What is TTFB by navigation method
TTFB by navigation method tracks Time to First Byte (TTFB) based on how users enter a page — either through a Hard navigation or a Soft navigation. This view reveals how server response times differ depending on how the session starts.
Only navigation methods present in the selected timeframe will appear.
Here’s a quick breakdown:
Navigation method | Description |
Hard navigation | A full page load triggered by entering the site or refreshing the page. |
Soft navigation | A partial load caused by in-site transitions (e.g. via a JavaScript router) |
Healthy TTFB by navigation method sample
Should you worry
In a healthy chart, hard navigations should still show green values — indicating that servers, CDNs, and edge infrastructure are responding quickly.
Soft navigations may appear even faster, but that's expected due to lack of a new request.
Fast TTFB on hard navs means:
Your edge caching is working.
Server logic is efficient.
DNS and SSL handshakes aren’t adding overhead.
Unhealthy TTFB by navigation method sample
When hard navigations show slow TTFB, it usually signals:
Backend processing delays.
Poor cache performance (especially with dynamic content).
Latency from origin server, particularly in certain regions.
This slows down the entire waterfall and can hurt perception and conversions — especially on first visits.
If soft navs are showing inconsistent timing, it may be noise, or a sign that extra API calls are made during the route change.
Resolving unhealthy TTFB by navigation method
Go-to action plan to resolve an unhealthy TTFB by navigation method:
Ask Uxi to analyze your TTFB by navigation method values and suggest improvements.
Filter to find regions, layouts, or entry points with worst TTFB.
Simulate TTFB of the suspected lens to see if fixing it will resolve the TTFB by navigation method. If yes, this is where the resolution focus should be.
Use an automated optimization tool like Navigation AI to improve your TTFB by navigation method values.
Once you’ve improved TTFB, set an alert to be the first to know if it starts worsening again.
Try it yourself
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