Glossary entry core-web-vitalsMetrics

Core Web Vitals

Google's three loading/interactivity/visual-stability metrics: LCP, INP, CLS. They're table-stakes for AI Overview eligibility.

Filed under: Metrics

Definition

Core Web Vitals (CWV) are Google's three field-measured user-experience metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP, loading speed), Interaction to Next Paint (INP, interactivity), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS, visual stability). Originally a ranking signal for SEO, they're now a strong eligibility filter for AI Overview citations. Slow or jumpy pages are systematically excluded.

Example

Good thresholds: LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1. Measured in Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) data.

How to optimize

Optimize LCP via image preloading + CDN. Fix INP by reducing JS execution time. Lock CLS by reserving image dimensions + avoiding late-loaded content above the fold.

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