About the TTFB Checker
Time to First Byte (TTFB) is the time from starting a request until the first byte of the response arrives. It includes DNS lookup, the TCP connection, the TLS handshake and the time the server takes to generate the page. Because nothing can render until HTML arrives, a slow TTFB pushes back every other loading metric, including LCP.
This TTFB checker requests a public URL three times from our server and breaks each run into those phases, so you can tell whether the delay is network setup or server processing. A long server wait usually points to slow database queries, no page caching or an overloaded host. Results reflect our server's location, so visitors elsewhere may see different times; a CDN can help distant visitors.
How to use it
- Enter a public URL.
- Run the test and compare the three measurements.
- Look at which phase, DNS, connect, TLS or server wait, takes longest.
- Address the slowest phase with caching, a CDN or hosting changes.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good TTFB?
Google's web.dev guidance suggests aiming for a TTFB of roughly 0.8 seconds or less as a rough guide for most sites. TTFB is not a Core Web Vital itself, but a slow first byte makes it harder to achieve a good Largest Contentful Paint.
Why measure three times?
The first request may include work that later requests avoid, such as a cold cache on the server or a fresh DNS lookup. Several runs show whether a slow result is consistent or a one-off, and make it easier to see the effect of server caching.
How can I reduce server wait time?
Common fixes include full-page caching, a faster or less crowded hosting plan, optimizing slow database queries, reducing heavy plugins, using a current PHP or runtime version, and serving pages from a CDN close to visitors. Re-test after each change so you can see which one made the biggest difference to server wait time.