Transparent data makes decision-making easier. As website optimization continues to grow in importance, it’s vital to know and understand how requests affect your website performance.

Web requests occur when a “request” is sent from a web browser to a web server. When a user visits that particular web page, the server responds with the information requested. As a rule of thumb, the fewer requests made for a particular page, the faster the page can load.

In an effort to help our clients better understand their website requests, Zesty.io has recently released our Metrics API dashboard. This operational data provides insights into the number and types of requests a website receives on a weekly or monthly basis, giving our clients the ability to hone in on areas of opportunity and optimization.

The Metrics API dashboard provides a window into the requests being made to a site at any given time. On the dashboard, four different types of requests are listed: successful page loads (200 requests), page redirects (301), failing not found (404), and malicious/deflected (403).

This data is meant to provide insight into what kinds of requests are being made on a site, so clients can make more informed decisions around optimization. This data can be used to identify several things:

• Pages that are 404ing and need a redirect

• Pages that are being requested but don’t exist (e.g. an “FAQ” page)

• Pages that have assets that do not work on certain devices (or are lacking assets) - e.g. older iOS devices

• Examples of pages that people are scanning for maliciously

From this data, companies can infer how well their site is performing, identify areas of opportunity, and act to repair any issues on the site. We recommend fully evaluating all of the data on the dashboard and working with your development team or agency partner to address.

For clients with additional questions about the metrics dashboard, please reach out to your dedicated support team or account manager.