Technical SEO · Intermediate

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures how long it takes for the largest image or text block in view to appear. It's the Core Web Vitals metric for loading; 2.5 seconds or less is good.

By Thryv StudioUpdated

Level
Intermediate
Also called
LCP
Good
2.5 s or less
Poor
More than 4 s

What is LCP?

LCP marks the moment the page's main content, usually a hero image, video poster or large heading, finishes rendering in the viewport. It's a better sign of "has it loaded?" than older metrics like page load time.

What slows LCP

  • Slow server response (time to first byte).
  • Render-blocking CSS and JavaScript.
  • Large or lazy-loaded hero images.
  • Content built by JavaScript after load.

How to improve it

  1. Serve HTML fast: caching, a CDN, efficient hosting.
  2. Optimize the LCP image (modern formats, right size) and don't lazy-load it.
  3. Preload the LCP image or font if it's discovered late.
  4. Defer non-critical scripts.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as the LCP element?

The largest image, video poster or text block visible in the viewport before the user interacts.

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