How long can users wait for a page to load?

Page load time is the time it takes to display all the content on a web page. In some cases, these load times can be significantly long and induce frustration to the end user.

Overview

Page load time is how long it takes for all content on a webpage to appear. Studies show users are willing to wait 2-10 seconds. Slow pages often cause frustration and longer load times than we tolerate (10.3 secs on desktop, 27.3 secs on mobile). Reducing load times is not always easy, so feedback is another solution to maintain user experience. This allows transparency into the process and gives an estimation of waiting time, allowing users to do other activities while waiting.

1. Faster pages are perceived as more interesting than slower pages.
2. When loading feedback is provided, it reaches 10 seconds.
3. Tolerable waiting time for a page to load is about 2 seconds.

Evidence and further readings

Here you can find a list of references to dive deeper on the subject.

• Nah, F. F. H. (2004). "A study on tolerable waiting time: how long are Web users willing to wait?" 
• Ramsay, J., Barbesi, A. and Preece, J., 1998, A psychological investigation of long retrieval times on the world wide web. Interacting with Computer