Step by Step How to Enable Compression in WordPress

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Enabling compression on your WordPress website can significantly improve its speed and performance. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to enable compression in WordPress:

  1. Install and activate a compression plugin: There are several compression plugins available for WordPress, such as WP Fastest Cache, W3 Total Cache, and WP Super Cache. Choose one and install and activate it on your website.
  2. Access the compression settings: Once you have installed and activated a compression plugin, you can access its settings from the WordPress dashboard. Look for the plugin’s name in the left-hand sidebar and click on it to open its settings.
  3. Enable compression: In the settings of the compression plugin, you should see an option to enable compression. Depending on the plugin, this option may be labeled differently (e.g., “Enable Gzip Compression,” “Enable Browser Caching,” etc.). Make sure this option is turned on.
  4. Configure compression settings: Depending on the plugin, you may have the option to configure additional compression settings, such as the types of files to compress, the compression level, and more. Review these settings and adjust them according to your website’s needs.
  5. Save changes and test: Once you have enabled and configured compression, save the changes to the plugin’s settings. Test your website’s speed and performance using a tool such as GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights to ensure that compression has been properly enabled and is improving your website’s performance.

Here are more detailed steps for enabling compression in WordPress:

  1. Check if compression is already enabled on your website: Before enabling compression, it’s essential to check if it’s already enabled on your website. You can use an online tool like GIDNetwork to check this.
  2. Enable Gzip compression: Gzip compression is the most commonly used compression method for websites. To enable Gzip compression, add the following code to your .htaccess file:
<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 bugs (only needed for really old browsers)
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>


Sure, here are more detailed steps for enabling compression in WordPress:

  1. Check if compression is already enabled on your website: Before enabling compression, it’s essential to check if it’s already enabled on your website. You can use an online tool like GIDNetwork to check this.
  2. Enable Gzip compression: Gzip compression is the most commonly used compression method for websites. To enable Gzip compression, add the following code to your .htaccess file:
bashCopy code<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 bugs (only needed for really old browsers)
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>
  1. Test compression: After enabling compression, you can test it using online tools like GIDNetwork or Google PageSpeed Insights. These tools will provide you with a report that includes information about whether compression is enabled or not, and how much it’s reducing your website’s size.
  2. Use a caching plugin: Caching plugins can help reduce the load on your website by storing a copy of your website’s data and serving it to visitors from the cache instead of generating it from scratch every time someone visits your website. This can help reduce the load on your server and improve website performance.

Some popular caching plugins for WordPress include WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, and WP Rocket.

Enabling compression is a straightforward process, but it can significantly improve your website’s performance and user experience. By following these steps, you can enable compression on your WordPress website and improve its speed and efficiency.