Question 1

What are Core Web Vitals and why do they affect SEO?

Accepted Answer

Core Web Vitals are a set of specific factors Google considers important for the overall user experience of a webpage. They consist of three metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) which measures loading performance, Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) which measures visual stability, and Interaction to Next Paint (INP) which measures responsiveness. Since the Page Experience update in 2021, Core Web Vitals are confirmed Google ranking signals. Pages that pass all three thresholds (LCP ≤ 2.5s, CLS ≤ 0.1, INP ≤ 200ms) earn the "Good Page Experience" signal.

Question 2

What are the Core Web Vitals thresholds for 2026?

Accepted Answer

The Core Web Vitals thresholds for 2026 are: LCP (Largest Contentful Paint) — good ≤ 2.5 seconds, needs improvement 2.5–4s, poor > 4s. CLS (Cumulative Layout Shift) — good ≤ 0.1, needs improvement 0.1–0.25, poor > 0.25. INP (Interaction to Next Paint, replaced FID in March 2024) — good ≤ 200ms, needs improvement 200–500ms, poor > 500ms. FCP (First Contentful Paint) — good ≤ 1.8s. TTFB (Time to First Byte) — good ≤ 800ms.

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