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Time to First Byte (TTFB)

Updated 2021-06-161 min read

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TTFB

Time to First Byte is commonly thought of as the time it takes the server to respond to any request. However, this is not actually the case as TTFB is also highly dependent upon how optimized your website is.

The key elements to TTFB are:

The time necessary to send the HTTP request to the server
The time necessary for the server to process the sent request
The time necessary to return the first byte of the response to the client

Additional information on Time to First Byte can be seen via the following third party site:

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Frequently asked questions

What you need to know.

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What does Time to First Byte measure?

It covers the request reaching the server, the server processing that request and the first byte of the response returning to the client.

Does TTFB reflect only the server’s hardware speed?

No. The guide explicitly notes that website optimization also affects TTFB, alongside request and response travel time.

Where can I start investigating WordPress work that may delay a response?

The WordPress optimization guide reviews plugins, caching, scheduled tasks and other contributors to resource use. How to Optimize your Wordpress Site.