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Enable Nginx compression in the http block with gzip on;, then explicitly list the response MIME types that may be compressed in gzip_types. Nginx compresses based on the response’s Content-Type, not on the filename extension alone. A working setup therefore needs both a correct MIME mapping and a matching gzip_types entry.
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The configuration below covers HTML, CSS, JavaScript, JSON, XML, SVG, common web fonts, and WebAssembly. After editing, test the complete active configuration with nginx -t, reload Nginx, and verify the negotiated headers with a request that advertises Accept-Encoding: gzip.
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The ngx_http_gzip_module is a response filter. With gzip on, Nginx compresses an eligible response while sending it to a client that indicates gzip support. The client receives a smaller payload and transparently decompresses it.
Compression is controlled by several independent checks:
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gzipmust be enabled in the configuration context handling the request.- The client must advertise gzip in
Accept-Encoding. - The response
Content-Typemust match a value ingzip_types. HTML is the only type included by default. - The response must meet
gzip_min_length. - For proxied responses,
gzip_proxiedcan allow or reject compression according to cache and authorization headers.
Adding css, js, or another extension to a list does not enable compression. Nginx first maps the extension to a MIME type, sets Content-Type, and then compares that MIME value with gzip_types.
Follow the response decision in order
When a request arrives, Nginx selects a server block and then a location. That scope determines the active gzip, types, and default_type directives. The content handler creates a response and its MIME type. Only then does the gzip filter check the client’s negotiation header, the MIME allow-list, the size threshold, and any proxy policy. This explains why changing a filename or adding a browser-side setting cannot fix a missing Content-Encoding header.
A response can have a perfectly valid file mapping and still remain uncompressed. For example, a 600-byte JSON response can correctly return Content-Type: application/json, but gzip_min_length 1000; intentionally excludes it. Conversely, adding a MIME value to gzip_types cannot repair a response that is being emitted as application/octet-stream.
A practical gzip configuration
Put shared directives in the main http block unless a particular virtual host or location intentionally needs different behavior:
http {
include /etc/nginx/mime.types;
default_type application/octet-stream;
gzip on;
gzip_vary on;
gzip_min_length 1000;
gzip_types
text/plain
text/css
text/xml
application/xml
application/json
application/javascript
application/rss+xml
application/atom+xml
image/svg+xml
font/woff
font/woff2
application/wasm;
# server blocks go here
}The paths on your system can differ; retain the MIME registry installed by your Nginx package if it is stored elsewhere. The official syntax permits gzip and gzip_types in http, server, and location contexts. The default for gzip is off, while the default gzip_types value is text/html. Values you specify are added to HTML rather than replacing it.
What each directive controls
| Directive | Purpose | Important behavior |
|---|---|---|
gzip on; |
Enables runtime gzip filtering. | Off by default. |
gzip_types |
Lists response MIME types eligible for compression. | Matches Content-Type, not a filename extension; HTML is included by default. |
gzip_min_length 1000; |
Sets the minimum response size in bytes. | Responses below the threshold are left uncompressed. |
gzip_vary on; |
Adds Vary: Accept-Encoding. |
Helps shared caches keep compressed and uncompressed variants separate. |
gzip_proxied |
Controls compression of responses received from an upstream proxy. | Its parameters evaluate headers such as cache directives, authorization, and expiration. |
gzip_static |
Serves a prebuilt matching .gz file. |
Does not perform runtime compression and requires an optional module. |
Scope and override rules
Use the http context for a consistent baseline, then add narrower settings only when there is a clear reason. A server-level setting can specialize one virtual host, while a location-level setting can specialize one path. When troubleshooting, inspect the selected scope rather than assuming the nearest-looking file wins. Included files may be loaded before or after another directive, and a location with its own types block deserves special attention.
Keep the fallback default_type application/octet-stream; for unmapped files. It prevents Nginx from pretending an unknown binary is text, but it also means that an omitted mapping will not match your text-oriented gzip list. Correct the mapping instead of adding application/octet-stream to gzip_types indiscriminately.
