How to fix Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
LCP measures how long the biggest visible element (usually a hero image or headline) takes to appear. Google wants it under 2.5 s for 75 % of visits. On most sites the fix is one oversized image.
Step by step, with screenshots: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): what it is and how to improve it →
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What it is
Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) is the time from when a visitor starts loading a page to when the largest image or block of text in the first screen is drawn. It is one of Google's three Core Web Vitals, alongside INP and CLS, and the closest single number to "when does this page look loaded?".
Google rates LCP as good at 2.5 s or less, needs improvement up to 4 s and poor above 4 s, measured at the 75th percentile of real visits, so three in four visits must hit the target. getReport shows two numbers: a lab LCP from a throttled mobile Lighthouse run, and the real-user LCP from the Chrome UX Report when Google has enough data for your site. Your page is OK when the real-user value is 2.5 s or less; the lab number tells you what to fix.
What a passing site looks like
- Largest Contentful Paint: passesfail · −25 ptseffort M
- Real-user Largest Contentful Paint: passesinfo onlyeffort M
1. Largest Contentful Paint
Why it matters. LCP is when the biggest thing on screen (usually the hero image or headline) finishes loading. Visitors judge "is this site slow?" on it, and Google uses it for ranking.
- Find the LCP element (named in your report) and make it lighter, earlier or both: a compressed WebP/AVIF, sized to the screen, without lazy loading.
- Preload it with <link rel="preload" as="image"> or add fetchpriority="high" on the <img>.
- Cut what comes before it: render-blocking CSS/JS and slow server responses push LCP back.
2. Real-user Largest Contentful Paint
Why it matters. LCP is when the biggest element on screen finishes loading. Google's threshold for "good" is 2.5 s at the 75th percentile of real Chrome users.
- Find the LCP element in the Speed module and make it smaller, earlier or both.
Questions people ask
How do I improve Largest Contentful Paint?
Make the LCP element arrive sooner and render sooner. In most cases that means compressing and resizing the hero image, serving it as WebP or AVIF, not lazy-loading it and adding fetchpriority="high" to it. Then cut what delays rendering: slow server responses, render-blocking CSS and fonts, and scripts that build the hero in the browser. The report names your LCP element, so start there.
Why is LCP slow on WordPress sites?
Usually because of a large slider or hero image, no page caching, and a theme or page builder that loads a lot of CSS and JavaScript before the first paint. Sliders are a common culprit because a script loads the first slide. A caching plugin, a properly sized hero image and removing plugins you do not use fix most WordPress LCP problems.
What is the LCP element?
It is the largest image, video poster, background image or block of text visible in the first screen while the page loads. On most pages it is the hero image or the main headline. It can differ between phone and desktop because the layout changes. getReport shows which element Lighthouse picked, so you know exactly what to optimise.
What is the difference between FCP and LCP?
First Contentful Paint is when anything appears, such as a logo or a line of text; Largest Contentful Paint is when the main content appears. A page can have a fast FCP and a slow LCP when a small header shows quickly but the hero image takes seconds. Google uses LCP, not FCP, as the Core Web Vital because it matches what visitors perceive as loaded.
What is a good LCP score?
2.5 s or less is good, 2.5 to 4 s needs improvement and over 4 s is poor. Google judges it at the 75th percentile of real visits over the last 28 days, separately for phones and desktops. Lab tools such as Lighthouse run on a throttled mid-range phone, so a lab LCP a little above 2.5 s can still mean your real visitors are fine.