Orb webs absorb the impact energy of prey and transmit vibratory information to the spider with minimal structural damage. The structural properties of the web and the arrangement of threads within the web affect transmission time during the prey impact. The objective of the present study is to determine damping, stiffness, and transmissibility of healthy and damaged spider webs. Experimental results show that stiffness and transmissibility diminish from the inner to outer spiral threads and gradient variation in the structural properties of spiral threads enhances signal transmission capability toward the centre regardless of the position of prey impact within the healthy web. Spiral threads exhibit excellent prey retention properties due to their stretching capability. Kinetic energy produced by prey is absorbed in the threads, which help the spider to analyse the prey retention properties and also determine the response time. The minor damage (up to 25%) does not alter the basic characteristics of the web due to self-adjustment of tension within the web. Damping, natural frequency, stiffness and transmissibility decrease with the increase in the percentage of damaged web. The present study addresses the structural sustainability of the spider web irrespective of minor damages and also provides guidance in designing the structures under impact. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bioinspired materials and surfaces for green science and technology’.