What is Content Steering

Content steering, also known as content routing or traffic steering, is a technique used in content delivery networks (CDNs) to optimize the delivery of content to end users. CDNs are a network of servers that deliver web content to users based on their geographic location, the origin of the web page, and the content delivery server.

Content steering works by directing user requests to the most optimal server at any given time. This decision can be based on a variety of factors, such as the user's location, the server's current load and performance, the type of content being requested, and more. The goal is to provide the best possible user experience by reducing latency, increasing speed, and maintaining high availability of content.

For example, if a user in New York is requesting a video that's hosted on servers in New York, Los Angeles, and London, a CDN using content steering would likely direct the user's request to the New York server because it's geographically closest, reducing latency. However, if that server is experiencing high traffic or performance issues, the CDN might steer the content request to the Los Angeles server instead.