First Contentful Paint (FCP) is a user-centered metric that measures the perceived page load speed. Rather than measuring what a speed test tool records, FCP gauges how users perceive the performance of a website.
First Contentful Paint differs from First Paint, which is the point on the page load timeline when any type of rendering is detected by the browser. On the other hand, FCP requires some content to be rendered. This content can be text, images (including background images and logos), or non-white <canvas> elements.
FCP also differs from Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), one of the Core Web Vitals metrics, which measures how long it takes for the largest visible element in the viewport to become visible.
To keep it simple, you can think of FCP as the time it takes for a user to see any content rendered in their browser. A fast FCP reassures users that something is happening and keeps them engaged with the site.
How Is First Contentful Paint (FCP) Measured?
FCP can be measured both with lab tests and real user experience data (field data). Some tools you can use to measure FCP include:
Lighthouse
WebPageTest
Chrome DevTools
PageSpeed Insights
Chrome User Experience Report
Firebase Performance Monitoring (beta)
Google measures FCP by segmenting 75% of your page loads across both mobile and desktop devices, ensuring an accurate representation of user experience.
How to Improve First Contentful Paint (FCP) Time in WordPress?
Now that we understand what FCP is and why it matters, here are 10 ways to improve and fix poor FCP scores on your WordPress site. The goal is to reduce FCP time to under 1.8 seconds:
Reduce Server Response Time (TTFB)
Eliminate Render-Blocking Resources
Generate Critical Path CSS
Avoid Above-the-Fold JavaScript-Dependent Elements
Avoid Loading Large Images
Optimize Your Site’s DOM Size
Ensure Text Remains Visible During Webfont Loading
Use Resource Hints
Avoid Multiple Page Redirects