How do I enable gzip compression on an Apache server?
Asked on Sep 09, 2025
Answer
To enable gzip compression on an Apache server, you need to use the `mod_deflate` module, which compresses content before sending it to the client, reducing bandwidth usage and improving load times.
# Enable mod_deflate
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html text/plain text/xml text/css
AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/javascript application/json
Additional Comment:
- Ensure the `mod_deflate` module is enabled in your Apache configuration. You can enable it using the command `a2enmod deflate` on Debian-based systems.
- Restart Apache after making changes to apply the new configuration using `systemctl restart apache2` or `service httpd restart` depending on your system.
- Test the compression using online tools or browser developer tools to verify that gzip is working correctly.
- Consider adding more MIME types to the configuration if needed, depending on the content your server delivers.
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