Keep LCP under 2.5 s, INP under 200 ms and CLS under 0.1 at the 75th percentile
| Impact | Evidence | Applies to | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium | Official guidance | Oct 30, 2026 |
Why it matters
Google states Core Web Vitals are used by its ranking systems, measured on the 75th percentile of real page loads split by mobile and desktop. INP replaced FID on March 12, 2024, with over 500 ms rated poor. Google also says chasing a perfect score purely for SEO is rarely worth it once you are in the good range.
How to do it
- Check field data in Search Console's Core Web Vitals report or PageSpeed Insights
- Fix the worst template first, usually the one with the most traffic
- For INP, break up long JavaScript tasks and cut third-party scripts
- For CLS, set width and height on images and reserve space for embeds
Sources
- Web Vitals · web.dev
- Interaction to Next Paint is officially a Core Web Vital · web.dev, Mar 12, 2024
- Understanding page experience in Google Search results · Google Search Central, Sep 22, 2026
Change history
| Date | Change | What changed |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 30, 2026 | Added | Added to the rulebook. |
Checked against its sources every Monday. Only content changes are listed.