Find quick answers to common questions about Lighthouse, Core Web Vitals, and Webflow hosting.
Performance reports can raise a lot of questions. Here are answers to the ones that come up most, with links to the pages that cover each topic in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my Lighthouse score change every time I run it?
Lab data varies with network conditions, caching, and simulation noise, so a few points up or down is normal. Run two to three audits and compare the median instead of single scores. Learn how to run a Lighthouse audit and set a baseline.
What Lighthouse score should I aim for?
A score of 90 or higher is a great target, but healthy metrics matter more than the number. For example, a page can score 92 and still have a slow Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which means visitors wait too long to see your main content. Move LCP, Interaction to Next Paint (INP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) into the good range before you polish the score. Learn what counts as good for each metric.
Does Webflow hosting affect my score?
Every hosted site gets the same foundation, including a global content delivery network, responsive images, and per page JavaScript. Score differences between Webflow sites mostly come from content: images, fonts, scripts, and styles. Those are the levers you control. Learn what Webflow does for you in Understand site performance.
Do apps and integrations slow my site down?
Each one can add scripts and requests to your pages. Use the ones you need and review what they add to your site. The same rules apply as for Google Tag Manager: use the smallest scope and the leanest loading. Learn how to slim down Google Tag Manager, or learn how to optimize custom scripts.
Does lazy loading hurt SEO?
Not when it's set up correctly. Google supports browser-level lazy loading for images, as long as the images load when they enter the viewport. Keep your hero image and any other image visitors see right away set to load eagerly. To check what Google sees, use the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console and confirm your image URLs appear in the rendered HTML. Learn more about lazy-loaded content in Google Search, or learn how to optimize your images.
Do Core Web Vitals affect my Google ranking?
Yes, but they're only part of the picture. Google's ranking systems use Core Web Vitals, and Google says no single signal decides your ranking. Google also notes that good scores don't guarantee top rankings, and relevant content still comes first. Learn more about page experience in Google Search.
Why does my site look slower on mobile?
Lighthouse tests mobile with a simulated mid-tier phone on a slow network, so it's meant to look slower than your laptop. Mobile visitors also tend to have less powerful devices and less reliable connections.
Is my site's code minified automatically?
It depends on your settings. You can minify HTML, CSS, and JS separately. On a newly created site, Minify HTML and Minify JS are on by default, and Minify CSS is off. To check or change them, go to Site settings > Publishing > Advanced publishing options. Learn more about advanced publishing options.
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