![]() While it only shows you information about the three Core Web Vitals metrics, this report is still a great place to find pages with common problems like a bad CLS or LCP.Īnother option is to use advanced tools that don’t have Google’s field data but offer other ways to understand your website’s performance.įor example, WebPageTest and GTmetrix only use lab data. It also contains data from the CrUX, i.e., from real users. Unfortunately, both methods are time-consuming and require technical expertise.Īn alternative is to use the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console. The Chrome UX Report API - requires some developer experience with JavaScript and JSON īigQuery - requires a Google Cloud project and SQL skills. There are other ways to access field data directly from CrUX: In some cases, CrUX doesn’t have enough data to accurately represent a website’s performance. Since performance optimization aims to improve the user experience, data gathered directly from users should be your priority. Since field data represents what real users are experiencing, it's the most accurate way to really understand what your users are struggling with and what needs to be improved." - Philip Walton, Engineer at Google "As a general rule, if you have both field data and lab data for a given page, field data is what you should use to prioritize your efforts. ![]() Towards the end, he shares a crucial tip: ![]() Philip Walton (engineer at Google) wrote an article on why that happens and how to interpret the discrepancies. The optimization score (lab data) provides it, but the field data evaluation doesn’t.īecause of these differences, a page's field data and lab data can differ quite a lot. The issue here is that users typically expect quick and clear feedback. That’s why you should test your site regularly, at least once a month. Unlike the optimization score, the field data (Core Web Vitals) evaluation is done for the previous 28-day period.Īs a result, you have to wait a few weeks for the assessment to go from red to green after an optimization. That’s why Google also uses field data to determine whether your site passes the Core Web Vitals audit. This allows you to find the connection between speed, user experience and business metrics like conversions. Put simply, field data captures load times for users when they visit a page. In PSI, field data comes from a massive dataset full of metrics for real page loads - the Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX). On the other hand, field data is collected from real users. Source - How To Think About Speed Tools by Google It’s also great for debugging and finding problems with specific resources (images, fonts, etc.).Īt the same time, lab data might not correlate with how people experience your site. This type of data is easy to get, as it doesn’t require real users. Field DataĪs I said, lab data is collected on a predetermined device and network settings. This is where it pays to read the fine print next to the Lab and Field Data sections. That’s why it’s easy to misinterpret your result.Ī green score looks good, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to a better user experience. After that, it gives you an optimization score and suggestions for improvement based on a set of best practices.Īt the same time, your website users may have older devices or slower network connections, both of which lead to a different experience. Instead, PSI uses a predetermined device and network settings to analyze a page. The score is computed with lab data, which doesn’t come from real users. Most users don’t want to deal with the intricacies of web performance, so it's useful to have an overall score.īut like other mental shortcuts, the score doesn’t answer important (and nuanced) questions like “How are real users experiencing my site?” ![]() It’s a powerful heuristic that saves mental energy. The overall optimization score that PSI provides makes things very simple. In this article, you’ll learn why that is and how to avoid making the same mistake. Users often focus on the wrong things when looking at their PSI results. Not to mention, it's a Google product, making it the primary test tool for SEOs, webmasters and marketers. It’s easy to use, has a clean UI and gives you a ton of suggestions for improvement. PageSpeed Insights (PSI) is the most popular speed testing tool out there. TL DR: When testing your website with Google’s PageSpeed Insights, focus on metrics from real users (field data) and not on simulated test results like the optimization score. ![]()
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