API Latency Tester

Understanding API Latency

API latency measures how long it takes for your API to respond to requests. It's a critical metric for user experience and application performance.

What Affects API Latency?

• Network distance — Geographic distance between client and server adds latency
• Server processing — Complex queries, computations, or database calls take time
• Cold starts — Serverless functions may have initial startup delay
• Payload size — Larger request/response bodies take longer to transfer
• SSL/TLS handshake — HTTPS connections require initial handshake overhead

Latency Metrics Explained

Tips for Reducing API Latency

• Use a CDN — Serve API responses from edge locations closer to users
• Implement caching — Cache responses at multiple levels (CDN, server, database)
• Optimize database queries — Add indexes, avoid N+1 queries, use connection pooling
• Keep payloads small — Use pagination, compression, and selective field returns