What is LCP by navigation method
LCP by navigation method shows the Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) value based on how users enter a page - either through Hard navigation or Soft navigation. This lens helps you understand whether certain navigation types consistently deliver slower load experiences.
The list includes only navigation methods that occurred during the selected time range.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the two types:
Navigation method | Description |
Hard navigation | A full page load triggered by entering the site or refreshing the page. |
Soft navigation | A partial load caused by in-site transitions (e.g. via a JavaScript router) |
Soft navigations often appear faster because assets may already be cached, whereas hard navigations rely on a cold start - downloading everything fresh. But soft navigations can also become slow due to bloated client-side rendering or complex hydration processes.
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 navigation method sample
Should you worry
A healthy LCP by navigation method lens shows both navigation types in the green. Some variation is normal, but if either method shows yellow or red, it may indicate UX issues tied to how users move through your site. The greener the values, the better.
Unhealthy LCP by navigation method sample
In the example below, Soft navigation has worse LCP values than Hard navigation - likely due to inefficient client-side rendering or JavaScript bottlenecks. This can frustrate returning users and lead to disengagement on internal links.
Resolving unhealthy LCP by navigation method
Go-to action plan to resolve an unhealthy LCP by navigation method:
Ask Uxi to analyze your LCP by navigation method values and suggest improvements.
Use Filters to focus on the slow navigations in your LCP by navigation method, then look across the other LCP lenses to find which ones show the slowest LCPs with the most pageviews.
Simulate LCP of the suspected lens to see if fixing it will resolve the slow LCP by navigation method. If yes, this is where the resolution focus should be.
Use an automated LCP optimization tool like Navigation AI to improve your LCP by navigation method.
Once you’ve improved LCP, set an alert to be the first to know if it starts worsening again.
Try it yourself
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