Best Ways to Improve INP for a Smoother User Experience

Introduction

As we move into 2025, website performance and user experience have become inseparable. One of the most significant changes in Google’s ranking system is the introduction of Interaction to Next Paint (INP) — a new Core Web Vital metric that measures how responsive a webpage feels during real-world user interactions.

INP replaces First Input Delay (FID) as the key responsiveness signal. While FID focused on how quickly the browser responded to the first user input, INP takes a more holistic approach. It measures how fast your website reacts to all interactions — not just the first click or tap.

This evolution emphasizes a critical truth: users expect smooth, immediate feedback when they interact with your site. Whether they’re filling out a form, clicking a button, or scrolling a product list, even a few hundred milliseconds of delay can create friction that hurts engagement, conversions, and SEO.

In this guide, we’ll explore 10 actionable strategies to improve INP and create a smoother, faster, and more enjoyable experience for your visitors.

Understanding INP and Its Importance

What Is Interaction to Next Paint (INP)?

INP measures the delay between a user’s interaction (like a click or tap) and the moment the browser visually updates the screen in response. It includes three key components:

1. Input Delay: How long it takes before the browser starts processing the event.
2. Processing Time: How long the browser takes to execute the event’s logic.
3. Presentation Delay: The time until the next frame is visually rendered.

The final INP score represents the longest observed latency among all interactions during a page session.

Why Google Replaced FID with INP

FID had a major limitation — it only measured the first interaction, often during page load. INP captures responsiveness throughout the user’s entire visit, making it a much better reflection of real-world performance.

By switching to INP, Google signals that ongoing interactivity matters just as much as load time. Pages that respond smoothly across all user actions will enjoy better engagement and potentially higher search rankings.

What Is a Good INP Score?

• Good: Below 200 milliseconds — users feel instant feedback.
• Needs Improvement: Between 200–500 milliseconds — noticeable lag.
• Poor: Above 500 milliseconds — users perceive the site as slow or unresponsive.

The Top 10 Ways to Improve INP for a Smoother User Experience

1. Reduce Main-Thread Work

The main thread is the browser’s command center. It handles rendering, painting, and running JavaScript. When the main thread is overloaded with heavy tasks, your page can’t respond quickly to new inputs.

How to Improve:

• Break long-running tasks into smaller chunks so the browser can remain responsive.
• Avoid large JavaScript bundles that block the main thread.
• Use asynchronous techniques and avoid running multiple expensive scripts simultaneously.
• Monitor “Total Blocking Time” in Lighthouse or Chrome DevTools to identify performance bottlenecks.

Impact: Lowering main-thread blocking time directly improves input responsiveness and reduces INP.

2. Optimize JavaScript Execution

Large or inefficient JavaScript files are one of the biggest contributors to poor INP. Bloated scripts increase parsing and execution time, delaying visual updates.

How to Improve:

• Minify and compress JavaScript before deployment.
• Load scripts asynchronously or defer them until after the page is interactive.
• Eliminate unused or redundant JavaScript, especially from old libraries or plugins.
• Consider modular bundling — split your JS into smaller, focused parts loaded only when needed.

Impact: Optimized scripts reduce processing delays, keeping your site responsive to user actions.

3. Streamline Event Handlers

Every event — click, scroll, tap, or input — triggers an event handler. Poorly optimized handlers can slow responsiveness and increase INP values.

How to Improve:

• Avoid heavy computations within event handlers.
• Limit reflows or layout recalculations triggered by user actions.
• Use throttling or debouncing for events that trigger repeatedly (like scrolling or resizing).
• Keep handlers lightweight and modular.

Impact: Efficient event handling ensures fast feedback loops and smoother interactivity across devices.

4. Defer Non-Critical Scripts

Many websites load analytics, tracking, chat, or marketing scripts that don’t contribute to initial interactivity. These non-critical scripts can block or delay the user’s first meaningful action.

How to Improve:

• Load only the scripts necessary for core functionality upfront.
• Defer or lazy-load secondary scripts after the user begins interacting with the page.
• Schedule non-essential tasks to run during idle browser time.
• Use a tag manager to control script priority and timing.

Impact: Users experience a faster, more responsive interface, especially on first interaction.

5. Improve Rendering Performance

Even if your JavaScript executes quickly, poor rendering performance can still harm INP. Rendering involves painting pixels to the screen — if this process lags, visual feedback slows down.

