Core Web Vitals in 2026: thresholds and how to pass them
Published on · Max Optimice Team · Last updated:
Core Web Vitals are three user-experience metrics Google uses as a ranking factor: LCP (≤2.5 s), INP (≤200 ms) and CLS (≤0.1). A page passes only when 75% of real-user visits reach “Good” on all three.
What are the current thresholds?
| Metric | Good | Needs improvement | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP (loading) | ≤ 2.5 s | 2.5–4.0 s | > 4.0 s |
| INP (interactivity) | ≤ 200 ms | 200–500 ms | > 500 ms |
| CLS (stability) | ≤ 0.1 | 0.1–0.25 | > 0.25 |
INP replaced FID in March 2024 as the official interactivity metric.
How do you improve LCP?
The LCP element is usually the hero image or headline. To lower it:
- Make the LCP element present in the initial HTML.
- Use
fetchpriority="high"andloading="eager"on the main image (neverlazy). - Serve modern formats (WebP/AVIF) with a responsive
srcset.
How do you avoid layout shifts (CLS)?
Always reserve space: set width and height (or aspect-ratio) on images, iframes and ads, and preload fonts with font-display: optional or swap to avoid text reflow.
A text-based hero, sized images and inlined CSS keep Core Web Vitals green from the first build —exactly what this template does.
Sources: Google Search Central; web.dev, Core Web Vitals (2026).