How To Test Your Website Speed With Google Lighthouse

You can test your website's speed and performance using Google Lighthouse, a powerful tool integrated into Google Chrome's Developer Tools. Here's how to use it:

1.Open Google Chrome:

Make sure you are using the Google Chrome web browser since Google Lighthouse is a built-in feature.

2.Access Developer Tools:

 Open the website you want to test and right-click on the page. Select "Inspect" from the context menu or press `Ctrl+Shift+I` (or `Cmd+Option+I` on Mac) to open Chrome's Developer Tools.

3.Access Lighthouse:

In the Developer Tools window, you will see several tabs at the top. Click on the "Lighthouse" tab.

4.Start an Audit:

Click on the "Generate report" button. This will open a panel where you can configure your audit settings.

5.Configure Audit Settings:

In the audit panel, you can choose which categories you want to test. Lighthouse offers various categories like Performance, Accessibility, Best Practices, SEO, and more. For website speed testing, select the "Performance" category.

6.Run the Audio:

After configuring your settings, click the "Run audit" button. Google Lighthouse will begin testing your website's performance.

7.Review the Report:

Lighthouse will run several tests and provide a detailed report on your website's performance. You'll see scores for various metrics, including First Contentful Paint (FCP), Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).

8.View Suggestions:

Lighthouse will offer suggestions for improving your website's speed and performance. You can find these recommendations in the "Opportunities" and "Diagnostics" sections of the report.

9.Performance Score:

Lighthouse provides an overall performance score, which is a good indicator of your website's speed. Strive to achieve a higher score for better performance.

10.Repeat Audits:

Regularly run Lighthouse audits to track improvements in your website's performance over time.

11.Export Reports:

You can export the Lighthouse report as a PDF or JSON file by clicking on the respective buttons in the upper right corner of the report.

12.Address Issues:

Take action based on the suggestions provided in the report to improve your website's speed and overall performance.

Lighthouse is a valuable tool for assessing your website's performance, identifying areas for improvement, and optimizing your site for better user experience. Regularly testing and optimizing your website's speed can lead to improved rankings, user satisfaction, and conversion rates.