How to Benchmark API Latency to Any Endpoint (Polymarket Case Study)

Short summary

Stop using ping to measure API latency—it's noisy, deprioritized by CDNs, and misses TLS handshake and server processing time. Instead, benchmark TCP connect and time-to-first-byte percentiles, report p99 not just averages, test from multiple regions, and use the data to optimize hosting decisions. A case study of Polymarket's trading platform shows how latency measurements pinpoint server locations within 100km using fiber RTT physics.

• •Ping is unreliable for API latency—measure TCP connect and TTFB percentiles instead
• •Always report p99, not just averages, to catch tail latency during volatile windows
• •Test from multiple regions to locate servers by physics, with working Python code provided

Generated with AI, which can make mistakes.