FAQ About INP - Interaction To Next Paint

INP, or Interaction To Next Paint, is a Core Web Vitals metric introduced by Google. It measures the time it takes for a website to respond to user actions, providing insights into the user experience.

INP is defined as the duration between a user initiating an action and the moment the website visually responds. In simpler terms, it gauges the speed at which a website reacts to user interactions.

INP is crucial for a positive user experience. Faster responses to user actions lead to a smoother and more enjoyable interaction with the website. It is a key metric in assessing website health and performance.

Using the example of liking a photo on Instagram, INP measures the time between the user clicking the like button and the application displaying the result. This duration represents the INP score.

You can instantly measure your site's INP score using Google PageSpeed tools

According to Google's standards:

• An INP score of 200ms or below indicates excellent performance.
• An INP score between 200ms and 500ms suggests room for improvement.
• An INP score exceeding 500ms indicates a poor user experience.

For scenarios like e-commerce, where users perform actions like adding items to the cart, optimizing INP involves providing immediate positive feedback to users. Acknowledging successful actions promptly and incorporating loading indicators for ongoing processes enhances the user experience.

Understanding INP enables you to tailor your website's responses to user actions effectively. For different scenarios, such as liking a product or placing an order, adjust the feedback timing to match the specific user interaction, ensuring a seamless experience.