What are Core Web Vitals?

Core Web Vitals are three measurements Google uses to describe how a page feels to real visitors: how fast the main content loads, how quickly the page responds to input and how stable the layout is while loading.

What are the three metrics and their targets?

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures when the main content appears, and 2.5 seconds or less is good. Interaction to Next Paint (INP) measures responsiveness, and 200 milliseconds or less is good. Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures unexpected movement, and 0.1 or less is good. Google assesses them at the 75th percentile of real visits.

Are they the same as Lighthouse scores?

No. Core Web Vitals are measured in the field from real users. Lighthouse is a lab test under fixed conditions that reports similar metrics, with Total Blocking Time standing in for INP. Use Lighthouse to catch regressions and field data to see what users get. See how to track Lighthouse scores over time.

Where do I see them?

In Search Console's Core Web Vitals report and in PageSpeed Insights, which shows field data when enough visits exist.

Where Datumboard fits

Datumboard puts the signals behind this in one dashboard for your client sites and side projects. It is in early access, and you can join the list below.