Where can I start to resolve an 'INP issue' with mobile views for a Webflow site flagged by Google search console?

Google Search Console is flagging an INP (Interaction to Next Paint) issue for your Webflow site on mobile, meaning your page responsiveness is poor after user interactions. Here’s how to start diagnosing and resolving it.

1. Understand What INP Measures

• INP (Interaction to Next Paint) quantifies user interaction latency—how long it takes after a tap or click before the visual response is noticeable.
• Causes often include JavaScript bottlenecks, heavy DOM, or inefficient third-party scripts.

2. Use PageSpeed Insights

• Go to PageSpeed Insights and paste your site’s URL.
• Focus on the mobile tab.
• Look under the "Diagnose performance issues" section for items marked with “High INP” or issues like “Long main-thread tasks.”

3. Audit Webflow Interactions

• Log in to Webflow and review all scroll, click, hover, and page-load interactions from the Designer’s Interactions panel.
• Remove or simplify complex animations, especially those affecting multiple elements or triggering on scroll.
• Avoid chain-triggered animations that block user input responsiveness.

4. Reduce DOM Complexity

• Use the Navigator panel in Webflow to identify deep nesting or unnecessary wrappers.
• Flatten your layout where possible and remove unused elements.
• Consider consolidating duplicated components into symbols or reusable components.

5. Limit Third-Party Scripts and Embeds

• Open the Page Settings and Project Settings → Custom Code tab.
• Remove or defer unnecessary third-party scripts like chat widgets, autoplay embeds, tracking libraries, etc.
• Replace slow embeds (like YouTube) with image placeholders and modal popups.

6. Minimize Web Fonts and Assets

• Use system fonts or limit to 1–2 font families.
• Compress images within Webflow using the image optimization toggle, and use SVGs or WebP where possible.
• Enable loaders like lazy loading (loading="lazy") for images below the fold.

7. Enable Webflow’s Performance Options

• In Project Settings → Hosting tab, ensure Minify HTML, CSS, and JS options are enabled.
• Enable asset compression and disable unused features like Webflow’s built-in lightbox if not used.

8. Test Again and Monitor

• After making changes, re-test with PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse in Chrome DevTools.
• Use Web Vitals overlay in Chrome for real-time INP monitoring in emulated mobile mode.
• Finally, request a validation/retest in Google Search Console for the affected URL(s).

Summary

To resolve INP issues for mobile views in Webflow, start by auditing JavaScript-heavy interactions, cleaning up the DOM, deferring third-party scripts, and optimizing assets. Use PageSpeed Insights and Chrome tools to identify and confirm improvements.