In the dynamic world of web development, ensuring a smooth user experience is paramount. One common issue that can disrupt this experience is Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). If you’ve ever visited a website and had elements unexpectedly shift around as the page loads, you’ve encountered CLS. This can be particularly frustrating for users and negatively impact your website’s SEO ranking. Fortunately, for WordPress users, there are several effective strategies to fix cumulative layout shifts. This guide will explore how to fix cumulative layout shift in WordPress, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience for your visitors.
Understanding Cumulative Layout Shift
Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) is one of Google’s Core Web Vitals, which measures the visual stability of a web page. A high CLS score indicates that elements on your page are shifting during the load process, leading to a jarring user experience. This can occur due to images, ads, or other content loading asynchronously and pushing other elements around on the page. Lowest Price Hosting
Why Is It Important to Fix Cumulative Layout Shift?
Fixing cumulative layout shift is crucial for several reasons:
- User Experience: A stable layout enhances user satisfaction, making it easier for visitors to engage with your content without unexpected disruptions.
- SEO: Google uses Core Web Vitals, including CLS, as part of its ranking criteria. A low CLS score can improve your site’s SEO performance.
- Conversion Rates: A smoother, more predictable browsing experience can lead to higher conversion rates, as users are more likely to stay on your site and complete desired actions.
How to Fix Cumulative Layout Shift in WordPress
Now, let’s delve into the practical steps you can take to fix cumulative layout shift in WordPress.
1. Specify Size for Images and Video Elements
One of the primary culprits of layout shifts is images and videos loading without predefined dimensions. When the browser doesn’t know the size of an image or video in advance, it cannot allocate space for it during the initial page render, leading to shifts as the content loads.
Solution: Always define the width and height attributes for your images and videos. This helps the browser allocate the correct amount of space, preventing layout shifts.
| <img src=”example.jpg” width=”600″ height=”400″ alt=”Example Image”> |
2. Reserve Space for Ads and Embeds
Ads and embedded content can also cause layout shifts if they load after the main content. To prevent this, you should reserve space for these elements.
Solution: Use CSS to create placeholders for ads and embeds, ensuring they have a designated space on the page even before they load.
| .ad-slot { width: 300px; height: 250px; display: block; } |
3. Optimize Fonts
Web fonts can cause layout shifts if they load after the page content. This happens because browsers first display fallback fonts and then switch to the custom fonts once they are loaded, causing a shift.
Solution: Use the font-display CSS property to control how fonts are swapped. Setting font-display: swap; ensures that the text remains visible during the font loading process.
| @font-face { font-family: ‘CustomFont’; src: url(‘customfont.woff2’) format(‘woff2’); font-display: swap; } |
4. Avoid Inserting Content Above Existing Content
Inserting content above existing content can push everything down, leading to a significant layout shift.
Solution: Add new content below the fold or in a way that doesn’t affect the content above it. If you must insert content at the top, ensure it’s done in a way that doesn’t disrupt the layout.
5. Implement Lazy Loading Correctly
Lazy loading is a technique to defer loading non-critical resources at page load time. While beneficial, improper implementation can cause layout shifts.
Solution: Use the loading="lazy" attribute for images and iframes. This ensures that images load only when they enter the viewport without causing layout shifts.
| <img src=”example.jpg” width=”600″ height=”400″ loading=”lazy” alt=”Example Image”> |
Tools to Measure and Fix CLS in WordPress
To effectively fix cumulative layout shifts in WordPress, you need to measure your current CLS score and identify problematic elements. Here are some tools that can help:
1. Google PageSpeed Insights
Google PageSpeed Insights is a free tool that provides detailed insights into your website’s performance, including CLS. It highlights issues and offers suggestions for improvement.
2. Lighthouse
Lighthouse is an open-source, automated tool for improving the quality of web pages. You can run it as a Chrome DevTools extension or from the command line to get a detailed report on your site’s performance, including CLS.
3. Web Vitals Extension
The Web Vitals extension for Chrome provides real-time feedback on your site’s Core Web Vitals, including CLS, directly in your browser.
Plugins to Help Fix CLS in WordPress
Several WordPress plugins can assist in fixing cumulative layout shifts by optimizing various elements on your site:
1. WP Rocket
WP Rocket is a premium caching plugin that offers a range of performance optimization features. It can help reduce CLS by optimizing images, implementing lazy loading, and more.
2. Autoptimize
Autoptimize is a popular plugin that can aggregate, minify, and cache scripts and styles. It also includes options to optimize images and implement lazy loading, which can help reduce CLS.
3. Smush
Smush is an image optimization plugin that can compress and resize images, ensuring they load faster and more efficiently. By optimizing image sizes, you can reduce the likelihood of layout shifts.
Conclusion
Fixing cumulative layout shift in WordPress is essential for delivering a smooth and enjoyable user experience. By understanding the causes of CLS and implementing the solutions outlined in this guide, you can significantly improve your site’s visual stability. Remember to measure your progress using the tools mentioned and continuously optimize your site to maintain a low CLS score.
In summary, to fix cumulative layout shift in WordPress, ensure you:
- Specify the size for images and video elements
- Reserve space for ads and embeds
- Optimize fonts
- Avoid inserting content above existing content
- Implement lazy loading correctly
By following these best practices, you can create a more stable and user-friendly website, enhancing both user satisfaction and SEO performance.
