How to Enable Gzip Compression via .htaccess

Gzip compression reduces the file size of your web pages, stylesheets, and scripts before they're sent to a visitor's browser. The result is faster load times and reduced bandwidth usage - a win for both your visitors and your hosting account.

How to Enable Gzip Compression

Add the following code to your .htaccess file in your public_html directory. Place it outside of any existing WordPress or application blocks:

<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/css
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/javascript
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/xml
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/plain
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/javascript
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-javascript
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/xml
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/xhtml+xml
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/rss+xml
  AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/json
</IfModule>

Does It Work on dotCanada?

Yes. dotCanada's shared hosting runs on LiteSpeed, which supports the mod_deflate module and honours these .htaccess directives. In many cases, LiteSpeed also applies its own built-in compression, but explicitly setting it in .htaccess ensures consistent behaviour.

Testing Your Compression

After saving your changes, use a tool like GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights to verify that compression is active. You should see Gzip or Brotli listed as enabled in the results.

If you have any trouble enabling compression or want advice on further performance optimisations, contact our support team.

How to Enable Gzip Compression via .htaccess