Google’s Barry Pollard recently explained why website owners see different Core Web Vitals scores in Chrome User Experience Report (CrUX) versus Google Search Console.
The short answer: both tools can be correct because they measure different things.
Pollard addressed the issue on Bluesky after questions about sites showing 90% “good” page loads in CrUX but only 50% “good” URLs in Search Console. His explanation can help you decide which metrics matter for your SEO work.
CrUX vs. Search Console
CrUX and Search Console measure performance differently.
CrUX counts page views and reflects how real Chrome users experience your site across visits. Every visit is a data point. If one person hits your homepage ten times, that’s ten experiences counted.
In Pollard’s words:
“Most CrUX data is measured by ‘page views’.”
He added:
“Users can visit a single page many times, or multiple pages once. 90% of your ‘page views’ may be the home page.”
Search Console works differently. It evaluates individual URLs and groups similar pages, giving you a template-level view of page health across the site. It’s a different lens on the same underlying field data sourced from CrUX.
Google’s documentation confirms: CrUX is the official Web Vitals field dataset, and the Core Web Vitals report in Search Console is derived from it and presented at the URL/group level.
Why Both Metrics Matter
Should you focus on page views or individual pages? That depends on your goals.
Pollard puts the choice on you:
“Should you care about ‘page views’ or ‘pages’? Well that’s up to you!”
High-traffic pages affect more people, so they often deserve first priority. They also tend to run faster because they get more attention and caching.
But don’t ignore slower pages. As Pollard suggested:
“Maybe they’d be visited more if not so slow?”
The best approach uses both views. Keep popular pages fast for current visitors, and improve slower sections to raise overall site quality and discoverability.
Action plan
When CrUX looks good but Search Console shows many problem URLs, it usually means your most-visited pages are fine while long-tail sections need work. That’s useful direction, not a conflict.
Start with the pages that drive the most sessions and revenue, then work through other templates so URL-level health catches up. As you assess changes, always check what each tool is counting and over which time window.
Looking ahead
Don’t panic when the numbers don’t align. They’re showing you different views of the same reality: user experiences (CrUX) and page health by URL/group (Search Console). Use both to guide your roadmap and reporting.
