How to Enable GZIP Compression for WordPress

GZIP compression reduces the size of files sent from your server to your visitors' browsers - typically shrinking HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files by 60–80%. It's one of the easiest wins for site performance and is often already enabled on dotCanada's LiteSpeed-powered hosting.

Is GZIP Already Enabled?

dotCanada's LiteSpeed Web Server enables GZIP compression by default for most content types. You can verify this by visiting GTmetrix (gtmetrix.com) or GIDNetwork's GZIP checker and entering your site's URL. If GZIP is listed as enabled, no further action is needed.

Enabling GZIP via .htaccess

If for any reason GZIP isn't active, you can enable it manually by adding the following code to your site's .htaccess file (located in your WordPress root directory):

Add this block before the WordPress rewrite rules:

• Enable mod_deflate for text-based content types (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, XML, fonts)
• This can be done by inserting the appropriate AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE directives

Enabling GZIP via a Caching Plugin

Many caching plugins handle GZIP compression for you:

• LiteSpeed Cache - compression is managed server-side automatically
• W3 Total Cache - enable Browser Cache and check the Enable HTTP (gzip) compression option
• WP Super Cache - enable the Compress pages option under Advanced settings

Checking Your Results

After enabling GZIP, run your site through GTmetrix or Google PageSpeed Insights again to confirm the improvement. You should see a reduction in page size and faster load times.

If you're unsure whether GZIP is configured correctly on your dotCanada account, contact our support team and we'll check it for you.