Core Web Vitals Glitch in GSC Reporting
Google Search Console (GSC) is currently showing Core Web Vitals data incorrectly. The issue was noticed when many website owners and SEO experts saw sudden changes in their performance reports—especially in a key metric called Largest Contentful Paint (LCP).
This doesn’t mean websites actually got faster or slower. It simply means the data in Search Console isn’t being shown correctly right now. Since Core Web Vitals are important for understanding how well a website works for users, this unexpected glitch has raised concerns in the SEO and web development communities.
What Made the Investigation Happen?
The issue was first noticed around July 5, when users began reporting unusually low LCP scores in their Core Web Vitals report. These unexpected improvements in performance were too significant and abrupt to be the result of actual changes made to the websites.
John Mueller, Google Search Advocate, addressed the concern via social media, stating that the fluctuation was due to a reporting bug rather than real user-experience improvements. The confirmation from Google helped clarify that the data anomaly was on their end.
Which Metrics Are Affected?
The bug mostly affected Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), but it might also have caused problems with other Core Web Vitals measures, like First Input Delay (FID) and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). But Google hasn’t said anything about how this would affect anything other than LCP.
Mueller emphasized that the issue is isolated to Search Console reporting and does not affect actual user experience or website rankings. The Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) and other sources of performance statistics are still correct.
Here is Screenshot of John Mueller respond on Bluesky:
When Will the Issue Be Fixed?
Google hasn’t given a specific date for when the remedy will be ready, but they have promised users that the engineering team is working hard to fix the problem. It is also expected that once the issue is corrected, Search Console will restore and display the accurate historical Core Web Vitals data.
In the meanwhile, using external tools to keep an eye on performance is still the best way to get trustworthy information.
Conclusion
The confirmed glitch in Google Search Console has caused temporary confusion in Core Web Vitals reporting, but it does not reflect actual changes in site performance. This is a good reminder of how important it is to check SEO data on more than one platform before taking action, even when it’s a pain.
Stay tuned for further updates as Google works to restore normal reporting functionality.