A technique for delivering content in a client-server system based on a request received at a computing device from a client includes determining a current load on a next-level computing device of a hierarchy. When this current load is such that a response time for delivery of the request from the next-level computing device would increase above a given threshold, a client type associated with the request is checked and, when the client type indicates that the client is below a given priority level, content to be delivered to the client in response to the request is personalized at the receiving computing device. When the current load is such that the response time would not increase above a given threshold, the request is sent from the receiving computing device to the next-level computing device and the content to be delivered is personalized at the next-level computing device.