Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)

The page's main content loads within 2.5 seconds.

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    Impact

    ScanGov impact ratings

    About

    Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) measures how long it takes for the main content of a web page to appear. This is important because it helps users know when the page is ready. A good LCP time is 2.5 seconds or less. It tracks the largest visible element, like images, videos, or text blocks. A faster LCP improves user experience and helps websites perform better.

    Risks

    Users wait too long and leave your page.

    Why it's important

    Measures when the main content fully loads, improving user experience by showing the most important part of a page quickly.

    User stories

    As a user visiting the site, I want the main content to load quickly so that I can start engaging with the page without waiting.
    As a commuter on the BART train riding through Lafayette, I want your website to display the main content efficiently so my temporarily constrained bandwidth which radically exacerbates loading times doesn't make me give up before it loads.

    Code

    Preload the largest image to improve LCP:

    <link rel="preload" as="image" href="hero-image.jpg">

    Error

    ScanGov messaging when a site fails a standard:

    Main content didn't load in 2.5 seconds.

    Guidance

    Indicators

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