A method for admitting a user agent from a waiting room to a website, where the waiting room comprises a web page including code that provides a user experience, and the waiting room is provided based at least in part to mitigate load on website infrastructure, and where a server: receives a first request from the user agent for admission to the website , responsive to the first request, directs the user agent to the waiting room by serving the web page of the waiting room , receives a second request from the user agent for admission to the website , applies a probability value configured for the website to determine whether to admit the user agent to the website , upon determining not to admit the user agent, serves a response that causes the user agent to remain in the waiting room , and, upon determining to admit the user agent, serves content on the website desired by the user agent, said content being distinct from the web page of the waiting room ; wherein the server further performs the following method steps: responsive to the first request, storing a cookie on the user agent with a value, the value being indicative of when the user agent was directed the waiting room ; subsequently, upon receiving the cookie with the second request by the user agent for admission to the website, calculating a wait time indicator based at least in part on the value stored in the cookie ; and, deriving the probability value for admitting the user agent in response to the second request by applying a probability function that is configured for the website, the probability function taking the wait time indicator as input and producing an output comprising the probability value, which varies depending on the wait time indicator . receives a first request from the user agent for admission to the website , responsive to the first request, directs the user agent to the waiting room by serving the web page of the waiting room , receives a second request from the user agent for admission to the website , applies a probability value configured for the website to determine whether to admit the user agent to the website , upon determining not to admit the user agent, serves a response that causes the user agent to remain in the waiting room , and, upon determining to admit the user agent, serves content on the website desired by the user agent, said content being distinct from the web page of the waiting room ; wherein the server further performs the following method steps: responsive to the first request, storing a cookie on the user agent with a value, the value being indicative of when the user agent was directed the waiting room ; subsequently, upon receiving the cookie with the second request by the user agent for admission to the website, calculating a wait time indicator based at least in part on the value stored in the cookie ; and, deriving the probability value for admitting the user agent in response to the second request by applying a probability function that is configured for the website, the probability function taking the wait time indicator as input and producing an output comprising the probability value, which varies depending on the wait time indicator . responsive to the first request, storing a cookie on the user agent with a value, the value being indicative of when the user agent was directed the waiting room ; subsequently, upon receiving the cookie with the second request by the user agent for admission to the website, calculating a wait time indicator based at least in part on the value stored in the cookie ; and, deriving the probability value for admitting the user agent in response to the second request by applying a probability function that is configured for the website, the probability function taking the wait time indicator as input and producing an output comprising the probability value, which varies depending on the wait time indicator . <EOS>