The Complete Guide to Core Web Vitals in 2026

Danny Wincott

Core Web Vitals remain one of Google's key ranking signals in 2026. If your site is slow, janky, or shifts layout unexpectedly, you're losing both rankings and customers. Here's everything you need to know about optimising the three core metrics.

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

LCP measures how long it takes for the largest visible element on the page to render. Google considers anything under 2.5 seconds as "good." To improve LCP, focus on server response times, image optimisation, and critical rendering path.

Interaction to Next Paint (INP)

INP replaced First Input Delay (FID) and measures the responsiveness of your page to user interactions. An INP under 200ms is considered "good." Minimise JavaScript execution time and optimise event handlers to improve INP.

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)

CLS measures visual stability — how much the page layout shifts unexpectedly during loading. A CLS score under 0.1 is "good." Always specify dimensions for images and embeds, and avoid dynamically injecting content above existing content.

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