If you’re a website owner or developer focused on improving site performance, here’s some big news: Google has retired its Web Vitals Chrome extension as of Chrome 132. But don’t worry—everything you loved about the extension has been fully integrated into DevTools’ Performance panel, and it’s even better than before!
Why the Extension Was Retired
When it launched, the Web Vitals extension was a handy tool for monitoring Core Web Vitals. However, as Google continued enhancing DevTools, the extension started to feel like an extra step. By moving all features to DevTools, Google now provides developers with a streamlined way to monitor and optimize site performance without needing additional tools.
What’s New in DevTools?
The Performance panel in DevTools doesn’t just replicate the extension’s features—it builds on them. Here are some highlights:
- Live Metrics: Get real-time Core Web Vitals data during your tests.
- Field Data Comparison: Compare your local performance results with CrUX (Chrome User Experience Report) data for both desktop and mobile.
- Detailed LCP Insights: Pinpoint what’s affecting your Largest Contentful Paint score, including elements like Time to First Byte (TTFB).
- Interaction Tracking: Track interactions contributing to your Interaction to Next Paint (INP) score, with detailed logs for delays and rendering times.
- Shift Logs for CLS: See which layout shifts impact your Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) score.
- Additional Metrics: Includes TTFB and First Contentful Paint (FCP) diagnostics.
In short, DevTools offers everything the Web Vitals extension did—plus more advanced debugging capabilities—in one convenient place.
What Should You Do?
If you’re still using the Web Vitals extension, now’s the time to transition to DevTools. Google even created a migration guide to make this easier.
For those who can’t migrate, Google provided instructions for keeping a local copy of the extension. But keep in mind that the CrUX API key tied to the extension will soon expire, which could limit functionality.
Final Thoughts
Google’s decision to embed it all into Dev Tools (Google Chrome’s Developer Tools) is an embodiment of Google’s dedication to create a performance optimization process that never fails to let developers know, let alone do their job.
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