WordPress Speed is one of the core features.
WordPress Speed is simple. It really only asks one question: How long does it take for each page of a website to load? When you hear web consultants talk about how “every page should load in under 3 seconds”, ultimately that’s referring to WordPress or website speed.
The measurement of time between when a link is clicked to when the destination is fully-loaded is called Fully Loaded Time.
In the world of the Fast & Furious’ Dom Toretto, WordPress speed is the quarter-mile finish line.
Google Core Web Vitals, however, introduces more nuance and measure more specific components of what Google calls “Page Experience.”
How fast things happen on a website are certainly a factor, but they aren’t the only factor. Core Web Vitals measures a blend of performance, interactivity, and overall user experience.
Core Web Vitals are what I imagine a post-stay survey at the Four Seasons would entail: comprehensive measurement of every facet of the experience.
Introduction to Core Web Vitals
This is Google’s own definition of Core Web Vitals:
Core Web Vitals are the subset of Web Vitals that apply to all web pages, should be measured by all site owners, and are surfaced across all Google tools. Each of the Core Web Vitals represents a distinct facet of the user experience, is measurable in the field, and reflects the real-world experience of a critical user-centric outcome.
Put much more simply: Core Web Vitals measure how fast a page loads its main content, how quickly it responds to user actions, and how stable it is as it loads. These metrics give site owners a clear picture of how real people experience their website’s performance.
Core Web Vitals consists of three key measures, each of which has their own name, accompanying acronym, and threshold.
- Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) – LCP is the amount of time it takes for Google to load the main element, or piece of content, on the web page.
- Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) – CLS measures how much a page’s layout shifts unexpectedly as it loads.
- Interaction to Next Paint (INP) – INP tracks how long it takes for the screen to visually respond after you interact with a webpage (like clicking a link or button).
And here are the thresholds for each of these measurements:
| Web Vital | Target Score |
|---|---|
| Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) | 2.5 seconds |
| Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) | 0.1 |
| Interaction to Next Paint (INP) | 200 milliseconds |
Core Web Vitals have three possible scores:
- 🟢 Good
- 🟠 Needs Improvement
- 🔴 Poor
This means that it’s not possible to score 77/100 on a Core Web Vitals test, for example. If someone references a numerical score they’re likely referring to another metric. The only possible scores are Good, Needs Improvement, and Poor.