How to Reduce Server Response Time (TTFB)

Target Benchmark

Aim for a TTFB under 800ms (ideal TTFB is under 200ms). High TTFB delays every subsequent resource request, bottlenecking overall page speed.

Key Solutions & Best Practices

• Full-Page Server Caching: Enable page-level caching at the server or CDN level (such as Cloudflare APO or Varnish) to serve static HTML instantly.

• Database Query Optimization: Clean and index database tables to prevent sluggish database lookups on dynamic CMS platforms.

• Upgrade Infrastructure: Migrate to modern managed hosting running a currently supported PHP version (8.3 or newer) with HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 support.

How to Measure TTFB

Test from more than one location and on repeat visits. PageSpeed Insights shows real-visitor TTFB, and WebPageTest or your browser’s developer tools (Network tab) show it for a single load. A fast first byte on cached pages but a slow one for logged-in users or checkout pages usually points to database or plugin work that caching can’t cover.