What is Gzip compression?

When someone visits your website, their browser has to download all your page files – HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. By default, these files can be fairly bulky, filled with repeated code and whitespace. That extra weight slows down your site and makes users wait longer for a page to load.

Gzip compression solves this by shrinking those files before they’re sent from your server to the visitor’s browser. Think of it like zipping up a folder on your computer – the contents are the same, but the package is much smaller. Once received, the browser quickly unpacks the files and displays the page as normal.

The result? Up to 90% smaller file sizes, faster page delivery, and a smoother browsing experience.

• Faster load times – Smaller files mean pages appear quicker, which keeps visitors engaged.
• Better SEO – Google uses speed as a ranking factor, and Gzip helps boost Core Web Vitals.
• Reduced bandwidth – Less data to transfer saves server resources and helps sites on limited hosting plans.

Manually enabling Gzip usually means editing server files like .htaccess or tweaking hosting settings. With WP-Optimize, it’s built right in – you can switch on Gzip compression for your site with a couple of clicks.  Just go to WP-Optimize → Cache, select “Gzip Compression,” and check that it’s set to “Enabled” – that’s it.

WP-Optimize automatically compresses:

• HTML
• CSS
• JavaScript

So your visitors always get the lightest, fastest version of your pages without you needing to touch server code.

• Most modern browsers fully support Gzip – no need to worry about compatibility
• Compression happens quickly and usually improves performance more than zipping files on the fly

Enabling Gzip is one of the simplest and most effective ways to speed up your WordPress site. With WP-Optimize, you don’t have to configure servers or edit code, just turn it on and enjoy faster load times.