First Contentful Paint (FCP) is a web performance metric that measures the time it takes for the first piece of content to appear on a webpage. This content can be text, images, or other visual elements. FCP is important because it gives users a sense of how quickly a page is loading, impacting their overall experience. A faster FCP can lead to higher user satisfaction and engagement, as visitors are more likely to stay on a site that loads quickly. Web developers often optimize their sites to improve FCP by minimizing resources, optimizing images, and using efficient coding practices.