--- title: "What is Critical Rendering Path? 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Squarespace Speed Optimization ](/services/squarespace-speed-optimization) [Book a Call](/contact) [Home](/) [Resources](/resources) [Glossary](/resources/glossary) Critical Rendering Path Interactivity & Rendering · Glossary # Critical Rendering Path (CRP) ![Matt Suffoletto](/assets/matt-CEkmAuBN.jpg)Written by [Matt Suffoletto](/resources/author/matt-suffoletto) Published June 26, 2026 ![Critical Rendering Path](/__l5e/assets-v1/a097c98a-1f16-4a52-a3ed-72049c6ba517/gloss-hero-critical-rendering-path.png) Share [](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagespeedmatters.com%2Fresources%2Fglossary%2Fcritical-rendering-path&text=Critical%20Rendering%20Path)[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagespeedmatters.com%2Fresources%2Fglossary%2Fcritical-rendering-path)[](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagespeedmatters.com%2Fresources%2Fglossary%2Fcritical-rendering-path)[](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagespeedmatters.com%2Fresources%2Fglossary%2Fcritical-rendering-path&title=Critical%20Rendering%20Path) On This Page - [TL;DR](#tldr "TL;DR") - [What is Critical Rendering Path](#definition "What is Critical Rendering Path") - [How It's Measured](#how-measured "How It's Measured") Share this guide [](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagespeedmatters.com%2Fresources%2Fglossary%2Fcritical-rendering-path&text=Critical%20Rendering%20Path)[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagespeedmatters.com%2Fresources%2Fglossary%2Fcritical-rendering-path)[](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagespeedmatters.com%2Fresources%2Fglossary%2Fcritical-rendering-path)[](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pagespeedmatters.com%2Fresources%2Fglossary%2Fcritical-rendering-path&title=Critical%20Rendering%20Path) Speed Audit ### Find out what's slowing your website down Enter your URL and our team will send back a free, no-strings performance analysis within 24 hours. Get my audit 100% free Results in 24h ## TL;DR The critical rendering path (CRP) is the sequence of steps the browser performs to convert HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into pixels on the screen, including DOM construction, CSSOM construction, render tree assembly, layout, and paint. ## What is Critical Rendering Path (CRP)? The critical rendering path (CRP) is the sequence of steps the browser performs to convert HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into pixels on the screen, including DOM construction, CSSOM construction, render tree assembly, layout, and paint. Learn more in our [how to improve the critical rendering path](/resources/guides/web-performance-optimization-complete-guide) guide, or work with us through our [done-for-you speed optimization service](/services). ## How CRP is Measured The path can be inspected with the Performance panel in Chrome DevTools and the Coverage tool. ## Related Terms [Glossary ### Render-Blocking Resources ](/resources/glossary/render-blocking-resources)[Glossary ### Critical CSS ](/resources/glossary/critical-css)[Glossary ### First Contentful Paint (FCP) ](/resources/glossary/first-contentful-paint) Sources - [web.dev: Critical rendering path](https://web.dev/learn/performance/understanding-the-critical-path) [![PageSpeed Matters](/assets/logo-DtyG_mQE.png)](/) We optimize website load times to rank higher, decrease advertising costs, and convert more often. 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