What are core web vitals?

Adobe For Business Team

06-25-2025

Web Vitals

Core web vitals are standardized metrics that quantify the user experience of a website based on a set of factors Google considers necessary. Introduced in 2020, Google’s Core Web Vitals consist of three specific measurements related to page speed and user interaction:

  1. Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
  2. Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
  3. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

Core Web Vitals are metrics that measure user experience for loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability of webpages. Let’s take a closer look at them now.

In this guide:

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

Largest Contentful Paint LCP

Largest Contentful Paint represents how quickly a web page's main content becomes visible after it starts loading. Specifically, LCP measures the time the page renders its largest content. The largest visible element may be a video, rich imagery, or a text block.

A website with an LCP time below 2.5 seconds receives a “Good” rating. A time between 2.5 and 4 seconds is rated as “Needs Improvement,” while an LCP time greater than or equal to 4 seconds is a “Poor” score. There are many ways to improve the loading speed of a webpage, typically through deleting unnecessary code or minimizing the amount of data you’re trying to load.

You may need to employ several approaches before you get the desired results, as you’ll need to tailor your approach to your page. Some common ways of reducing your LCP time include:

Interaction to Next Paint (INP)

Interaction to Next Paint (INP) measures the responsiveness of a webpage. Whether it’s a click, keyboard, or finger tap, INP takes an inventory of every interaction and measures the one that results in the longest response. For example, if a page responds almost instantly when you scroll but takes half a second to register typing on a keyboard, that half second will be used for the INP score.

Some functions will take longer than others, even when prioritizing a fast response time. To even things out, it’s best to measure the 75th percentile of interaction times. An INP of 200 milliseconds or below is considered good. Somewhere between 200 and 500 milliseconds means the page needs improvement, and an INP over 500 milliseconds is considered poor.

Ways to improve your INP score include:

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

Cumulative Layout Shift CLS

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) evaluates the user experience based on the perceived visual stability of a page load. As a page loads, CLS measures the unexpected layout shifts or how much content moves around.

For example, a poor CLS score would result if a site visitor was reading a page, a banner loaded, and the page suddenly jumped. In some instances, this can cause users to inadvertently click a banner ad and be directed off the page they intended to visit, causing user frustration. Pages should aim to have a CLS of 0.1 or less.

Ways to improve your CLS include:

Why Core Web Vitals Matter?

Largest contentful paint, interaction to next paint, and cumulative layout shift are important to deliver a better user experience. Good core web vitals can prevent users from getting frustrated and bouncing from your site.

Conversely, neglecting your core web vitals can result in a negative user experience, reducing conversions as visitors bounce off your page and go to a competitor. Poor core web vitals may also decrease keyword ranking visibility and push your site down on search engine results pages (SERP).

Measuring Core Web Vitals

Several ways to effectively measure your site’s core web vitals can vary based on your business needs, goals, and resources. Some options to consider include:

While it’s possible to test these metrics in a controlled, lab-like environment, focus on measuring how actual visitors interact with your website to acquire data that can help you improve the true user experience.

“Better Core Web Vitals improves user engagement and business metrics. According to Google, when a site meets the Core Web Vitals thresholds, users are 24% less likely to abandon page load.”

CrUX supplementary metrics

It’s also worth noting that there are additional performance metrics besides the core web vitals. Standard options to monitor include:

Understanding how Core Web Vitals inform and impact your site’s user experience will help you create a better experience for visitors and ensure your content gets the attention it deserves. If you want to take the next step, load up your site and experience it from the user's point of view. That way, you can identify any obvious areas of improvement.

But even a fast, responsive, and visually stable website doesn’t do you much good without great content and personalization that meet the modern customer’s high expectations. Adobe Experience Manager Assets automates content and supports various file types, giving you everything you need to optimize your site and create a seamless user experience.

Watch an overview video to learn how Experience Manager Assets can help you optimize your website’s content.

https://business.adobe.com/fragments/resources/cards/thank-you-collections/experience-manager-assets