As a website owner, it’s important to pay attention to your website’s performance metrics. One of the key metrics to focus on is the Total Blocking Time (TBT), which measures the time that the main thread of a web page is blocked by JavaScript, CSS, and other resources. A high TBT can lead to poor user experience, as it can cause the page to load slowly or become unresponsive.
In this blog post, we will discuss some strategies for reducing TBT and improving your website’s core web vitals.
Minimize the number of blocking resources
One of the main causes of high TBT is the presence of a large number of blocking resources, such as JavaScript and CSS files. To reduce TBT, you should minimize the number of blocking resources that your website uses. This can be done by combining multiple files into one, or by using a tool like code splitting to only load the resources that are needed for a specific page or component.
Defer the loading of non-critical resources
Another way to reduce TBT is to defer the loading of non-critical resources, such as images and videos, until after the page has loaded. This can be done using the “lazy loading” technique, which loads resources only when they are needed.
Use a Content Delivery Network (CDN)
A CDN can help to reduce TBT by distributing your website’s resources across multiple servers around the world. This can help to improve load times and reduce the time that the main thread is blocked.
Optimize your images
Images can be one of the biggest contributors to high TBT. To reduce TBT, you should optimize your images by compressing them and reducing their size. This can be done using tools like TinyPNG or Kraken.
it’s important to monitor your website’s performance on a regular basis. This will allow you to identify any areas of improvement and track the impact of any changes that you make. You can use tools such as Google’s PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or webpagetest.org to analyze your website’s performance and get detailed information about TBT and other core web vitals.
Use a browser extension or a plugin
There are several browser extensions and plugins available that can help you to reduce TBT and improve your website’s core web vitals. For example, you can use the “Async JavaScript” extension for Chrome, which allows you to load JavaScript files asynchronously, or the “Autoptimize” plugin for WordPress, which optimizes and minifies your website’s code.
Minimize the use of third-party scripts
Third-party scripts, such as ads, analytics, and social media widgets, can significantly increase your website’s TBT. To reduce TBT, you should minimize the use of third-party scripts or, if possible, use alternative solutions that do not require the use of external scripts.
In conclusion, reducing TBT is an important step in improving your website’s core web vitals and ensuring a better user experience. By following the strategies outlined in this blog post, you can minimize the number of blocking resources, defer the loading of non critical resources, use a Content Delivery Network, optimize images, monitor performance, use browser extensions or plugins, and minimize the use of third-party scripts. By implementing these strategies, you can significantly reduce TBT and improve the overall performance of your website.
It’s important to note that improving core web vitals is an ongoing process and it’s important to regularly monitor your website’s performance and make adjustments as needed. By paying attention to TBT and other core web vitals, you can ensure that your website is fast, responsive, and provides a positive user experience for your visitors.