A slow-loading website isn’t just annoying—it can kill your traffic, conversions, and search rankings. One of the most overlooked, but critical metrics in page speed is Time to First Byte (TTFB). If you’ve never heard of it or haven’t given it much thought, now’s the time to fix that.
TTFB measures how long it takes for a user’s browser to receive the first byte of data from your server after a request is made. A high TTFB means your server is sluggish, and no amount of front-end optimisation will fully compensate for that.
In this guide, we’ll break down what TTFB is, why it matters, and how to optimise it—without the fluff.
What Exactly Is Time to First Byte (TTFB)?
Time to First Byte (TTFB) is the time between a browser requesting a page and receiving the first byte of data from the server. It’s measured in milliseconds (ms) and consists of three main phases. First, there’s the DNS Lookup, where the browser finds the IP address of your server. Then comes Server Processing, where your server generates the response. Finally, Network Latency determines how long the data takes to travel back to the user.
A good TTFB is under 200ms, while anything above 500ms is problematic. Google recommends keeping it under 600ms for a decent user experience.
Why Does TTFB Matter?
1. Direct Impact on Page Load Speed
TTFB is the starting point for everything else. If your server takes too long to respond, all other optimisations (like image compression or lazy loading) won’t save you.
2. SEO Rankings
Google uses Core Web Vitals, and while TTFB isn’t a direct ranking factor, it affects Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), which is. A slow TTFB drags down LCP, hurting your rankings.
3. User Experience & Bounce Rates
Research by Portent shows that pages loading in 1 second have a conversion rate 3x higher than those taking 5 seconds. If your TTFB is high, users will bounce before the page even starts loading properly.
How to Measure TTFB?
Before fixing it, you need to measure it. WebPage Test provides a detailed breakdown of TTFB along with other metrics. Google PageSpeed Insights shows TTFB under the “Diagnostics” section. For real-time testing, Chrome DevTools (under the “Network” tab) displays TTFB for each request. Another straightforward option is Pingdom Tools, which gives a clear TTFB reading for your site.
Common Causes of High TTFB
A slow server response time is often the main culprit, especially if your server is overloaded, underpowered, or poorly configured. Another issue is unoptimised backend code, such as bloated PHP, slow database queries, or inefficient CMS setups (like too many WordPress plugins).
Poor hosting choices also play a role—shared hosting is cheap but often leads to high TTFB due to resource sharing. A VPS or dedicated server usually performs better.
Lack of caching forces the server to regenerate pages from scratch for every request, increasing TTFB. Long DNS lookups can also slow things down if your DNS provider isn’t efficient. Finally, network latency—affected by the physical distance between your server and users—can be improved with a CDN.
How to Optimise TTFB
1. Choose a Faster Hosting Provider
Not all hosting is equal. If you’re on shared hosting, upgrading to cloud hosting (like AWS, Google Cloud, or DigitalOcean) can slash TTFB. Managed WordPress hosts such as Kinsta or WP Engine optimise servers specifically for CMS speed. For simpler sites, static site hosts like Netlify or Vercel deliver near-instant TTFB.
2. Use a CDN (Content Delivery Network)
A CDN stores cached copies of your site on servers worldwide, reducing the distance data travels. Cloudflare (which has a free plan) improves TTFB by routing traffic efficiently, while BunnyCDN is a cost-effective alternative with strong performance.
3. Enable Server-Level Caching
Caching prevents your server from reprocessing the same requests. OPcache (for PHP) stores precompiled scripts, while Redis or Memcached speeds up database queries. Varnish Cache sits between your server and users, serving cached pages instantly.
4. Optimise Your Database
Slow queries are a major TTFB killer. Cleaning up unused data (like old post revisions or spam comments) helps, as does use indexes to speed up searches. If your database is still sluggish, consider switching to a faster option like MariaDB or PostgreSQL.
5. Minimise HTTP Requests
Each external resource (CSS, JS, fonts) adds overhead. Combining files where possible, using inline CSS/JS for critical resources, and deferring non-essential scripts until after the page renders can all reduce TTFB.
6. Reduce DNS Lookup Time
A slow DNS provider hurts TTFB before the server even gets the request. Switching to Cloudflare DNS, Google DNS (8.8.8.8), or OpenDNS can speed things up.
7. Upgrade to HTTP/2 or HTTP/3
Older protocols (HTTP/1.1) are slower. HTTP/2 allows multiplexing (multiple requests in one connection), while HTTP/3 (QUIC) reduces latency further. Most modern hosts support these—just enable them in your server settings.
8. Optimise Server Location
If most users are in Australia, hosting your server in Sydney or Melbourne reduces latency. AWS Sydney (ap-southeast-2) and Linode’s Sydney data centre are solid choices for AU traffic.
9. Use a Lightweight CMS or Framework
WordPress is flexible but can be bloated. Static site generators like Hugo or Jekyll have near-zero TTFB, while headless CMS setups (Strapi, Sanity) with a static frontend are also faster.
10. Monitor and Continuously Improve
TTFB isn’t a “set and forget” metric. Setting up monitoring tools like New Relic or Datadog helps track server performance, while regular audits with Lighthouse or GTmetrix ensure ongoing optimisation.
Real-World TTFB Benchmarks
A static HTML site on Netlify can achieve a TTFB of ~50ms, while an optimised WordPress site on Kinsta might hover around ~150ms. In contrast, shared hosting with no caching often results in ~800ms or more. If your TTFB is above 500ms, you’re leaving speed (and money) on the table.
Final Thoughts
TTFB might seem like a backend issue, but it affects everything—user experience, SEO, and conversions. The fixes aren’t always glamorous (upgrading hosting, tweaking server configs), but they make a massive difference.
Start by measuring your current TTFB, then tackle the biggest bottlenecks. Even small improvements can lead to faster load times, happier visitors, and better rankings.
Quick Checklist to Reduce TTFB
- Upgrade hosting if on shared servers.
- Enable a CDN (Cloudflare, BunnyCDN).
- Implement server caching (OPcache, Redis).
- Optimise database queries.
- Reduce DNS lookup times.
- Use HTTP/2 or HTTP/3.
- Monitor performance regularly.
Now, go test your TTFB and start optimising. Your visitors (and Google) will thank you.
Further Reading
∙ WebPageTest – Free TTFB Analysis
Got questions? Chat with our team.
