Getting Core Web Vitals Check in China
Are you interested in improving your website’s performance in China? If so, it’s crucial to understand how to measure Core Web Vitals specifically for the Chinese audience. In this blog post, we’ll explore what Core Web Vitals are, the challenges of using existing tools in China, and provide you with effective solutions to get accurate measurements in this unique context.
Understanding Google Core Web Vitals
Core Web Vitals are essential metrics that focus on the user experience of web pages. They cover loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability, representing key aspects of user satisfaction. Google has established specific thresholds for three vital metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). To ensure a good user experience, your website should meet these thresholds, such as LCP occurring within 2.5 seconds and FID being 100 milliseconds or less.
To determine if your website meets the recommended targets for most users, it is advised to measure the 75th percentile of page loads on mobile and desktop devices across all three metrics. By doing so, you can identify areas for improvement and optimize your website accordingly.
Challenges with Existing Solutions in China
The first hurdle when assessing Core Web Vitals in China is that popular tools like Google Pagespeed Insights, Pingdom, GTmetrix, and WebPagetest do not have test servers within mainland China. Although some testers claim to offer Asia support, their coverage typically extends only to cities or regions near mainland China. This limitation is due to the Great Firewall of China, which significantly impacts the accuracy of these tools’ results.
Let’s take a closer look at how these tests work to understand the influence of the Great Firewall of China. When you initiate a test, the test server sends network requests to your website. However, these requests pass through the Great Firewall of China, which may block the domain or site you are testing. As a result, the firewall prevents the network requests from reaching your website, leading to incomplete or no responses back to the test server.
To determine if your website is accessible in China, you can use our site, China Firewall Test, available at https://www.chinafirewalltest.co/.
Effective Methods for Testing Core Web Vitals in China
1. Using Chrome Browser in Mainland China: If you are located in mainland China, the easiest way to obtain Core Web Vitals metrics is through your Chrome browser.
Simply open the developer tools (“⋮” -> More tools -> Developer Tools”), navigate to the “Lighthouse” tab, and click “Analyze page load” to run the test (See the below screenshots for reference). This built-in feature provides accurate measurements within China’s Great Firewall.
2. Leveraging Someone in Mainland China: If you have contacts or colleagues in mainland China, you can ask them to perform the test on your behalf. After they complete the test, they can export the report by selecting “⋮” -> “Save as HTML” and share it with you.
3. Use Lighthouse Metrics China:
https://lighthousemetricschina.com/ is the first Lighthouse metrics tool specifically designed for China. Experience unparalleled website monitoring capabilities with Lighthouse. Gain insights into the fluctuations of your scores and metrics within the realm of the Great Firewall of China, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing each change. Lighthouse Metrics China offers both free and paid plans.
4. Seeking Assistance from Our China Team: At 21YunBox, we receive numerous requests for hosting advice in China. To help our users understand their site’s performance in industry-standard metrics, we offer the lighthouse metrics test. If you would like us to run the test for you, free of charge, please contact us. Additionally, if you require web hosting strategy guidance for China, we can provide a free audit and assist you in getting started promptly.
Simplifying Web Tech Deployment in China with 21YunBox
21YunBox specializes in helping Western companies adapt their websites and tech stacks for optimal performance in China, all without the need for replication. If you require assistance with China-specific web development and hosting, don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re here to support you in successfully navigating the Chinese market.
