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What is Cumulative Layout Shift?

Have you ever visited a website and found yourself frustrated by how long it took for the content to load? Or, even worse, been in the middle of reading an article when all of a sudden part of the page shifted, causing you to lose your place? That's what we call Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). In this blog post, we'll discuss what CLS is, why it matters, and how you can help reduce it on your own site. So whether you're a web developer or simply someone who wants to learn more about web performance, read on!

Have you ever clicked on something online and it shifted around, making your intended target move away? That can be a major annoyance, right? Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) is Google's way of tracking and analyzing just how much that happens on any given webpage.

Also known as 'layout instability,' Google uses CLS to measure the sum total of all individual layout shift scores for every unexpected change in the page content that occurs between when the page first loads and when the user interacts with it. Google uses this metric to help inform its ranking algorithm, which means that websites with lower CLS scores can get a boost in overall organic search traffic.

On top of this, Google even rewards websites for having a higher CLS score by awarding them with a point on the Page Experience Report. It's an important thing to work towards if your business wants to maintain or improve its visibility on Google. So if you want to stay ahead of the curve, keeping tabs on your website's CLS score will definitely pay off!

It's no surprise that web user experience is a major priority for web developers these days. After all, web users should be able to easily access the content they're looking for and have a positive experience when navigating websites or apps.

That's where CLS (Content Layout Shift) comes in. CLS is used to measure how well web pages are laid out with the goal of creating smooth transitions between elements during web interactions. By optimizing the layout of webpages, web developers can create a more reliable UX by reducing unexpected layout shifts that can cause frustration and confusion - ultimately leading to higher return rates on webpages.