Google Retires Web Vitals Extension, Moves Everything to DevTools

Google has officially shut down its Web Vitals Chrome extension with the release of Chrome 132.

All its key features are now fully integrated into DevTools’ Performance panel, making it the go-to tool for measuring Core Web Vitals.

While nearly 200,000 users used the extension, the Chrome team has decided to focus solely on DevTools, which offers a more powerful and centralized platform for debugging site performance.

Why the Extension Was Retired

The Web Vitals extension was great for early Core Web Vitals monitoring, but DevTools now offers the same functionality—and more.

By moving everything into DevTools, Google provides developers with a more seamless performance optimization workflow.

What’s New in DevTools?

The Performance panel in DevTools now replicates and expands on the extension’s capabilities:

• Live Metrics: Real-time Core Web Vitals data for your local tests.
• Field Data: Compare local metrics to CrUX data for URLs and origins, including desktop and mobile views.
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) Details: Find the specific element behind your LCP score, see phase breakdowns like Time to First Byte (TTFB), and render delay.
• Interaction To Next Paint (INP) Interaction Log: Track interactions contributing to INP with detailed timing for input delay, processing, and presentation.
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) Log: See grouped layout shifts contributing to your CLS score.
• Diagnostic Metrics: Includes TTFB and First Contentful Paint (FCP).

DevTools provides everything the extension did, plus advanced debugging tools, all in one place.

What Developers Should Do Next

If you’re still using the Web Vitals extension, it’s time to switch to DevTools.

Google has even created a migration guide to make the transition easier.

For those who can’t migrate, Google has shared instructions for maintaining a local copy of the extension.

However, the CrUX API key tied to the extension will soon be revoked, so field data integration may break unless you generate a new key through the CrUX API docs.

Looking Ahead

This move signals Google’s commitment to making DevTools the best performance monitoring tool for developers. The Performance panel covers everything from Core Web Vitals to advanced diagnostics, and more updates are coming.

The Web Vitals extension was a helpful tool, but its best features now live in DevTools, making it easier for developers to monitor and optimize site performance from one place.

For more details, check out the official announcement or the GitHub repository.

Featured Image: William Potter/Shutterstock