How to Improve:

• Simplify your DOM structure to reduce layout calculations.
• Minimize style recalculations by avoiding inline CSS changes during interactions.
• Predefine image sizes and container dimensions to avoid layout shifts.
• Use efficient animations that rely on opacity and transforms rather than properties like width or height.

Impact: Smooth, visually stable rendering makes your site feel faster, improving perceived responsiveness.

6. Use Modern Framework Optimizations

Frameworks like React, Vue, Angular, and Svelte now include built-in features to improve responsiveness — but they must be configured properly.

How to Improve:

• Use server-side rendering (SSR) or static site generation (SSG) to reduce client-side processing.
• Leverage hydration optimizations that minimize re-rendering after page load.
• In React, use concurrent features such as useTransition to prioritize user input.
• Avoid unnecessary re-renders by memoizing components and managing state efficiently.

Impact: A properly tuned framework delivers faster interactivity without compromising complexity or scalability.

7. Optimize Third-Party Scripts

Third-party code — like analytics, ads, widgets, or tag managers — often runs on your page without you controlling its performance. These scripts can easily block main-thread work or delay input handling.

How to Improve:

• Audit all third-party tags and remove anything not essential.
• Load them asynchronously whenever possible.
• Use performance monitoring tools to detect slow external requests.
• Replace heavy widgets (like social media embeds) with lightweight alternatives.

Impact: Reducing third-party interference improves both INP and overall Core Web Vitals metrics.

8. Improve Browser Caching and Preloading

Efficient caching ensures that returning users don’t wait for scripts or styles to reload, while preloading assets reduces delays for first-time visitors.

How to Improve:

• Set proper caching headers for static resources (like images, CSS, and JS).
• Use preconnect, preload, and DNS-prefetch directives to prepare important assets before they’re needed.
• Prioritize loading fonts and above-the-fold resources early.

Impact: Faster resource delivery reduces initial delays and improves responsiveness during the first interaction.

9. Monitor and Test INP Continuously

Performance optimization isn’t a one-time task. Regular monitoring helps you detect regressions and maintain strong responsiveness over time.

How to Improve:

• Use tools like Lighthouse, Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX), and WebPageTest to measure INP.
• Integrate Real User Monitoring (RUM) into your analytics stack to capture real interaction data.
• Track performance budgets and alert your team if metrics exceed thresholds.

Impact: Continuous testing ensures that INP improvements remain stable as your site evolves.

10. Foster a Performance-First Culture

Technical improvements mean little without organizational commitment. Performance should be part of every stage of your development and marketing process.

How to Improve:

• Educate your team about Core Web Vitals and their business impact.
• Make performance goals visible in project dashboards.
• Encourage cross-functional collaboration between developers, SEOs, and designers.
• Reward proactive performance improvements, not just visual redesigns.

Impact: When performance becomes a shared goal, maintaining low INP scores becomes natural — not an afterthought.

Tools to Measure and Improve INP

Several tools can help diagnose and optimize INP effectively:

• Google Lighthouse: Offers lab testing and improvement recommendations.
• PageSpeed Insights: Combines field and lab data for Core Web Vitals.
• Chrome DevTools: Shows main-thread activity and long tasks.
• WebPageTest: Provides detailed waterfall analysis and real-world performance data.
• RUM Tools (e.g., SpeedCurve, New Relic): Track real-user INP metrics at scale.

Using these tools regularly allows you to pinpoint what’s slowing interactions and how to fix them quickly.

How INP Affects SEO and Conversions

INP directly impacts user satisfaction, engagement, and search performance. Google has confirmed that Core Web Vitals remain key ranking factors, and responsive pages tend to rank higher.

Websites that deliver fast, fluid interactions see lower bounce rates and longer session durations. Studies show that every 100 milliseconds of improvement can increase conversion rates by 5–10%. Faster responsiveness also builds trust — users are more likely to complete transactions on sites that “feel” immediate.

Conclusion

Improving INP isn’t just about passing a Google test — it’s about crafting a web experience that feels intuitive, responsive, and satisfying. By reducing main-thread work, optimizing JavaScript, deferring non-essential tasks, and streamlining event handling, you can dramatically enhance both user perception and search visibility.

As INP becomes a formal Core Web Vital in 2025, now is the perfect time to audit your site, implement these 10 optimizations, and make performance a continuous priority.

A smoother experience isn’t just better for users — it’s better for your business, your SEO, and your brand reputation.