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This specification extends the High Resolution Time specification [HR-TIME-3] by providing methods to store and retrieve high resolution performance metric data.
This is a public copy of the editors’ draft. It is provided for discussion only and may change at any moment. Its publication here does not imply endorsement of its contents by W3C. Don’t cite this document other than as work in progress.
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This document is governed by the 18 August 2025 W3C Process Document.
This Performance Timeline specification replaces the first version of [PERFORMANCE-TIMELINE] and includes:
Performance interface defined by
[HR-TIME-3];
PerformanceEntry in Web Workers [WORKERS];
PerformanceObserver.
Accurately measuring performance characteristics of web applications is an important aspect of making web applications faster. This specification defines the necessary Performance Timeline primitives that enable web developers to access, instrument, and retrieve various performance metrics from the full lifecycle of a web application.
[NAVIGATION-TIMING-2], [RESOURCE-TIMING-2], and [USER-TIMING-2] are examples of specifications that define timing information related to the navigation of the document, resources on the page, and developer scripts, respectively. Together these and other performance interfaces define performance metrics that describe the Performance Timeline of a web application. For example, the following script shows how a developer can access the Performance Timeline to obtain performance metrics related to the navigation of the document, resources on the page, and developer scripts:
<!doctype html> < html > < head ></ head > < body onload = "init()" > < img id = "image0" src = "https://www.w3.org/Icons/w3c_main.png" /> < script > function init() { // see [[USER-TIMING-2]] performance. mark( "startWork" ); doWork(); // Some developer code performance. mark( "endWork" ); measurePerf(); } function measurePerf() { performance. getEntries() . map( entry=> JSON. stringify( entry, null , 2 )) . forEach( json=> console. log( json)); } </ script > </ body > </ html >
Alternatively, the developer can observe the Performance Timeline
and be notified of new performance metrics and, optionally, previously
buffered performance metrics of specified type, via the
PerformanceObserver interface.
The PerformanceObserver interface was added
and is designed to address limitations of the buffer-based
approach shown in the first example. By using the PerformanceObserver
interface, the application can:
The developer is encouraged to use PerformanceObserver where
possible. Further, new performance API’s and metrics may only be available
through the PerformanceObserver interface. The observer works by
specifying a callback in the constructor and specifying the performance
entries it’s interested in via the observe() method.
The user agent chooses when to execute the callback, which receives
performance entries that have been queued.
There are special considerations regarding initial page load when using
the PerformanceObserver interface: a registration must be active to
receive events but the registration script may not be available or may not
be desired in the critical path. To address this, user agents buffer some
number of events while the page is being constructed, and these buffered
events can be accessed via the buffered flag
when registering the observer. When this flag is set, the user agent
retrieves and dispatches events that it has buffered, for the specified
entry type, and delivers them in the first callback after the
observe() call occurs.
The number of buffered events is determined by the specification that defines the metric and buffering is intended to used for first-N events only; buffering is not unbounded or continuous.
<!doctype html> < html > < head ></ head > < body > < img id = "image0" src = "https://www.w3.org/Icons/w3c_main.png" /> < script > // Know when the entry types we would like to use are not supported. function detectSupport( entryTypes) { for ( const entryTypeof entryTypes) { if ( ! PerformanceObserver. supportedEntryTypes. includes( entryType)) { // Indicate to client-side analytics that |entryType| is not supported. } } } detectSupport([ "resource" , "mark" , "measure" ]); const userTimingObserver= new PerformanceObserver( list=> { list. getEntries() // Get the values we are interested in . map(({ name, entryType, startTime, duration}) => { const obj= { "Duration" : duration, "Entry Type" : entryType, "Name" : name, "Start Time" : startTime, }; return JSON. stringify( obj, null , 2 ); }) // Display them to the console. . forEach( console. log); // Disconnect after processing the events. userTimingObserver. disconnect(); }); // Subscribe to new events for User-Timing. userTimingObserver. observe({ entryTypes: [ "mark" , "measure" ]}); const resourceObserver= new PerformanceObserver( list=> { list. getEntries() // Get the values we are interested in . map(({ name, startTime, fetchStart, responseStart, responseEnd}) => { const obj= { "Name" : name, "Start Time" : startTime, "Fetch Start" : fetchStart, "Response Start" : responseStart, "Response End" : responseEnd, }; return JSON. stringify( obj, null , 2 ); }) // Display them to the console. . forEach( console. log); // Disconnect after processing the events. resourceObserver. disconnect(); }); // Retrieve buffered events and subscribe to newer events for Resource Timing. resourceObserver. observe({ type: "resource" , buffered: true }); </ script > </ body > </ html >
Each global object has:
DOMString, representing
the entry type to which the buffer belongs. The ordered map’s
value is the
following tuple:
PerformanceEntry objects, that is initially empty.
boolean availableFromTimeline,
initialized to the registry value for this entry type.
