Time to First Answer: The 2025 Web Standard

People don’t visit websites to admire UI tricks—they come for answers. In 2025, “make me click to see it” loses to “it’s right there.” People need answers right away.

How good is your website at TTFA: Time to First Answer?

TL;DR

• Show answers by default. Use accordions/tabs only for predictable lists or very long sets.
• Add a short TL;DR at the top of important pages (2–3 sentences or bullets).
• Keep motion minimal; honor reduced-motion preferences.
• Measure time to first answer, scroll depth to first answer, and form starts. Adjust accordingly.

This article lays out when to show content, when it’s OK to hide it, and how to measure if your pages deliver answers faster.

Why TTFA Matters Right Now

Attention is scarce. Search results and AI both normalize instant answers, so tolerance for extra clicks keeps dropping. If your key info is hidden, many visitors won’t dig for it—they’ll bounce or ask a tool that responds in plain text. The fix isn’t complicated: reduce interaction cost and surface the answer with reducing Time to First Answer.

The TTFA Rule (and When to Break It)

Show answers by default. Hide content only when one of these applies:

• Predictable sets: Filters, state lists, long specs - people know what’s inside.
• Very long lists (>20): Show the first 8-10, then “Show more.” Include a count (e.g., “Show 27 more”).
• Advanced details: Rarely used info can sit behind a clear “More details” with a one-line summary visible.

Don’t hide explanatory or decision-making content. If users can’t easily guess what’s inside, keep it visible.

This goes for FAQs - don't do the fancy "we need you to click to open it" accordion kind of thing. That doesn't fly anymore. Show what's there instead of making people click to see it:

Implementation Checklist

• TL;DR first: 2–3 sentences or bullets that answer “What is this page and what should I do next?”
• Open FAQs by default: Only collapse if there are more than ~20 items (use “Show more”).
• Clear labels: If anything is collapsed, say exactly what’s hidden (and how much).
• Minimal motion: Keep animations purposeful; support prefers-reduced-motion.
• Measure & iterate: Time to first answer, scroll depth to first answer, form starts/submissions.

Practical Examples of What I Mean

Example 1: The Back Button Moment

“I opened a page, hit a wall of accordions, and bailed.” That reflex is common now. When the first screen shows a clear answer (or TL;DR), people stay. When it shows gates and clicks, they leave. This isn’t about being fancy; it’s about reducing friction.

Example 2: Service Landing Page That Wouldn’t Convert

A regional service company had strong offers but hid proof—FAQs, warranties, next steps—behind accordions. We opened FAQs by default, added a three-bullet TL;DR, and moved the “Get a Quote” form into first scroll. Conversions rose and “What happens next?” emails dropped. Same content; better visibility.

Example 3: Product Specs Without the Guesswork

An e-commerce page buried key specifications under “More details.” We brought the top five answers into the open and kept the rest behind “Show more specifications (+27).” Shoppers got unstuck and progressed deeper into the funnel. The win came from clarity, not more content.

Example 4: Motion Looked Slick, But…

A redesign added clever animations and delayed reveals. Demos looked great, but users with reduced-motion preferences saw awkward fallbacks and missed cues. We pared back motion, honored prefers-reduced-motion, and surfaced answers above the fold. Support tickets about “I can’t find…” tapered off.

Example 5: Short Opener That Sets Expectations

Most pages fail before the headline is done—not because the design is ugly, but because the answer is hidden. Lead with the answer. Everything else supports it.

What to Measure

• Time to first answer (TTFA): From page load to when the answer is visible on screen. Lower is better.
• Scroll depth to first answer: Percentage of the page a user scrolls before seeing the answer. Lower amounts of scroll is better.
• Form starts & submissions: Are we earning action once the answer is clear?
• Support signals: Fewer “How does this work?” emails after changes indicate better clarity.

Make one change at a time, observe for a full cycle (traffic seasonality matters), then iterate.

And let's officially coin that term, if it hasn't been done already: TTFA as Time to First Answer. That is what it's about today. How far down on a page do people need to get to find the answer they need? This is worth measuring.

Reasonable Exceptions

• Compliance or legal pages: Long sections can collapse, but include a summary line.
• Heavy technical specs: Keep top questions visible; collapse deep details with counts and clear labels.
• Space-constrained UI: On small screens, prioritize the first answer and the primary action; hide non-critical items behind a clearly labeled control.

Bottom Line

Visibility beats cleverness. In a world trained to expect instant answers, the pages that win are the ones that get people to what they came for—fast. Show answers by default, keep motion light, and measure whether visitors find what they need without friction.