What is First Input Delay

Have you ever tried to click a button or open an accordion menu on a webpage, but nothing happened for a frustrating second? That lag between your action and the site's reaction is what First Input Delay is all about. A snappy, responsive site feels professional and is a joy to use. This guide will explain FID, what causes it to be slow, and how you can fix it.

What is First Input Delay (FID)?

Imagine you're trying to talk to a cashier who is busy scanning a huge pile of items. You ask a question, but they can't respond until they finish the task they're already working on. That delay before they can even acknowledge you is the First Input Delay (FID).

On a website, FID measures the time from when a user first interacts with your page (like clicking a button, tapping a link, or using a form field) to the moment the browser is actually able to start processing that interaction.

It doesn't measure how long it takes to complete the action, just the initial delay in responding. A good FID score means your site feels immediately responsive to user input.

Common Causes of a Slow First Input Delay and How to Fix Them

A slow FID is almost always caused by one thing: the browser's "main thread" is too busy doing other work. Think of this main thread as a single, hard-working employee. If you give them a massive, complicated report to write (like running a large JavaScript file), they can't stop in the middle to take a customer's phone call (your click).

1. Heavy JavaScript Execution

What it is: JavaScript is the code that powers a site's interactive features, like animations, form submissions, and data processing. If your site tries to run a very large or complex JavaScript file when the page first loads, the browser gets locked up and can't respond to user clicks.

How to fix it:

Break Up Long Tasks: Instead of giving the browser one giant task to complete, developers can break the code into smaller, bite-sized chunks. This way, the browser can work on a small chunk, check if the user has done anything (like clicked), respond if needed, and then move to the next chunk.

Defer Non-Essential JavaScript: Some scripts aren't needed right away (e.g., analytics trackers, customer support chat widgets, or social media buttons). These can be loaded after the main, interactive parts of your page are ready, freeing up the browser to respond to the user first.

2. Large Third-Party Scripts

What it is: Often, slow FID is caused by code not from your website, but from third-party services you use for things like advertising, analytics, or A/B testing. These scripts can be large and inefficient, hijacking the browser's main thread.

How to fix it:

Audit Your Third-Party Scripts: Take a close look at all the third-party tools running on your site. Are they all necessary? Are any of them known to be slow? Sometimes removing or replacing just one slow script can have a massive impact.

Load Scripts More Efficiently: Ask your developers if these scripts can be loaded in a "deferred" or "asynchronous" way, which tells the browser not to let them block more important work.

Why First Input Delay Matters

FID is a direct measure of how interactive and responsive your site feels. It's a key part of Google's Core Web Vitals, a set of metrics that influence your site's search ranking.

User Experience: A high FID is frustrating. It makes a site feel sluggish, laggy, or even broken. Users might click multiple times in annoyance, or simply give up and leave. A low FID provides a smooth, professional experience.

Conversions: A responsive site builds trust and confidence. When buttons and forms work instantly, users are more likely to complete a purchase, sign up for a newsletter, or take whatever action is important for your business.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO): Because Google uses Core Web Vitals to help rank pages, a poor FID score can negatively impact your visibility in search results, leading to less traffic.