Before the browser can display anything, the server has to respond. This category covers everything before the first line of HTML: server choice and resources, time to first byte, database queries and their indexing, PHP configuration and OPcache, HTTP versions and connection setup, compression with Brotli and Gzip, and caching at several levels — from object caches to full page delivery. We look at delivery through content delivery networks, at sensible expiry times for static files and at when a migration is worthwhile. Described so you can talk to your host or IT team about causes in concrete terms. We additionally cover which details you need from a provider to compare offers objectively instead of deciding by package name.
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A correctly configured cache can still miss almost every time: Vary, a session cookie on every response and campaign parameters split each URL into variants.
Two concurrent requests from the same visitor run one after the other once both open the session. Where the wait comes from and how to remove it.
When your server waits on a foreign system while assembling a page, timeouts, caching tiers and fallback values decide whether the page stands or stalls.
TTFB only gives you the sum. The Server-Timing header breaks server time down in the browser into database, cache, application logic and template work.
A page answering in 400 ms on a single request can break at 300 concurrent visitors. How a load test makes capacity visible before the peak season starts.
Between web server and database sits the PHP runtime. How OPcache, preloading, JIT and FPM workers shape your response time under load, and how to measure it.
Every redirect costs a round trip before the first byte. Learn how to detect HTTP, www and slug chains and reduce them to a single hop without losing SEO value.
Status code 103 per RFC 8297: how the server sends preconnect and preload hints during think time, how the nginx rollout looks and where the honest limits run.
Bots generate over half of all HTML requests. Why AI crawlers hit uncacheable long-tail URLs, how to measure the load and throttle it instead of blocking.
Brotli, Zstandard or Gzip for web compression in 2026: which method delivers the smallest transfer size and fastest response - static and dynamic alike.
How indexes, resolving N+1 queries, query caching and EXPLAIN speed up slow database queries and lower the Time to First Byte of your online shop fast.
How a CDN, edge caching and well-set cache-control headers cut Time to First Byte worldwide and keep your shop fast even far from the origin server.
The server sets the ceiling for load time. How shared hosting, VPS, managed and cloud differ in TTFB, load spikes, scaling and latency to your audience.