How to Enable Gzip Compression in cPanel for Faster Website Performance Print

Gzip compression is a powerful method to speed up your website by reducing the size of your files before they are sent to the browser. By enabling Gzip compression, you can enhance page loading times, reduce bandwidth usage, and improve SEO rankings. This article will guide you step-by-step on how to enable Gzip compression in cPanel.

What is Gzip Compression?

Gzip is a file compression method that compresses your website’s resources like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files before sending them to the browser. This reduces the file size, resulting in faster loading times for your visitors and a more efficient use of your server’s resources.

Benefits of Enabling Gzip Compression:

• Faster Page Loading: Compressed files take less time to load, improving the overall user experience.
• Reduced Bandwidth Usage: Compressed files use less data, which is beneficial if you have bandwidth limitations.
• Improved SEO: Faster loading times are favored by search engines like Google, positively impacting SEO rankings.

Two Methods to Enable Gzip Compression in cPanel:

We’ll cover two methods for enabling Gzip compression in cPanel:

1. Using the Optimize Website feature (if available).
2. Editing the .htaccess file manually.

Method 1: Enable Gzip Compression via Optimize Website

If your cPanel account includes the "Optimize Website" option, enabling Gzip compression is simple:

1. Login to Your cPanel Account:

   • Access your cPanel account using your login credentials.

2. Navigate to the Optimize Website Tool:

   • In the cPanel dashboard, locate the Software section.
   • Click on Optimize Website.

3. Enable Compression:

   • You will see options for compression. Select Compress All Content to enable Gzip compression for all files.
   • Alternatively, you can choose Compress the specified MIME types and specify which file types to compress (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript).

4. Click Update Settings:

   • Once selected, click Update Settings to save the changes.

Method 2: Enable Gzip Compression by Editing the .htaccess File

If the "Optimize Website" option isn’t available, or you prefer to enable Gzip compression manually, you can do so by editing your .htaccess file.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Login to cPanel:

   • Log into your cPanel account using your credentials.

2. Open the File Manager:

   • In the cPanel dashboard, go to File Manager under the Files section.
   • Make sure you're in the root folder of your website, typically public_html.

3. Locate or Create the .htaccess File:

   • Look for the .htaccess file in the public_html directory. If it doesn’t exist, create one:
     • Click + File in the File Manager.
     • Name it .htaccess and ensure it is located in the public_html directory.

4. Edit the .htaccess File:

   • Right-click on the .htaccess file and select Edit.
   • Add the following code to enable Gzip compression:

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

   1. Save the Changes:

      • After adding the code, click Save Changes at the top-right corner of the editor.

   2. Verify Gzip Compression:

      • To ensure Gzip compression is enabled, you can use online tools like Check Gzip Compression or GTmetrix to check if your files are being compressed properly.