INP stands for Interaction to Next Paint, a performance metric introduced by Google as part of its Core Web Vitals initiative. This metric is designed to measure how responsive a web page is when users interact with it, focusing on the delay between user input (like clicking a button or tapping a link) and the time the page visually responds to that action.
Why Is INP Important?
INP is crucial because it gives developers insights into how quickly users experience feedback from their actions on a site. If there’s a delay between a user’s action and the visual response, it can lead to frustration and create a poor user experience. Therefore, optimizing INP can directly improve user satisfaction by ensuring a more seamless, responsive interaction.
How Does INP Work?
Unlike some other metrics that only focus on specific interactions, INP measures all interactions on a page throughout a user’s visit. It then uses the longest delay encountered during these interactions to represent the overall interactivity of the page. A low INP score means the page is highly responsive, while a high score suggests there may be some issues causing delays in feedback.
What’s a Good INP Score?
- Good: Less than 200 milliseconds
- Needs improvement: Between 200 and 500 milliseconds
- Poor: More than 500 milliseconds
Developers can use tools like Google Lighthouse or PageSpeed Insights to track and optimize INP, making sure their pages offer a smooth experience for users.
