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reduce-latency changedtest-and-evaluate/strengthen-guardrails/reduce-latency

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11---
22title: Reducing latency
33url: https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/test-and-evaluate/strengthen-guardrails/reduce-latency
4description: Reduce Claude's response latency by choosing a faster model like Claude Haiku 5.5, trimming prompt and output tokens, and streaming responses.
4description: Reduce Claude's response latency by choosing a faster model such as Claude Haiku 5.5, trimming prompt and output tokens, and streaming responses.
55---
66 
77Latency refers to the time it takes for the model to process a prompt and generate an output. Latency can be influenced by various factors, such as the size of the model, the complexity of the prompt, and the underlying infrastructure supporting the model and point of interaction.
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1919* **Baseline latency:** This is the time taken by the model to process the prompt and generate the response, without considering the input and output tokens per second. It provides a general idea of the model's speed.
2020* **Time to first token (TTFT):** This metric measures the time it takes for the model to generate the first token of the response, from when the prompt was sent. It's particularly relevant when you're using streaming (more on that later) and want to provide a responsive experience to your users.
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22For a more in-depth understanding of these terms, check out the [glossary](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/glossary).
22For a more in-depth understanding of these terms, see the [glossary](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/about-claude/glossary).
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2424***
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2727 
2828### 1. Choose the right model
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30One of the most direct ways to reduce latency is to select the appropriate model for your use case. Anthropic offers a [range of models](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/models/overview) with different capabilities and performance characteristics. Consider your specific requirements and choose the model that best fits your needs in terms of speed and output quality.
30One of the most direct ways to reduce latency is to choose the appropriate model for your use case. Anthropic offers a [range of models](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/models/overview) with different capabilities and performance characteristics. Consider your specific requirements and choose the model that best fits your needs in terms of speed and output quality.
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3232For speed-critical applications, **Claude Haiku 5.5** offers the fastest response times while maintaining high intelligence. [Effort](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/effort) is its main control for speed and cost. See [Use effort to control thinking](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/prompting-claude-haiku-5-5#use-effort-to-control-thinking). The following example runs it at `low`, the cheapest and fastest level, and leaves room in `max_tokens` for thinking:
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204204 
205205Here are some tips to help you optimize your prompts and outputs:
206206 
207* **Be clear but concise:** Aim to convey your intent clearly and concisely in the prompt. Avoid unnecessary details or redundant information, while keeping in mind that [Claude lacks context](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/claude-prompting-best-practices#be-clear-and-direct) on your use case and might not make the intended leaps of logic if instructions are unclear.
208* **Ask for shorter responses:** Ask Claude directly to be concise. If Claude is outputting unwanted length, ask Claude to [curb its chattiness](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/claude-prompting-best-practices#be-clear-and-direct).
207* **Be clear but concise:** Aim to convey your intent clearly and concisely in the prompt. Avoid unnecessary details or redundant information, while keeping in mind that [Claude lacks context](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/claude-prompting-best-practices#be-clear-and-direct) on your use case and might not make the intended inferences if instructions are unclear.
208* **Ask for shorter responses:** Ask Claude directly to be concise. If Claude is outputting unwanted length, ask Claude to [reduce its verbosity](https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/claude-prompting-best-practices#be-clear-and-direct).
209209 <Tip>
210210 Because of how LLMs count
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