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How to Fix Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) Issues on WordPress
Have you ever visited a website on your phone, tried to tap a button, and suddenly the page moved? Instead of the button, you accidentally clicked on an ad. It is frustrating, right?
That movement is called Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).
Google hates this movement just as much as you do. If your website shifts around while it loads, Google might rank your site lower in search results. This means fewer visitors for you.
In this guide, we will explain what CLS is in simple words. We will also show you exactly how to fix it on your WordPress site so you can keep your readers happy and your Google rankings high.
What is Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)?
Think of CLS as a measure of "visual stability."
When a website loads, different parts of the page (like images, text, and buttons) appear on the screen. If these parts stay in one place, your site is stable. If they jump around or push other content down as they load, your site is unstable.
Google measures this instability using a score. This score is part of Core Web Vitals, a set of metrics Google uses to judge user experience.
What is a Good CLS Score?
Google gives your website a grade based on how much the layout shifts.
Good: 0.1 or less (Aim for this!)
Needs Improvement: Between 0.1 and 0.25
Poor: Higher than 0.25
If your score is above 0.1, you need to fix it.
How to Check Your CLS Score
Before you fix anything, you need to know your current score. You can use free tools from Google to check this.
Google PageSpeed Insights: This is the easiest tool. Just paste your website URL, and it will give you a report. Look for the section labeled "Cumulative Layout Shift."
Google Search Console: If you own the site, this tool shows you a report for all your pages at once. It tells you which pages have "Poor" or "Needs Improvement" status.
Top Ways to Fix CLS Issues on WordPress
Now that we know what CLS is, let’s fix it. Most CLS issues come from three main things: images without sizes, ads without reserved space, and slow-loading fonts.
Here are the best ways to solve these problems.
1. Always Add Dimensions to Images and Videos
This is the most common reason for a bad CLS score.
When you add an image to your site, the browser needs to know how big that image is before it downloads it. If you don't tell the browser the Width and Height, the browser thinks the image is 0x0 pixels.
Once the image loads, the browser suddenly makes space for it. This pushes all the text down. That is a layout shift.
How to Fix It:
WordPress does this automatically: Modern versions of WordPress usually add width and height attributes to images for you.
Check your settings: When you upload an image to a post, ensure you are not deleting the size numbers in the image settings.
Use a Plugin: If your theme is old, you can use a plugin like WP Rocket or Perfmatters. These plugins automatically add missing image dimensions for you.
2. Reserve Space for Ads and Embeds
Do you have Google AdSense ads or YouTube videos on your site? These act just like images.
If you place an ad code at the top of your page, the browser does not know how big the ad will be. It loads the text first. Then, a second later, the ad appears and pushes the text down.
How to Fix It: To stop this, you must "save a seat" for the ad. You need to reserve space in your website's code (CSS).
For example, if you know your ad is 300 pixels wide and 250 pixels tall, you should tell the website to leave a blank box of that exact size. This way, when the ad loads, it fills the blank box instead of pushing content around.
3. Optimize Web Fonts
Fonts can also cause layout shifts. This happens because of something called FOIT (Flash of Invisible Text) or FOUT (Flash of Unstyled Text).
Here is what happens:
A user opens your site.
The browser shows a standard system font (like Arial) because your custom font is downloading.
Your custom font finishes downloading.
The browser swaps the fonts. Since the new font might be slightly wider or taller, the text moves.
How to Fix It:
Preload Fonts: You can tell the browser to download your fonts immediately.
Host Fonts Locally: Instead of loading fonts from Google’s servers, save them on your own website hosting. This makes them load faster.
Use "Swap" method: In your CSS, use font-display: swap;. This tells the browser to use a backup font until the new one is ready, minimizing the shift.
4. Manage Dynamic Content
Dynamic content refers to things that pop up after the site loads. This includes:
Email newsletter sign-up forms.
"Related Products" banners.
GDPR cookie consent notices.
If these pop up at the top of the page, they push everything else down.
How to Fix It:
Avoid the top: Try to place dynamic content at the bottom of the page or in a sidebar.
Overlay content: If you need a pop-up, make sure it floats over the content rather than pushing the content down.
5. Use Caching and Optimization Plugins
Sometimes, fixing code is hard if you are not a developer. Fortunately, WordPress has great plugins that do the heavy lifting for you.
WP Rocket: This is a premium plugin that fixes CLS by adding image dimensions and optimizing font loading.
Autoptimize: A free plugin that helps optimize your site's code (CSS and JS) to make it load smoother.
Jetpack: Offers image optimization features that can help with stability.
Why Fixing CLS Helps Your SEO
Google wants to send users to websites that provide a great experience. If your site is stable, fast, and easy to use, Google trusts it more.
By fixing CLS, you achieve two things:
Better Rankings: You pass the Core Web Vitals test, which is a ranking factor.
Happier Visitors: Users stay longer on sites that don't annoy them. Longer visit times tell Google your content is valuable.
Conclusion
Fixing Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) on WordPress does not have to be scary. It mostly comes down to telling the browser how much space to save for images, ads, and fonts.
Start by checking your score on PageSpeed Insights. Then, ensure all your images have dimensions and reserve space for your ads. A stable website is a professional website, and your visitors will thank you for it!