Last Updated on May 16, 2025 by Admin
On March 12, 2024, Google updated its Core Web Vitals. They replaced First Input Delay (FID) with Interaction to Next Paint (INP). This change is part of Google’s effort to make websites faster and improve how they appear in search results.
In this blog we are going to discuss Interaction to Next Paint (INP), it’s importance & score measurement with enhancing tips for it. Also the differences from First Input Delay (FID), and its effects on website SEO.
What is Interaction to Next Paint (INP)?
Interaction to Next Paint is a performance metric that gauges the speed at which a website displays updates following user interactions. It specifically measures the time delay from when a user clicks a link to when they see a visual change on the site.
How is Interaction to Next Paint Different from First Input Delay?
First Input Delay measures the time it takes for a website to respond to the first thing a user does, like clicking a button. It only records the delay for that first action.
Interaction to Next Paint, tracks every interaction an user has with a website during their visit and notes the longest delay they experience. This means Interaction to Next Paint (INP) provides a full metrics of website response.
For example, if a visitor clicks on a menu and it loads in 100 milliseconds, but later clicks a link that takes 400 milliseconds to load, First Input Delay (FID) would only note the 100 milliseconds. INP, in contrast, would report the longer 400-millisecond delay.
The Impact of INP Replacing FID on SEO
The switch from First Input Delay (FID) to Interaction to Next Paint (INP) could affect both your website’s user experience and its SEO performance. Google’s algorithms favor websites that offer a better page experience. Sites with quick and responsive interactivity, as measured by INP, are likely to rank higher in search results.
Google does not directly demote websites that don’t meet Interaction to Next Paint (INP) standards. Websites that perform poorly in terms of interactivity and have slow INP times might see more people leaving the site quickly and less overall engagement, which impact its search rankings.
What is a Good Interaction to Next Paint Score?
According to Google, a good Interaction to Next Paint (INP) score is 200 milliseconds or less. Your site needs to meet this standard to pass Google’s Core Web Vitals test and provide a positive user experience.
If your INP score is between 200 and 500 milliseconds, it indicates that your site’s responsiveness needs improvement. A score higher than 500 milliseconds is considered poor and suggests that your site is slow to respond to user interactions.
What’s the Importance of Interaction to Next Paint for SEO?
Here are a few advantages of a good Interaction to Next Paint score that you must be aware of:
- Improved Performance in Search Rankings: Google’s Core Web Vitals includes Interaction to Next Paint, which affects how your website ranks on Google. Websites with better INP scores are often ranked higher because they provide a smoother users experience.
- Reduced Bounce Rates: When a website responds quickly to user interactions, people are more likely to stay on it longer. A case study by Google showed that The Economic Times cut its bounce rate in half by improving its INP.
- Increase Conversion Rates: Higher conversion rates are often hindered by poor Interaction to Next Paint, as a slow site discourages users from completing purchases for services.
How Can You Measure Interaction to Next Paint?
Measuring Interaction to Next Paint is best done using lab and real-world data. Here are some simple ways to check this Core Web Vitals metric:
- Use the Lighthouse Google Chrome Extension. It has a timespan mode that lets you see what’s happening as the page loads, making it easier to pinpoint INP issues.
- You can also use other tools like the NPM module in Lighthouse, User Flows in Lighthouse, and the Chrome Web Vitals Extension to gather your data.
How to Improve Your Interaction to Next Paint (INP) Score?
In case you are struggling with Interaction to Paint issues, here are a few steps you can follow to improve your INP score:
- Work on DOM Size: The Document Object Model organizes all elements of a webpage into a hierarchical structure. A smaller DOM allows the browser to process and manage the page more efficiently, potentially enhancing the INP score.
To streamline your page’s DOM structure, consider minimizing the number of superfluous HTML elements like text, images, and buttons.
You can collaborate with a developer to eliminate elements not displayed on the initial page load.Get assistance from your developer to configure your site so that these concealed sections load only when a user interacts, such as by clicking a button or scrolling.
- Reduce Page Size: Decreasing page size significantly improves the time it takes to become interactive webpage. Google recommended page size is below 500 KB.
To check the size of your webpage, follow these steps in a browser such as Chrome or Firefox:
- Open your webpage.
- Right-click and choose “Inspect” from the dropdown menu.
- Navigate to the “Network” tab and refresh the page.
You can view the size of each file that your page loads in the “Size” column. The total size of your webpage is displayed at the bottom, noted as “# KB transferred.”
Reduce your page size, by compressing your images first. Additionally, using system fonts those commonly pre-installed on devices eliminates the need to download extra font files. You can specify a particular font like Arial or Times New Roman, or use CSS to adopt the preferred system font on user devices, further reducing page size.
- Decrease JavaScript Execution Time: JavaScript is used to create dynamic elements such as forms, menus, and animations. Reducing the execution time of JavaScript enhances the Interaction to Next Paint metric.
- Minimize Main Thread Work: The main thread handles crucial tasks such as webpage rendering, JavaScript execution, and managing user interactions. If the main thread is occupied with extensive processing tasks, it becomes unable to promptly respond to user inputs, making the site appear slow.
It’s vital to identify and manage long tasks on a page to improve responsiveness. One effective solution is to break up these long tasks into smaller, manageable chunks that allow the main thread to handle user interactions more efficiently.
Wrapping Up!
Improving your Interaction to Next Paint (INP) score can lead to a better user experience and higher search rankings. AlgoSaga SEO service can help to improve this score by optimizing your website’s performance. This includes simplifying the code, making pages load faster, and providing specific tips to enhance how quickly your site responds to user actions will make your website faster and more responsive, boosting your INP score and ranking.