Are Core Web Vitals a ranking factor?

Yes — a small but real one. Their bigger impact is on user experience, bounce, and conversion.

What's the difference between field and lab data?

Field data (CrUX) is what real users experience. Lab data (Lighthouse) is a simulated test. Google ranks on field data.

Did FID get replaced?

Yes. INP replaced FID in March 2024 as the responsiveness metric.

How long do fixes take to affect scores?

Field data updates on a rolling 28-day window, so improvements show up gradually over about a month.

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Article

What Are Core Web Vitals?

GAP Team · Jul 16, 2026 · 6 min read

Core Web Vitals are three metrics Google uses to score how a page feels to real users: how fast it loads, how quickly it responds, and how stable it looks while loading.

LCP — Largest Contentful Paint

Measures loading. The time until the largest visible element renders. Good ≤ 2.5s, poor > 4s. Usually a hero image or headline.

INP — Interaction to Next Paint

Measures responsiveness. The delay between a user interaction and the next visual response. Good ≤ 200ms, poor > 500ms. Replaced FID in 2024.

CLS — Cumulative Layout Shift

Measures visual stability. How much content jumps around while the page loads. Good ≤ 0.1, poor > 0.25. Usually caused by images without dimensions or late-injected ads.

How they affect rankings

Core Web Vitals are part of Google's page-experience signals. They're a tiebreaker, not a magic wand — but they compound with bounce rate and conversion.

How to improve them

Optimize the LCP element (image, font, or hero text), reduce main-thread JS work, and reserve space for any element that loads late. Full playbook: how to improve website speed.

Frequently asked questions

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