LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
A Core Web Vital that measures how long it takes for the largest visible element on a page to fully load.
Full definition
LCP measures the render time of the largest image or text block visible in the viewport, from the time the page starts loading. A good LCP score is under 2.5 seconds; 2.5–4 seconds needs improvement; over 4 seconds is poor. The largest element is typically a hero image, above-the-fold banner, or large heading. Common causes of poor LCP include slow server response times, render-blocking JavaScript and CSS, slow resource load times, and client-side rendering. Improvements include image optimisation (WebP, lazy loading), CDN usage, preloading critical assets, and reducing server response time (TTFB).
Real-world example
Converting a homepage hero from a 1.2MB JPEG to a WebP format with preloading improves LCP from 3.8s to 1.6s — moving the site from 'Needs Improvement' to 'Good' in Search Console.
Related terms
Google's set of speed and UX metrics — LCP, INP, and CLS — used as ranking signals.
Read definitionA Core Web Vital that measures a page's responsiveness to user interactions like clicks, taps, and keyboard input.
Read definitionA Core Web Vital that measures the visual stability of a page — how much content unexpectedly shifts during loading.
Read definitionThe portion of a webpage visible without scrolling — the most prime real estate for first impressions and key messages.
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