Plan Architecture
1-2 hoursIdentify pages to audit, set performance budgets, and choose measurement tools.
Field context
This workflow is part of 4 niche fields
Complete guide for website performance audit — step-by-step workflow, tools, checklist, and expert tips to get started.
Identify pages to audit, set performance budgets, and choose measurement tools.
Run Lighthouse and WebPageTest, calculate current Core Web Vitals scores.
Apply image compression, code splitting, critical CSS, and caching strategies.
Deploy optimizations, re-run audits, and set up continuous performance monitoring.
Key benchmarks for website performance audit.
| Metric | Good | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| LCP | <2.5s | Optimize hero image |
| INP | <200ms | Reduce JS |
| CLS | <0.1 | Set image dimensions |
Google uses mobile Core Web Vitals for ranking — always audit on throttled mobile.
LCP element is usually the hero image — optimize it first for the biggest impact.
Lighthouse, WebPageTest, and PageSpeed Insights are free and cover most audit needs.