Google CLS Issue Explained: What "CLS More Than 0.25" Means and How to Fix It

Key Takeaways

• Google uses Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) to measure how visually stable your site is during loading. A CLS score over 0.25 means users are likely seeing unexpected layout shifts, which can damage both experience and rankings.
• Layout shifts usually happen when elements like images, ads, or fonts load without reserved space. The browser adjusts on the fly, moving visible content around—and that’s exactly what Google wants you to avoid.
• To fix CLS issues, start by defining image and video dimensions, reserving space for ads and embeds, and using font-display: swap for custom fonts. These small changes help stabilize the initial layout and reduce content jumps.
• Google Search Console will flag CLS issues for both mobile and desktop separately. Use tools like PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse to dig into the specific elements causing large layout shifts.
• Improving your CLS score leads to faster page loads and a more stable experience for users. If you're unsure what's causing the shifts, a technical SEO audit for your store can pinpoint the exact elements that need fixing.

If your site is triggering the "CLS issue more than 0.25" warning in Google Search Console, layout shifts are likely hurting both user experience and rankings.

This warning means your pages are shifting too much as they load, which can frustrate users and affect your Core Web Vitals score. A high CLS score doesn't just disrupt the experience; it can also impact search visibility.

At Lantern Sol, we’ve worked with hundreds of site owners to resolve layout shift problems using practical SEO techniques and real performance data. As a professional SEO services company, we focus on solutions that improve stability, speed, and search visibility.

So what does this CLS issue warning actually mean—and how do you fix it?

What Is Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)?

Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) measures how much visible content on a page unexpectedly moves around during loading. These shifts—called layout shift entries—typically happen when images, ads, fonts, or dynamic content load without reserved space.

The result is a page that jumps as it renders, which can disrupt user interaction and make the site feel unstable.

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This is especially frustrating on mobile devices, where smaller screens leave little room for error. You might try to tap a link or button, only to miss because the content moved at the last second. These unexpected layout shifts aren’t just annoying—they can drive users away and reduce conversions, especially on ecommerce or lead-gen pages.

That’s why Google includes CLS as one of its Core Web Vitals. It’s a direct signal of visual stability, which affects how users perceive your site’s reliability and responsiveness.

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‍What Is CLS Issue More Than 0.25?

A "CLS issue more than 0.25" means Google has detected layout shift entries that exceed acceptable thresholds during the initial render and post-load shifts. These may stem from dynamically injected content, image loads, ad slot movements, or web font loads that delay text visibility. This can happen on both desktop and mobile, though it’s more common on mobile due to smaller screens and resource constraints.

Depending on which device is affected, you might see one of these messages in Search Console:

• CLS issue: more than 0.25 (mobile)
• CLS issue: more than 0.25 (desktop)

These alerts indicate that your content is shifting too much during loading, enough to potentially frustrate users or interrupt key interactions. Large layout shifts during critical moments can weaken engagement and hurt your overall performance in search.

In short, the more stable your layout during initial and post-load rendering, the better your chances of keeping users engaged—and ranking well.

Common Causes of High CLS Scores

Several layout-related issues can trigger a CLS score above 0.25:

• Images or videos without set dimensions: Without defined sizes, these elements load unpredictably, pushing nearby content out of place.
• Responsive images without aspect ratios: If the browser doesn’t know how much space to reserve, it has to adjust the layout mid-load.
• Ads or embeds injected without reserved space: These often load late and expand suddenly, causing a visible layout shift.
• Web font swaps causing text shifts: When custom fonts load too slowly, the browser might first display a default font, then re-render text when the web font arrives.
• Dynamic content added without blank space reserved: Content injected by JavaScript or other scripts can shift everything below it if no space was held in advance.

Each of these issues causes elements to move during rendered frames, breaking layout stability and contributing to a higher CLS score. Fixing them requires anticipating how each element affects the flow of your page, especially during the initial load.

How to Fix CLS Issue More Than 0.25 (Mobile and Desktop)

Start by checking the Core Web Vitals report in Google Search Console. Identify the URLs showing the "CLS issue more than 0.25" warning.

Next, run those URLs through tools like PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or Chrome DevTools. These will help you measure CLS, spot layout shift entries, and identify the unstable elements causing the problem. On mobile, shifts are often more pronounced due to smaller screens and slower connections.

Here are some key fixes you can apply:

• Set image dimensions and video dimensions using CSS properties or HTML attributes: Always define width and height to help the browser reserve the right amount of space before the asset loads.
• Preload fonts and use the font-display: swap declaration: This ensures text remains visible during web font loads and avoids a flash of invisible or fallback text.
• Reserve space for ad slot containers, dynamic content, and similar elements: Use fixed dimensions or aspect ratios to prevent content from being pushed down once those elements load.
• Avoid inserting new content above existing elements after the initial layout: Doing so can trigger large layout shifts during the first interaction or scroll.
• Use media queries to adapt your layout across screen sizes: Do this in a way that prevents resizing or repositioning that could disrupt the visual flow.
• Eliminate render-blocking resources: These include slow-loading scripts or stylesheets that hold up content rendering and layout stabilization.

If layout shifts are scattered across templates or inconsistent across devices, a page-by-page fix might not be enough. To make lasting, site-wide improvements, consider starting with a technical SEO audit. It can reveal deeper structural issues affecting CLS and other key performance metrics.

How SEO Experts Can Help You Solve CLS Issues at Scale

Fixing cumulative layout shift isn’t always straightforward, especially for site owners managing large websites, dynamic layouts, or single-page apps with a lot of moving parts. In many cases, surface-level fixes aren’t enough. That’s when it helps to have a team that’s done it before.

Working with ecommerce SEO experts can help you:

• Find exactly where layout shifts happen using tools like Lighthouse or Chrome DevTools
• Fix cumulative layout shift issues across web pages, shared templates, and content types
• Optimize font family loading and fallbacks for modern browsers to avoid unstable text rendering
• Resize images and media with precision, ensuring layout consistency across screen sizes and devices

And if the problem goes beyond individual elements or pages, it may be time to look at your broader site architecture. A skilled team can help you measure layout shifts accurately, stabilize the initial load, and reduce CLS across all critical page templates.

Final Thoughts: Get Ahead of CLS Before Rankings Drop

A high CLS score isn’t simply a warning—it’s a sign that your layout is visually unstable and actively hurting your web performance. Whether the issue stems from custom fonts, dynamically loaded media, or poor CSS structure, it needs fixing.

Tackle layout instability before it causes ranking drops. Focus on image dimensions, preload critical web fonts, and test layout shift behavior during initial page load and after user interaction. A few targeted changes can significantly improve your Core Web Vital scores and deliver a smoother experience to your users.