Core Web Vitals
Also called: CWV
Updated November 9, 2026
Core Web Vitals are three measurements of what real visitors experience on a page: how fast the main content loads (LCP), how quickly the page responds to a tap or click (INP) and how stable the layout stays (CLS).
The three metrics and their thresholds
Each one is measured on real visits, separately for mobile and desktop. A page passes when 75 percent of visits meet the good threshold for all three. Between good and poor, Search Console calls it Need improvement.
| Metric | What it measures | Good | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP, Largest Contentful Paint | When the largest image or text block appears | 2.5 s or less | Over 4 s |
| INP, Interaction to Next Paint | How fast the page reacts to clicks, taps and typing | 200 ms or less | Over 500 ms |
| CLS, Cumulative Layout Shift | How much the content jumps around while loading | 0.1 or less | Over 0.25 |
Why it matters on a small site
Google says its ranking systems use Core Web Vitals and recommends good scores. It also says that good results in the report don't mean a page will rank at the top, and that Search always tries to show the most relevant content, even when its page experience is weak.
The plainer reason is your visitors. A page that loads slowly or shifts while someone tries to tap your phone number makes it harder to call or book.
How to check your site
Our free website audit checklist puts this next to the other technical basics.
- In Search Console, open the Core Web Vitals report and click Open report next to the mobile chart.
- Look at the table Why URLs aren't considered good. Each example address stands for a group of similar pages.
- If you see No data available, the property is new or there isn't enough data from real Chrome visits yet.
- Test single pages in PageSpeed Insights. It shows real visitor data when Google has enough, plus a lab test, and a lab test can't measure INP because nobody clicks.
- After a fix, click Start Tracking on the issue page. Search Console then watches the pages for 28 days.
Frequently asked questions
›Do I need a perfect score?
No. Google itself says chasing a perfect score only for SEO may not be the best use of your time. Aim for the good thresholds on the pages people actually visit.
›What happened to FID?
First Input Delay was the old responsiveness metric. INP replaced it as a Core Web Vital in 2024.
Read more
Sources
- web.dev Web Vitals
- Search Console Help Core Web Vitals report
- Google Search Central Understanding Google Page Experience