Doherty Threshold
Productivity soars when a computer and its users interact at a pace (<400ms) that ensures neither has to wait on the other.
What it means on a web page
Responses slower than about 400ms tend to feel like a wait. Without a loading indicator, people cannot tell whether the system is working and may repeat the action.
A slow response with no feedback can feel unresponsive, and people may click again.
This describes a general tendency. How much it matters on a particular page depends on the page and the people using it.
Does theuxbites check this?
No. This cannot be judged from a page's HTML, so the audit does not check it and never reports a finding for it. It is described here for when you review a design yourself.
Suggestions
Optimise response times below 400ms. Add loading indicators for any operation taking longer.
- Target Time to Interactive under 3.8 seconds (Lighthouse)
- Add skeleton screens or spinners for any async operation
- Show immediate visual feedback on button click (disable + spinner)
- Optimise server response time to under 200ms (TTFB)
- Use optimistic UI updates: show the result before the server responds
These are common ways to apply the principle, not rules. Whether one fits depends on your page.
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