First Paint

ELI5 — The Vibe Check

First Paint is the moment your browser stops showing a blank white screen and puts literally anything on it. It's like when the waiter brings bread to the table — dinner hasn't started, but at least you know they haven't forgotten about you.

Real Talk

First Paint (FP) measures the time from navigation to when the browser renders the first pixel on screen. It includes any background color or non-default content. It signals to users that the page is loading, though meaningful content may not yet be visible.

When You'll Hear This

"Our First Paint is 3 seconds — users think the site is broken" / "Adding a background color improved perceived First Paint"