How to Enable GZIP Compression for Faster Webpages?

Gzip compression is a technique for reducing the size of files that are transmitted from a server to a client. How to Enable GZIP Compression for Faster Web pages.

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16. May 2023
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How to Enable GZIP Compression for Faster Webpages?















Page load speed is one of the most crucial aspects of website performance. Visitors are more likely to stay on your website and interact with your content if it loads quickly. Utilising Gzip compression is one approach to increase page load speed.

Gzip compression is a technique for reducing the size of files that are transmitted from a server to a client, such a web browser. By lowering the size of the files, this compression lowers the required bandwidth and speeds up file transfers.

Highlights

 

What is Gzip Compression?

Gzip compression is a technique for reducing the size of data to enable quicker internet transmission. It is called after the compression algorithm's implementation software, which was created in the early 1990s by Jean-loup Gailly and Mark Adler. Gzip compression reduces the size of files by employing a mathematical technique to eliminate data duplication.

Before transmitting web pages to the client's browser, a web server that supports Gzip compression compresses the content of web pages, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. he files are subsequently decompressed and shown as normal by the client's browser. Gzip compression works to speed up the loading of web pages by lowering the amount of data communicated over the internet, which is crucial for mobile devices or sluggish internet connections.

All current web browsers support gzip compression, which is frequently used by web developers to enhance website speed. Most web servers make it simple to enable Gzip compression, which is usually regarded as a best practise for optimising websites.

How Gzip Compression Works?

In order to compress a file, gzip looks for recurring patterns in the data and replaces them with shorter codes. For instance, Gzip would substitute shorter codes such as "h3o w2d" for each instance of the word "hello world" found in a file. As a result, the file size is reduced, which speeds up the transfer.

The server determines if the browser supports Gzip when it receives a request for a file from a client that uses Gzip compression. If so, the server delivers the browser the compressed file. The user can then see the file when it has been decompressed by the browser.

What is the benefits of Gzip Compression?

Using Gzip compression on your website can have a number of benefits:

Faster page load times

Gzip compression may dramatically speed up page loads by lowering the size of files. Better user experience and greater engagement with your content may result from this.

Reduced bandwidth usage

Gzip compression can result in decreased bandwidth utilisation and cost savings by reducing the amount of data that has to be transmitted from the server to the browser.

Better search engine rankings

When ranking websites, search engines take page load speed into consideration. Your search engine rankings could increase if you use Gzip compression to speed up page load times.

How to Enable Gzip Compression?

It's not difficult to enable Gzip compression on your website. The majority of web servers, such Apache and Nginx, come with built-in Gzip compression. Simply enabling it in your server setup is all that is required.

There are plugins that can enable Gzip compression for you if you're using a content management system (CMS) like WordPress. These plugins normally need little setup and may significantly speed up website load times.

How To Enable GZIP Compression on an Apache Web Server?

By reducing the amount of data sent over the internet, Gzip compression on an Apache web server may greatly enhance website speed. To activate Gzip compression on an Apache web server, follow these steps:

Step 1 - Log in to your server via SSH.

Step 2 - Edit the Apache configuration file (httpd.conf) using a text editor. You can find this file in the /etc/httpd/conf/ directory on most Linux systems.

Step 3 - Locate the following lines in the configuration file:

shell

 

Step 4 - Uncomment both lines by removing the "#" at the beginning of each line.

Step 5 - Add the following code to the end of the configuration file:

bash

 

Step 6 - Save the configuration file and exit the text editor.

Step 7 - Restart the Apache server using the command: service httpd restart.

How To Enable GZIP Compression on an NGINX Web Server?

By reducing the amount of data sent over the internet, Gzip compression on a Nginx web server may greatly enhance website speed. To activate Gzip compression on a Nginx web server, follow these steps:

Step 1 - Log in to your server via SSH.

Step 2 - Edit the Nginx configuration file (nginx.conf) using a text editor. You can find this file in the /etc/nginx/ directory on most Linux systems.

Step 3 -  Add the following code to the http block in the configuration file: 

bash2

This code enables Gzip compression for the specified file types and sets the compression level to 6, which is a good balance between compression ratio and CPU usage.

Step 4 - Save the configuration file and exit the text editor.

Step 5 - Test the Nginx configuration using the command: nginx -t.

Step 6 - If the test is successful, reload the Nginx configuration using the command: service nginx reload.

It is a simple operation that may dramatically enhance website performance and speed up the loading of web pages to enable Gzip compression on a Nginx web server.

How To Enable GZIP Compression in WordPress?

It is possible to enhance website functionality and accelerate page loads by enabling Gzip compression in WordPress. How to activate Gzip compression in WordPress is shown below:

Step 1 - Install and activate a Gzip compression plugin. Some popular options include WP Fastest Cache, W3 Total Cache, and WP Super Cache.

Step 2 - Once the plugin is installed and activated, navigate to its settings page.

