GZIP

GZIP is a file format and software application used for file compression and decompression, widely used in web applications to reduce the size of files sent from a server to a browser.

More About GZIP

Usage in Web: Commonly used to compress web pages, stylesheets, and scripts before transmission.

Performance Benefits: Reduces load times and bandwidth usage.

Implementation: Implemented at the server level, often configurable in web server settings.

Browser Compatibility: Supported by all modern web browsers.

If you are a ChemiCloud customer, we have you covered. GZIP compression is enabled by default on all our web hosting plans.

How to Enable GZIP Compression Using .htaccess

Enabling GZIP compression via the .htaccess file is a great way to reduce the size of your website’s files and improve load times. GZIP compression works by compressing text-based files (like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and XML) before sending them to the client’s browser, which then decompresses and displays them. Here’s how you can enable GZIP compression using the .htaccess file:

1. Access Your .htaccess File:

• Use an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla) or a file manager provided by your hosting control panel to access your website’s root directory.
• Look for the .htaccess file. If it doesn’t exist, you can create one using a text editor like Notepad.

2. Edit the .htaccess File:

• Open the .htaccess file in a text editor.

3. Enable GZIP Compression:

• Add the following code to your .htaccess file to enable GZIP compression for various file types:

# Enable GZIP compression
<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
# Compress HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Text, XML, and fonts
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/javascript
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/rss+xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/vnd.ms-fontobject
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-opentype
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-otf
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-truetype
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-ttf
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-javascript
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/xhtml+xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE font/opentype
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE font/otf
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE font/ttf
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE image/svg+xml
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE image/x-icon
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/css
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/javascript
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/plain
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/xml

# Remove browser-specific bugs
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4 gzip-only-text/html
BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4\.0[678] no-gzip
BrowserMatch \bMSIE !no-gzip !gzip-only-text/html
Header append Vary User-Agent
</IfModule>

4. Save and Upload:

• Save the changes you made to the .htaccess file.
• If you created the .htaccess file, make sure to upload it to the root directory of your website.

5. Test GZIP Compression:

• You can test if GZIP compression is working for your website by using online tools like GZIP Test or browser developer tools (usually found in the Network tab). They will indicate whether GZIP compression is enabled for your files.

Once you’ve enabled GZIP compression, your website’s files will be served in a compressed format when requested by a client’s browser, reducing bandwidth usage and improving load times for your visitors.