Each Document has:
PerformanceEntry,
initially unset.
In order to get the relevant performance entry tuple, given entryType and globalObject as input, run the following steps:
Performance interfaceThis extends the Performance interface from [HR-TIME-3] and
hosts performance related attributes and methods used to retrieve the
performance metric data from the Performance Timeline.
partial interface Performance {PerformanceEntryList ();getEntries PerformanceEntryList (getEntriesByType DOMString );type PerformanceEntryList (getEntriesByName DOMString ,name optional DOMString ); };type typedef sequence <PerformanceEntry >;PerformanceEntryList
The PerformanceEntryList represents a sequence of
PerformanceEntry, providing developers with all the convenience
methods found on JavaScript arrays.
getEntries() methodReturns a PerformanceEntryList object returned by the
filter buffer map by name and type algorithm with
name and type set to null.
getEntriesByType() methodReturns a PerformanceEntryList object returned by filter buffer map by name and type algorithm with name set to
null, and type set to the method’s input
type parameter.
getEntriesByName() methodReturns a PerformanceEntryList object returned by filter buffer map by name and type algorithm with name set to
the method input name parameter, and type set
to null if optional entryType is omitted, or set to the
method’s input type parameter otherwise.
PerformanceEntry interfaceThe PerformanceEntry interface hosts the performance data of
various metrics.
[Exposed =(Window ,Worker )]interface {PerformanceEntry readonly attribute unsigned long long ;id readonly attribute DOMString name ;readonly attribute DOMString entryType ;readonly attribute DOMHighResTimeStamp startTime ;readonly attribute DOMHighResTimeStamp duration ;readonly attribute unsigned long long navigationId ; [Default ]object (); };toJSON
name, of type DOMString, readonly
This attribute must return the value it is initialized to. It represents an identifier for
this PerformanceEntry object. This identifier does not have to be unique.
entryType, of type DOMString, readonly
This attribute must return the value it is initialized to.
All entryType values are defined in the
relevant registry.
Examples include: "mark" and "measure"
[USER-TIMING-2], "navigation" [NAVIGATION-TIMING-2],
and "resource" [RESOURCE-TIMING-2].
startTime, of type DOMHighResTimeStamp, readonly
This attribute must return the value it is initialized to. It represents the time value of
the first recorded timestamp of this performance metric.
duration, of type DOMHighResTimeStamp, readonly
The getter steps for the duration attribute are to return 0 if this’s end time
is 0; otherwise this’s end time - this’s startTime.
navigationId, of type unsigned long long, readonly
This attribute MUST return the value it is initialized to.
When toJSON is called, run [WEBIDL]’s default toJSON steps.
A PerformanceEntry has a DOMHighResTimeStamp end time,
initially 0.
To initialize a PerformanceEntry entry given a DOMHighResTimeStamp startTime,
a DOMString entryType, a DOMString name, and an optional DOMHighResTimeStamp endTime (default 0):
startTime to startTime.
entryType to entryType.
name to name.
PerformanceObserver interfaceThe PerformanceObserver interface can be used to observe the
Performance Timeline to be notified of new performance metrics as
they are recorded, and optionally buffered performance metrics.
Each PerformanceObserver has these associated concepts:
PerformanceObserverCallback observer callback set on creation.
PerformanceEntryList object called the observer
buffer that is initially empty.
DOMString observer type which is initially
"undefined".
The PerformanceObserver(callback) constructor must create a new
PerformanceObserver object with its observer callback
set to callback and then return it.
A registered performance observer is a struct
consisting of an observer member (a PerformanceObserver
object) and an options list member (a list of
PerformanceObserverInit dictionaries).
callback =PerformanceObserverCallback undefined (PerformanceObserverEntryList ,entries PerformanceObserver ,observer optional PerformanceObserverCallbackOptions = {}); [options Exposed =(Window ,Worker )]interface {PerformanceObserver (constructor PerformanceObserverCallback );callback undefined (observe optional PerformanceObserverInit = {});options undefined ();disconnect PerformanceEntryList (); [takeRecords SameObject ]static readonly attribute FrozenArray <DOMString >; };supportedEntryTypes
To keep the performance overhead to minimum the application ought to only subscribe to event types that it is interested in, and disconnect the observer once it no longer needs to observe the performance data. Filtering by name is not supported, as it would implicitly require a subscription for all event types — this is possible, but discouraged, as it will generate a significant volume of events.
PerformanceObserverCallbackOptions dictionarydroppedEntriesCount An integer representing the dropped entries count for the entry types that the observer is observing when thedictionary {PerformanceObserverCallbackOptions unsigned long long ; };droppedEntriesCount
PerformanceObserver’s requires dropped entries
is set.
observe() methodThe observe() method instructs the user agent to register
the observer and must run these steps:
entryTypes and type members
are both omitted, then throw a "TypeError".
entryTypes is present and any other
member is also present, then throw a "TypeError".
