How To Optimize gzip With NGINX and Ubuntu 22.04

If you’re running a website, you want to ensure that your pages load as quickly as possible. One way to achieve faster page loads is by enabling gzip compression. Gzip is a method of compressing files before they are sent over the network, which can reduce their size and make them quicker to load. In this SEO post, we’ll walk you through the steps of optimizing gzip with NGINX and Ubuntu 22.04.

Step 1: Check if gzip is already enabled

Before we get started with enabling and optimizing gzip, let’s check if gzip is already enabled on your server. You can check this by running the following command in your terminal:

nginx -V 2>&1 | grep -o with-http_gzip_module

If you see “with-http_gzip_module” in the output, it means gzip is already enabled. If not, let’s move on to the next step. You can also check at this site : https://www.giftofspeed.com/gzip-test/

Step 2: Enable gzip

To enable gzip, you need to modify your NGINX configuration file. You can do this by opening the file in a text editor. The location of the file may vary depending on your installation, but it’s typically found at /etc/nginx/nginx.conf.

Add the following lines inside the http block:

gzip on;
gzip_types text/plain text/css application/json application/javascript text/xml application/xml application/xml+rss text/javascript;

This will enable gzip and set the file types that will be compressed.

Save the file and restart NGINX by running the following command:

sudo service nginx restart

Step 3: Optimize gzip

Now that gzip is enabled, let’s optimize it to make it even more efficient. We’ll use the gzip_comp_level directive to control the level of compression.

Open your NGINX configuration file again and add the following line inside the http block:

gzip_comp_level 6;

This sets the compression level to 6, which provides a good balance between file size and CPU usage. You can adjust this value up or down depending on your server’s resources and the size of the files you’re compressing.

Save the file and restart NGINX by running the following command:

sudo service nginx restart

That’s it! You’ve now enabled and optimized gzip with NGINX and Ubuntu 22.04. This should help your website load faster and provide a better experience for your visitors.