How to Fix Slow Time to First Byte (TTFB)

Your server takes too long to send the first byte, delaying everything else.

Symptoms you'll see

TTFB is how long before the browser receives the first byte of the response. Above 0.8s is poor and drags down every later metric including LCP.

Why it happens

A slow TTFB means no content can render until it arrives, hurting LCP, user perception, and crawl efficiency.

Step-by-step fix

Use a CDN with edge caching, enable server caching, upgrade hosting, optimise database queries, and use HTTP/2 or HTTP/3. Aim for under 600ms on fast connections.

How SEO Surgeon catches it

Our engine notes pages with slow starts and recommends caching and hosting improvements in the roadmap.

Fix this across your whole site

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