"undefined":
entryTypes member is
present, then set this’s observer type to
"multiple".
type member is present, then
set this’s observer type to
"single".
"single" and options’s entryTypes
member is present, then throw an
"InvalidModificationError".
"multiple" and options’s type member
is present, then throw an
"InvalidModificationError".
"multiple", run the following steps:
entryTypes sequence.
"single".
type is not contained in the
relevantGlobal’s frozen array of supported entry types, abort these steps. The user agent SHOULD notify
developers when this happens, for instance via a console warning.
PerformanceObserverInit item currentOptions
whose type is equal to options’s type,
replace currentOptions with options in
obs’s options list.
buffered flag is set:
type and
relevantGlobal.
For each entry in tuple’s performance entry buffer:
A PerformanceObserver object needs to always call
observe() with options’s
entryTypes set OR always call
observe() with options’s
type set. If one PerformanceObserver
calls observe() with
entryTypes and also calls observe with
type, then an exception is
thrown. This is meant to avoid confusion with how calls would stack. When
using entryTypes, no other
parameters in PerformanceObserverInit can be used. In addition,
multiple observe() calls will override for backwards compatibility
and because a single call should suffice in this case. On the other hand,
when using type, calls
will stack because a single call can only specify one type. Calling
observe() with a repeated
type will also override.
PerformanceObserverInit dictionaryentryTypes A list of entry types to be observed. If present, the list MUST NOT be empty and all other members MUST NOT be present. Types not recognized by the user agent MUST be ignored. type A single entry type to be observed. A type that is not recognized by the user agent MUST be ignored. Other members may be present. buffered A flag to indicate whether buffered entries should be queued into observer’s buffer.dictionary {PerformanceObserverInit sequence <DOMString >;entryTypes DOMString ;type boolean ; };buffered
PerformanceObserverEntryList interface[Exposed =(Window ,Worker )]interface {PerformanceObserverEntryList PerformanceEntryList ();getEntries PerformanceEntryList (getEntriesByType DOMString );type PerformanceEntryList (getEntriesByName DOMString ,name optional DOMString ); };type
Each PerformanceObserverEntryList object has an associated
entry list, which consists of a PerformanceEntryList and is
initialized upon construction.
getEntries() methodReturns a PerformanceEntryList object returned by filter buffer by name and type algorithm with this’s entry list,
name and type set to null.
getEntriesByType() methodReturns a PerformanceEntryList object returned by filter buffer by name and type algorithm with this’s entry list,
name set to null, and type set to the
method’s input type parameter.
getEntriesByName() methodReturns a PerformanceEntryList object returned by filter buffer by name and type algorithm with this’s entry list,
name set to the method input name parameter, and
type set to null if optional entryType is omitted,
or set to the method’s input type parameter otherwise.
takeRecords() methodThe takeRecords() method must return a copy of this’s
observer buffer, and also empty this’s observer buffer.
disconnect() methodThe disconnect() method must do the following:
supportedEntryTypes attributeEach global object has an associated frozen array of supported entry types, which is initialized to the FrozenArray created from the sequence of strings among the registry that are supported for the global object, in alphabetical order.
When supportedEntryTypes’s attribute getter is called, run
the following steps:
This attribute allows web developers to easily know which entry types are supported by the user agent.
PerformanceEntryTo queue a PerformanceEntry (newEntry), run these steps:
id is unset:
id to id.
PerformanceObserver objects.
entryType value.
navigationId to the value of
relevantGlobal’s associated document’s most recent navigation’s id.
navigationId to null.
If regObs’s options list contains a
PerformanceObserverInit options whose
entryTypes member includes
entryType or whose
type member equals to
entryType:
PerformanceEntryTo queue a navigation PerformanceEntry (newEntry), run these steps:
id to id.
navigationId to id.
When asked to queue the PerformanceObserver task, given relevantGlobal as input, run the following steps:
PerformanceObserverEntryList, with its entry list set
to entries.
PerformanceObserverInit item in
registeredObserver’s options list:
DOMString
entryType that appears either as item’s
type or in item’s
entryTypes:
PerformanceObserverCallbackOptions
with its droppedEntriesCount
set to droppedEntriesCount if droppedEntriesCount is not null,
otherwise unset.
The performance timeline task queue is a low priority queue that, if possible, should be processed by the user agent during idle periods to minimize impact of performance monitoring code.
