Core Web Vitals
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
Core Web Vitals are the three most important Web Vitals that Google actually uses as ranking signals. They measure loading speed (LCP), visual stability (CLS), and interactivity (INP). If your site fails all three, you're probably not on page one of Google.
Real Talk
Core Web Vitals are a subset of Web Vitals that Google considers essential signals for user experience and incorporates into its ranking algorithm. As of 2024, they consist of Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), and Interaction to Next Paint (INP), which replaced First Input Delay (FID).
When You'll Hear This
Core Web Vitals are now a confirmed Google ranking factor.,Our Core Web Vitals improved significantly after adding a CDN.,Run Lighthouse to audit your Core Web Vitals scores.
Related Terms
CLS (CLS)
CLS measures how much your page randomly jumps around while loading.
FID (FID)
FID measured how long it took for the browser to react after you first clicked something.
INP (INP)
INP measures how snappy your website feels every time you interact with it — not just the first click, but every button press, dropdown open, and form subm...
Lazy Loading
Lazy loading waits until you actually access related data before fetching it. Access post.author and only then does it query the database.
LCP (LCP)
LCP measures how long it takes for the biggest thing on your page to appear. Usually it's a hero image or a big headline.
SEO
SEO is the art of convincing Google to rank your website higher than your competitors.