Google advises prioritizing field data over lab data for Core Web Vitals, as PageSpeed Insights throttling is adjusted.
- Focus on field data for Core Web Vitals, not just lab data.
- Google is adjusting PageSpeed Insights throttling for more realistic Lighthouse scores.
- Improve actual performance, not just Lighthouse scores.
Google stresses the importance of using actual user data to assess Core Web Vitals instead of relying only on lab data from tools like PageSpeed Insights (PSI) and Lighthouse.
This reminder comes as the company prepares to update the throttling settings in PSI. These updates are expected to increase the performance scores of websites in Lighthouse.
Field Data vs. Lab Data
Core Web Vitals measure a website’s performance in terms of loading speed, interactivity, and visual stability from the user’s perspective.
Field data shows users’ actual experiences, while lab data comes from tests done in…