Step 3 - Look for an option to enable Gzip compression. Depending on the plugin you are using, this option may be located in different places. For example, in WP Fastest Cache, you can find the option under the "Static files" tab, while in W3 Total Cache, you can find it under the "Browser Cache" tab.

Step 4 - Enable Gzip compression by checking the appropriate box or toggling the switch.

Step 5 - Save the changes to the plugin settings.

Step 6 - Test your website using an online Gzip compression checker to verify that Gzip compression is working properly.

A plugin may make the process of enabling Gzip compression in WordPress very simple. Gzip compression greatly enhances website performance by reducing the size of files transmitted to the client's browser, which accelerates the loading of online pages.

How To Enable GZIP Compression in osclass?

Osclass is a platform for building free and open-source classifieds websites. The following instructions will enable Gzip compression in osclass:

Step 1 - Log in to your server via SSH.

Step 2 - Navigate to the root directory of your Osclass installation.

Step 3 - Locate the .htaccess file and open it using a text editor.

Step 4 - Add the following code to the end of the file:

bash3

This code enables Gzip compression for the specified file types.

Step 5 - Save the .htaccess file and exit the text editor.

Step 6 - Test your website using an online Gzip compression checker to verify that Gzip compression is working properly.

By adding code to the.htaccess file, Gzip compression may be enabled in osclass with ease. Gzip compression may dramatically increase website performance and speed up the loading of web pages by compressing data delivered to the client's browser.

How To Check GZIP Compression?

You may use a browser plugin or an online tool to determine whether Gzip compression is enabled on a website. The steps to test Gzip compression using both approaches are as follows:

1. Browser Extension Method

You can verify if Gzip compression is enabled on a website with the use of a number of accessible browser plugins. The "Web Developer" plugin for Firefox and Google Chrome is one that is widely used. This is how to apply it:

  • Install the Web Developer extension for your browser.
  • Visit the website you want to check for Gzip compression.
  • Click on the Web Developer icon in your browser toolbar.
  • Go to "Information" > "View Document Size".
  • The "View Document Size" window will display the file sizes for the website's resources. If Gzip compression is enabled, you should see a smaller file size for CSS, JavaScript, and HTML files.

 

2. Online Tool Method

You can also use an online tool to check if Gzip compression is enabled on a website. One popular tool is "Check GZIP Compression" by Varvy. Here's how to use it:

  • Go to the Check GZIP Compression tool: https://www.giftofspeed.com/gzip-test/
  • Enter the URL of the website you want to check.
  • Click "Test".
  • The tool will display the results of the test, including whether Gzip compression is enabled and the percentage of compression achieved.

 

It's critical to check for Gzip compression to make sure your website is speed and performance optimised. You may quickly determine whether Gzip compression is enabled on your website or any other website you are interested in using a browser plugin or online tool.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Gzip compression is a technique for reducing the size of data for quicker internet transmission. The performance of websites and the speed at which web pages load may both be greatly enhanced by enabling Gzip compression on web servers and in WordPress.

Gzip compression minimises the amount of data that has to be communicated over the internet by compressing files before they are delivered to the client's browser, which is crucial for mobile devices and sluggish internet connections. A best practise for website optimisation is enabling Gzip compression, which is simple to perform on most web servers and in WordPress by utilising plugins.

FAQs

Q: What is Gzip compression?

A: Gzip compression is a method of compressing files to reduce their size for faster transmission over the internet.

Q: Why is Gzip compression important?

A: Gzip compression is important because it can significantly improve website performance by reducing the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the internet.

Q: How does Gzip compression work?

A: Gzip compression works by compressing files before they are sent to the client's browser. The compressed files are then decompressed by the browser, which reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted over the internet.

Q: How can I check if Gzip compression is enabled on my website?

A: You can check if Gzip compression is enabled on your website by using an online Gzip compression checker tool.

Q: How can I enable Gzip compression on my website?

A: The method for enabling Gzip compression on a website depends on the web server and CMS being used. However, in general, you can enable Gzip compression by adding code to the .htaccess file or by using a plugin or module specifically designed for enabling Gzip compression.

Q: What file types can be compressed with Gzip compression?

A: Gzip compression can be applied to most text-based file types such as HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML. It can also be applied to some image file types, such as SVG and ICO.

Q: Does Gzip compression work for all web browsers?

A: Yes, Gzip compression is supported by all modern web browsers.

Q: Are there any downsides to using Gzip compression?

A: While Gzip compression can improve website performance, it can also increase server load and CPU usage, which may negatively impact website performance if the server is not powerful enough.

Q: Can Gzip compression be used in conjunction with other website optimization techniques?

A: Yes, Gzip compression can be used in conjunction with other website optimization techniques, such as caching and minification, to further improve website performance.

Q: Is Gzip compression enabled by default on web servers?

A: No, Gzip compression is not enabled by default on most web servers. It needs to be manually enabled by adding code to the web server configuration file or by using a plugin or module designed for enabling Gzip compression.

 

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