What Time to First Byte (TTFB) means
A slow TTFB delays everything else on the page. It is usually caused by slow hosting, missing caching or heavy server-side work. Better hosting, a CDN and page caching are the typical fixes.
Why it matters for your website
Nothing can display until that first byte arrives, so a slow TTFB delays every other part of the page. Google lists it as a supporting metric for page speed, and slow servers can drag down how fast visitors see your content.
Example
A hypothetical restaurant's WordPress site takes a long time to respond because of an overloaded shared server and no caching, so menus feel sluggish before anything shows.
Tips
- Turn on page caching so the server is not rebuilding each page.
- Use a CDN to serve content from locations closer to your visitors.
- Upgrade hosting if TTFB stays slow even after caching.
Common mistakes
- Blaming images for slowness when the real delay happens on the server.
- Testing only from your own office instead of from different locations.
Questions about Time to First Byte (TTFB)
What is Time to First Byte (TTFB)?
How long the browser waits before receiving the first piece of data from the server.
Is time to first byte a Core Web Vital?
No, it is not one of the Core Web Vitals. It does affect Largest Contentful Paint, which is one, because slow server responses delay everything after.
How do I reduce TTFB?
Common fixes include caching, a CDN, faster hosting, fewer slow plugins and better database queries. Reducing redirects also helps.
