Key Points

  • Interaction to Next Paint (INP) is an important performance metric that helps publishers understand the user experience on their site by measuring the latency between interaction and its result.
  • As a rule of thumb, anything under 200 milliseconds is considered a good INP score. A score above 500 milliseconds is generally considered a poor INP score. 
  • Our initial testing of new methods for loading and refresh behaviors has reduced INP scores by 20-30% while maintaining a consistent revenue per session.

Learning the technical side of web publishing can feel like trying to master the arcane arts. 

When done right, a website can cast a spell over a visitor; mesmerize them, inspire them, or magically solve their problem.

It’s easy to see that becoming a tech wiz can help you do exactly that.

Perfecting the tricks of the trade? Not so easy.

The spellbook is thick and the instructions for each skill are written in a confusing, ancient language.

There’s a reason so few people attempt to read it.

And don’t say it’s because magic isn’t real… That’s muggle-talk.

Still, it’s worth the effort. Understanding the technical ingredients involved in managing your site will help you craft the perfect potion for your visitors.

In this post, we’ll teach you all about one critical ingredient for your user experience potion: Interaction to Next Paint (INP).

What is INP, why is it important, and how do ads impact your INP score? 

Hope you have your cauldron and eye of newt handy. Potion-brewing 101 is now in session. 

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Overview of Interaction to Next Paint

What is INP?

First things first, what exactly is INP?

Interaction to Next Paint (INP) is a critical website performance metric that helps to illustrate a website's overall responsiveness and user experience. It shows the time delay between each user interaction and the result of that action. 

For example, INP measures the time between a user clicking a button and the result of that button click appearing on the screen.

Your site performs little magic tricks every day.  A user interacts — clicks a button, taps a link, or types something on the keyboard — and suddenly: abra-cadabra! Something appears on the screen.

Now, let’s demystify some of the most commonly asked questions about INP.

What is a good INP score?

In general, you can think of an INP score as a measurement of the time between casting a spell and noticing its effects.

The shorter the time between those two things, the better.

So a lower INP score = better, right?

Well, yes. 

But that being said, a lot of factors that can impact INP are completely outside the developer's control. Device capability and internet connection can significantly increase INP score, for example.  

Even the best wizard would have a harder time conjuring a flame in a rainstorm.

So with that caveat out of the way, here are some basics you need to know about measuring INP:

  • A good INP score is any latency under 200 milliseconds
  • An INP score that needs improvement is any latency between 200 and 500 milliseconds
  • A poor INP score is any latency above 500 milliseconds

Now, what’s a good latency for conjuring a flame, you ask?

I’ll look into that and get back to you in our next class.

What is an interaction?

A key definition you need to know to understand your INP score is what constitutes an interaction.

An interaction is any action completed by a user on your site.

The primary examples of this are when a user:

  • Clicks with a mouse
  • Taps with a finger
  • Presses a key on the keyboard

While there are other ways users interact with a site, scrolling and zooming, for example, the above three are the only ones measured with an INP score.

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Do ads affect your INP score?

In short: yes.

Ads increase the complexity of your site’s infrastructure. Think of it like wizardry: more complicated magic requires a more complicated spell.

This means ads will have an impact on your INP score in three ways:

  1. On initial page load: Loading any ad code will impact your core web metrics. This includes your INP score. While it’s typically a minor impact, the longer an ad takes to load, the greater the effect it can have on your INP score. As a general rule, it's important to have fast and efficient initial script loads for all core web vitals, including INP.
  2. During refresh: Ads impact your INP score when they refresh, which happens every 30 seconds. 
  3. During continued on-page activity: As the user scrolls down a page, the new ads that load will also impact your INP score. 

Your site completes a long list of actions before it renders the creative for each refreshed or new ad. So if you have a lot of ads on your page, this is where you’ll see the impacts accumulating.

But don’t stress too much. This doesn’t mean you need to abandon your monetization strategy, but regularly refining it and collaborating with monetization experts definitely doesn’t hurt.

How Playwire is Addressing INP for Publishers

If you’re still feeling a bit overwhelmed by the idea of INP and how to ensure your website has a good INP score, we understand.

The truth is, it takes years of practice to become a tech wiz.

Not to mention, if you want to craft a magical user experience for your site visitors, you’ll need to do more than just master a single web vital.

That's where Playwire comes in. Think of us like a master sorcerer. 

When it comes to improving your INP score, we’ve got all the dark arts secrets to help you:

  • Reduce your total page weight
  • Incorporate ad delays that prioritize full-page loading
  • Optimize your ad refresh behaviors so you can keep ads running without damaging your INP score

By obsessively testing new techniques, we’ve managed to reduce INP scores by between 20-30% while maintaining an equivalent revenue per session for our publishers.

We’ve got the tools, tech, and expertise to help you conjure the revenue you need to turn your passion into a business. 

Now it’s your turn to make some magic. Contact us to get started!

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