How do I use the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console?
Open Core Web Vitals under Experience in Search Console and start with the Mobile view. Pages are grouped as Poor, Need improvement or Good, based on real visits from Chrome users over the last 28 days. Open a Poor issue, test an example page, fix the cause across the group, then select Start tracking to begin Google's 28-day check.
The short version
- Open Core Web Vitals under Experience. Look at Mobile first.
- The data comes from real Chrome visitors over 28 days, not a lab test.
- Fix Poor groups first, then Need improvement.
- Fix the cause across the whole group, which usually means a shared template.
- Select Start tracking and wait 28 days for Google to confirm.
How do I open and read the report?
These steps follow Google’s Core Web Vitals report page.
- In Search Console, under Experience, select Core Web Vitals.
- You’ll see two charts: Mobile and Desktop. Select Open report next to Mobile.
- The chart shows how many pages are Poor, Need improvement and Good over time.
- Below it, the table lists each issue, named something like “LCP issue: longer than 2.5s (mobile),” with how many pages it affects.
- Select an issue to see example page groups.
Our answer on what Core Web Vitals are explains the three measures in plain words. Here’s how the report grades them:
| Metric | Good | Need improvement | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|
| LCP (main content appears) | 2.5 seconds or less | Up to 4 seconds | Over 4 seconds |
| INP (response to a tap or click) | 200 milliseconds or less | Up to 500 milliseconds | Over 500 milliseconds |
| CLS (layout jumping) | 0.1 or less | Up to 0.25 | Over 0.25 |
Why are pages in groups?
The report groups pages that behave alike, such as all your blog posts or all your service pages. A group passes only when at least three in four visits meet the standard. A group’s status is set by its worst metric, so good LCP with poor CLS still counts as Poor.
That grouping is useful. If all your blog posts are slow, the cause is often something they share: the template, a big header image, or a plugin that loads on every post.
How do I fix an issue and get Google to confirm it?
- Open the issue and select an example address.
- Test it with PageSpeed Insights or our speed test to see what’s slow. These lab tools help find the cause, even though the report itself uses real visits.
- Fix the cause across every page in the group. Our answer on Core Web Vitals lists the usual fixes for each metric.
- Back in the issue, select Start tracking.
- Google watches for 28 days. The issue passes only if it’s gone from every page for that whole time. If it fails, fix what’s left and select Start new validation.
Starting validation doesn’t make Google recrawl your pages. It just starts the clock on the real-visitor data.
Why does this report matter?
Your PageSpeed score is a test from one computer at one moment. This report reflects what real people experienced on their own phones and connections. Slow pages lose visitors before they read anything, and a page that jumps as it loads leads to wrong taps. Google uses page experience as one of many signals, and helpful content still matters more.
What are the common mistakes?
- Looking only at desktop. Many small-business visits come from phones, and slower phones and connections are where problems show up. Start with Mobile.
- Expecting quick results. The data covers 28 days of visits, so a fix takes weeks to show.
- Fixing one page. The group stays Poor until the shared cause is fixed.
- Chasing a perfect lab score. A page can score below 90 in a lab test and still pass here. Our answer on whether a low PageSpeed score matters explains the difference.
- Reading old guides about FID. First Input Delay was replaced by INP, as web.dev announced in March 2024. Advice about FID no longer applies.
What if it says “No data available”?
Google says this happens when the property is new or when there aren’t enough Chrome visits to report on. Many small sites have no data, or data only for the whole site rather than page groups. That’s normal, not a problem. Use a lab test instead to check your main pages, and our speed test is a quick start. Our help article on why a website is slow covers what to do next.
What happened to the Mobile Usability and Page Experience reports?
Google’s April 19, 2023 post said the Mobile Usability report and the Mobile-Friendly Test would retire from December 1, 2023, and that the Page Experience report would be changed. Both reports are gone. Core Web Vitals is what’s left for page experience in Search Console.
How much does it cost, and how long does it take?
The report is free. Fixes range from compressing one image to changing a theme or a heavy plugin. Google’s check then takes 28 days.
How does E-3 handle this?
Speed fixes are the focus of our speed program. E-3 sets up Search Console, where this report lives, for the sites it manages. Speed fixes are tested on a staging copy of the site first.
Related questions
Next step
- Next: What is a Google manual action, and how do I fix one?The next guide in Google Search Console.
- Free website checkPublic checks on your own site, then an action plan of what to fix first.
Still stuck? Ask E-3 for an answer from our help guides.
Rather we handled google search console for you?
It’s part of what we do every week for small businesses, as part of speed program. Start with a free check of your site and profile, or call and ask.