Check TTFB (Time To First Byte)

What is TTFB?

Time to First Byte (TTFB) indicates how quickly a web server responds to requests (be it browser-based or APIs). It's measured as the time taken from the moment a user submits a web request to the first byte of the server response.

TTFB is important because it affects the page load speed and user experience. If your TTFB score is high, it indicates server performance issues, slow database queries, or inefficient backend processing. SEO rankings also get influenced by high TTFB as search engines consider site speed as a ranking factor.

What is the difference between TTFB and Website Speed Test?

A TTFB Test is the time taken for a browser to receive the first byte of data from a server, focusing on server response time.

A Website Speed Test analyzes the complete page load process, including HTML rendering, CSS, JavaScript execution, and image loading.

Why should you care?

You should care about TTFB since it's a key metric considered by search engines, and a high TTFB can lead to lower rankings even if you have stellar content.

Technically, it boosts up essential user-centric parameters like:

• First Contentful Paint (FCP)
• Largest Contentful Paint (LCP)
• First Input Delay (FID)
• Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS)
• Total Blocking Time (TBT)
• Time to Interactive (TTI)

Reasons for Unoptimized TTFB

The Time to First Byte is actually a reflection of how the website is set up and how fast the underlying hardware is. There can be a number of reasons for high TTFB, and these need to be addressed to improve the TTFB performance:

• Slow DNS resolution
• Slow HTTPS redirection or certificate verification
• Slow database connection (for dynamic sites like WordPress)
• Poor disk performance (Disk I/O) of the server
• Poor network connection to the server
• Insufficient system resources (CPU and RAM) on the server

How can I improve TTFB?

You can reduce TTFB in the following ways:

• Use Good Hosting Platform - this is where you shouldn't prioritize cheap. An economical web hosting service may suffice for personal projects. But, businesses should stick to competitive hosting providers right from the start. Some popular hosting platforms are Kinsta, Google Cloud, A2 Hosting.
• Use Content Delivery Network - a server located oceans apart increases network latency, killing user experience. A CDN performs much like global servers for a worldwide audience. This ensures fast-loading websites from every corner of the world. Some top picks are Cloudflare & SUCURI.
• Enable Caching - Using caching can increase your chances of decreasing TTFB. Implement page and object caching to serve response faster. If you are using WordPress, you may consider using WP Rocket, one of the powerful caching plugins.
• Use Fast DNS Servers - All hosting plans come with basic DNS servers. Some of which render requests slowly, increasing DNS lookup times. This ultimately pushes the TTFB, resulting in delays in website loading. You can switch to a 3rd-party DNS server like Google Cloud DNS, Cloudflare DNS, etc.
• Minimize Page Redirects - this adds to the HTTP requests made by the web browser. The extra to-and-fro increases server response time, increasing the TTFB, which ends up frustrating the end users.
• Use the latest HTTP - Make sure your web hosting provider is using the up-to-date version of HTTP, like HTTP/3 and HTTP/2. This will help to load the content in parallel over a single TCP connection.

I use a CDN, why is my TTFB still high?

If you’re using a CDN but still experiencing high TTFB, possible reasons include:

• CDN Not Configured Properly – Ensure caching rules are set correctly.
• Origin Server is Slow – If your main server is slow, TTFB will still be high.
• Dynamic Content Not Cached – CDNs work best for static content. Use edge computing or optimize your origin server with caching for dynamic content.
• Network Latency Issues – Check if your CDN’s edge locations are close to your users.
• Slow Database Queries – Slow database processing can delay responses, even with a CDN.