What is LCP by browser search
LCP by browser search tracks how the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) varies depending on whether the user used their browser’s in-page search feature (typically triggered with Ctrl+F or ⌘+F) during the session.
While it may seem like a post-load interaction, in-page search can affect performance measurements in subtle ways - particularly when pages are long, complex, or contain lazy-loaded content that gets triggered during or after search interaction.
LCP is the most popular vital from the Core Web Vitals and represents the loading time of the largest element on the page.
Healthy LCP by browser search sample
Should you worry
In a healthy scenario, both groups - searchers and non-searchers — show similar, green LCP values. This means:
Your page renders fast enough that users don’t feel the need to rush into Ctrl+F to find content.
Search triggers don’t interfere with layout rendering or introduce late DOM shifts.
It also implies that content is well-structured and discoverable, which is great for UX and SEO.
Unhealthy LCP by browser search sample
If LCP is worse when in-page search is used, it could signal:
Users are using Ctrl+F very early, even before rendering is complete, which might skew LCP reporting.
The page is long or poorly structured, and users can’t find what they need visually, prompting early search behavior - often leading to higher bounce rates.
Lazy-loaded or collapsed content is being triggered by search, delaying the perceived "ready" state.
Alternatively, if non-search users have slower LCP, it could reflect issues in the default view - which makes sense to prioritize since most users fall into this category.
Resolving unhealthy LCP by browser search
Go-to action plan to resolve an unhealthy LCP by browser search:
Ask Uxi to analyze your LCP by browser search values and suggest improvements.
Use Filters to isolate pages where in-page searchers have the worst performance, and check whether layout or text structure may be the cause.
Simulate LCP of the suspected lens to see if fixing it will resolve the slow LCP by browser search. If yes, this is where the resolution focus should be.
Use an automated LCP optimization tool like Navigation AI to improve your LCP by browser search values.
Once you’ve improved LCP, set an alert to be the first to know if it starts worsening again.
Try it yourself
Discover how your website performs with real user data.