When asked to run the filter buffer map by name and type algorithm with optional name and type, run the following steps:
startTime
When asked to run the filter buffer by name and type algorithm, with buffer, name, and type as inputs, run the following steps:
PerformanceEntry entry in
buffer, run the following steps:
entryType attribute, continue to next entry.
name attribute, continue to next entry.
startTime
To determine if a performance entry buffer is full, with tuple as input, run the following steps:
When asked to generate an id for a
PerformanceEntry entry, run the following steps:
A user agent may choose to increase the last performance entry id by a small random integer every time. A user agent must not pick a single global random integer and increase the last performance entry id of all global objects by that amount because this could introduce cross origin leaks.
The last performance entry id has an initial random value, and is increased by a small number chosen by the user agent instead of 1 to discourage developers from considering it as a counter of the number of entries that have been generated in the web application.
This specification extends the Performance interface defined by [HR-TIME-3] and
provides methods to queue and retrieve entries from the performance timeline. Please
refer to [HR-TIME-3] for privacy considerations of exposing high-resoluting timing
information. Each new specification introducing new performance entries should have its own
privacy considerations as well.
The last performance entry id is deliberately initialized to a
random value, and is incremented by another small value every time a new
PerformanceEntry is queued. User agents may choose to use a consistent
increment for all users, or may pick a different increment for each
global object, or may choose a new random increment for each
PerformanceEntry. However, in order to prevent cross-origin leaks, and
ensure that this does not enable fingerprinting, user agents must not just
pick a unique random integer, and use it as a consistent increment for all
PerformanceEntry objects across all global objects.
This specification extends the Performance interface defined by [HR-TIME-3] and
provides methods to queue and retrieve entries from the performance timeline. Please
refer to [HR-TIME-3] for security considerations of exposing high-resoluting timing
information. Each new specification introducing new performance entries should have its own
security considerations as well.
Thanks to Arvind Jain, Boris Zbarsky, Jatinder Mann, Nat Duca, Philippe Le Hegaret, Ryosuke Niwa, Shubhie Panicker, Todd Reifsteck, Yoav Weiss, and Zhiheng Wang, for their contributions to this work.
Conformance requirements are expressed with a combination of descriptive assertions and RFC 2119 terminology. The key words “MUST”, “MUST NOT”, “REQUIRED”, “SHALL”, “SHALL NOT”, “SHOULD”, “SHOULD NOT”, “RECOMMENDED”, “MAY”, and “OPTIONAL” in the normative parts of this document are to be interpreted as described in RFC 2119. However, for readability, these words do not appear in all uppercase letters in this specification.
All of the text of this specification is normative except sections explicitly marked as non-normative, examples, and notes. [RFC2119]
Examples in this specification are introduced with the words “for example”
or are set apart from the normative text
with class="example",
like this:
Informative notes begin with the word “Note”
and are set apart from the normative text
with class="note",
like this:
Note, this is an informative note.
Requirements phrased in the imperative as part of algorithms (such as "strip any leading space characters" or "return false and abort these steps") are to be interpreted with the meaning of the key word ("must", "should", "may", etc) used in introducing the algorithm.
Conformance requirements phrased as algorithms or specific steps can be implemented in any manner, so long as the end result is equivalent. In particular, the algorithms defined in this specification are intended to be easy to understand and are not intended to be performant. Implementers are encouraged to optimize.
partial interface Performance {PerformanceEntryList ();getEntries PerformanceEntryList (getEntriesByType DOMString );type PerformanceEntryList (getEntriesByName DOMString ,name optional DOMString ); };type typedef sequence <PerformanceEntry >; [PerformanceEntryList Exposed =(Window ,Worker )]interface {PerformanceEntry readonly attribute unsigned long long ;id readonly attribute DOMString name ;readonly attribute DOMString entryType ;readonly attribute DOMHighResTimeStamp startTime ;readonly attribute DOMHighResTimeStamp duration ;readonly attribute unsigned long long navigationId ; [Default ]object (); };toJSON callback =PerformanceObserverCallback undefined (PerformanceObserverEntryList ,entries PerformanceObserver ,observer optional PerformanceObserverCallbackOptions = {}); [options Exposed =(Window ,Worker )]interface {PerformanceObserver (constructor PerformanceObserverCallback );callback undefined (observe optional PerformanceObserverInit = {});options undefined ();disconnect PerformanceEntryList (); [takeRecords SameObject ]static readonly attribute FrozenArray <DOMString >; };supportedEntryTypes dictionary {PerformanceObserverCallbackOptions unsigned long long ; };droppedEntriesCount dictionary {PerformanceObserverInit sequence <DOMString >;entryTypes DOMString ;type boolean ; }; [buffered Exposed =(Window ,Worker )]interface {PerformanceObserverEntryList PerformanceEntryList ();getEntries PerformanceEntryList (getEntriesByType DOMString );type PerformanceEntryList (getEntriesByName DOMString ,name optional DOMString ); };type