is essentially how Google evaluates the overall UX of your pages.
You can find your site’s Core Web Vitals data in the “Enhancements” section of Google Search Console.
Why Are Core Web Vitals Important?
Google has announced that page experience will become an official Google ranking factor.
Page experience is a mix of signals that Google considers important for delivering a good user experience, including:
HTTPS
Mobile-friendliness
No intrusive interstitial pop-ups
“Safe browsing” (basically, no malware on the page)
And Core Web Vitals will be a critical part of this score.
In fact, based on the announcement and naming, it’s safe to say that Core Web Vitals will make up the largest portion of your page experience score.
It’s important to note that having a great page experience score won’t magically push you to #1 on Google. Google has been clear that page experience is just one of about 200 ranking factors used in their algorithm.
So, no need to panic—there’s still time.
Google has said site owners have until next year to improve their Core Web Vitals scores.
However, if you’d like to start improving your Core Web Vitals scores now, great!
Because in this guide, we’ll take a look at the three key metrics.
1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
LCP is a Core Web Vitals metric used by site owners to assess user experience. It measures how long it takes for the largest visible content block (like an image or text) to render on screen. This helps determine whether users are finding your page useful, based on load time.
2. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
CLS is a metric that identifies unexpected layout shifts on a web page—like links or buttons that move around after the page starts loading. It reflects how difficult it may be for users to interact with page elements once they begin engaging with your site.
3. First Input Delay (FID)
FID measures the delay between a user’s first interaction with a page (e.g., clicking a link or button) and when the browser actually begins processing that interaction. It’s a key metric for identifying pages that may frustrate users due to sluggish responsiveness.