PERFORMANCE
How to improve LCP (Largest Contentful Paint)
What LCP measures, the four parts of LCP time, and proven fixes for hero images, fonts, server response and render-blocking resources.
By VISIBI Performance team·Reviewed by Saeed Ak, Co-founder & CTO·Updated 29 September 2026·8 min read
QUICK ANSWER
What LCP measures, the four parts of LCP time, and proven fixes for hero images, fonts, server response and render-blocking resources.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
✓LCP measures when the largest visible element finishes rendering.
✓Good LCP is 2.5 seconds or less at the 75th percentile.
✓Hero images and slow server response are the most common causes.
AT A GLANCE
Where LCP time typically goes on slow pages
Resource load time (image download)High
Time to first byteHigh
Render delay (CSS/JS)Medium
Resource load delayMedium
Illustrative — measure your own pages in PageSpeed Insights.
The four parts of LCP
- Time to first byte (server response)
- Resource load delay (discovering the LCP image)
- Resource load time (downloading it)
- Element render delay (blocking CSS/JS)
Top fixes
- Preload the hero image and use fetchpriority=”high”
- Serve modern formats (AVIF/WebP) at the right size
- Don’t lazy-load the LCP image
- Use full-page caching and a CDN
- Remove render-blocking CSS and JS
- Self-host and preload key fonts
Common mistakes to avoid
✕Only testing the homepage
✕Optimising lab scores instead of real-user data
✕Adding third-party scripts without a performance budget
✕Leaving load testing until the week before peak
HOW VISIBI CAN HELP
How we help with performance
01MeasureReal-user Core Web Vitals and load tests on key journeys.
02Fix in codeOur developers fix the root cause, not just the symptom.
03Protect peaksAutoscaling, caching and war-room cover for big days.
04MonitorAlerts on speed and checkout regressions with VISIBI Guard.
Get a free SEO audit →Free · No obligation · Reply within 24 hours
Frequently asked questions
What is a good LCP?
2.5 seconds or less for at least 75% of visits.
Does LCP affect rankings?
It is part of Core Web Vitals, used in page experience signals.
Why is LCP worse on mobile?
Slower networks and CPUs amplify heavy images and scripts.
SA
Reviewed by Saeed Ak · Co-founder & CTO25 years engineering high-traffic ecommerce, cloud and security platforms. Written by the VISIBI Performance team.Meet the team →
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