Enable gzip safely, step by step
- Find the active configuration. Common installations use
/etc/nginx/nginx.confwith files included from/etc/nginx/conf.d/or/etc/nginx/sites-enabled/. Do not assume an edited file is loaded; inspect the running configuration later withnginx -T. - Ensure the MIME registry is included. Inside
http, add or retaininclude /etc/nginx/mime.types;. Setdefault_type application/octet-stream;as a safe fallback for files without a mapping. - Add the gzip directives. Use the configuration above, or start with the MIME types your application actually serves. Place them in
httpfor consistent behavior across virtual hosts. - Check syntax before changing workers. Run
sudo nginx -t. A successful result reports that the syntax is okay and the test is successful. Fix every error before continuing. - Reload, rather than stop, Nginx. Run
sudo nginx -s reloador the service-manager equivalent. A reload lets existing requests finish while workers adopt the new configuration. - Test from a gzip-capable client. Use
curlwith an explicit negotiation header, then inspect response headers and transfer behavior.
curl -I -H 'Accept-Encoding: gzip' https://example.com/assets/app.css
curl -sS -D - -o /dev/null -H 'Accept-Encoding: gzip' https://example.com/assets/app.cssFor a compressed response, look for Content-Encoding: gzip. With gzip_vary on, also expect Vary: Accept-Encoding. The Content-Type should be the intended value, such as text/css. A header-only request can behave differently from a full request in some application stacks, so repeat the test with -o /dev/null if the result is unclear.
Test both negotiation branches. Run the same request without Accept-Encoding and confirm that Nginx does not label the body as gzip. Then request with Accept-Encoding: gzip and compare the headers. This catches tests that accidentally inspect a cached uncompressed response or a client that silently removed the negotiation header.
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Why CSS, JavaScript, JSON, or SVG is not compressed
1. The response has the wrong MIME type
Inspect the actual header, not the URL:
curl -sS -D - -o /dev/null -H 'Accept-Encoding: gzip' https://example.com/assets/app.jsA JavaScript file served as application/octet-stream or text/plain will not match an application/javascript entry. A stylesheet served without text/css has the same problem. The browser may still download the file, but Nginx’s MIME-based gzip decision will not be what you expect.
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2. The MIME file is missing or overridden
The standard MIME registry normally contains mappings such as:
| Extension | Expected MIME type |
|---|---|
css |
text/css |
js |
application/javascript |
json |
application/json |
svg |
image/svg+xml |
xml |
application/xml |
woff |
font/woff |
woff2 |
font/woff2 |
wasm |
application/wasm |
If the mapping is absent, add it to a types block in the relevant scope or correct the included MIME file:
types {
text/css css;
application/javascript js;
application/json json;
image/svg+xml svg;
application/xml xml;
font/woff woff;
font/woff2 woff2;
application/wasm wasm;
}Then add the same MIME value to gzip_types. A later types directive can replace or narrow an earlier mapping, and a later default_type can change the fallback. A location that uses its own types block deserves particular attention.
3. The MIME value is correct but absent from gzip_types
Correct mapping alone sets Content-Type; it does not make the response compressible. For example, application/wasm must appear in gzip_types if you want Nginx to gzip WebAssembly responses. Add the exact MIME string, including parameters only where appropriate. Nginx compares the response type against the configured type list.
4. The response is below the size threshold
gzip_min_length 1000; skips responses shorter than 1,000 bytes. Small JSON responses, tiny SVG icons, and minimal CSS files may therefore be correctly uncompressed. Lower the threshold if these assets justify the CPU and header overhead, or test with a larger representative response before changing it.
5. The client did not negotiate gzip
Nginx should not send gzip to a client that does not advertise support. Check that your request includes Accept-Encoding: gzip. A proxy, test tool, or browser extension can remove or alter that header.
6. A proxy policy rejected compression
Responses from an upstream server are subject to gzip_proxied. The directive can permit compression for conditions such as no-cache, no-store, private, expired, or auth. It can also be configured to require a Via header or to disable compression for particular proxy cases. Review the actual upstream headers before broadening the policy.
7. Another layer changed the response
A CDN, reverse proxy, or cache can return a stored variant instead of reaching the Nginx worker you just reloaded. Compare response headers, hostnames, and cache indicators for a direct origin test where possible. If compression appears only on some requests, compare the selected virtual host, response size, cache hit status, and whether an intermediary rewrote Content-Encoding or removed Vary.
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Configuring proxied responses deliberately
A typical administration example is:
server {
gzip on;
gzip_types text/plain application/xml;
gzip_proxied no-cache no-store private expired auth;
gzip_min_length 1000;
}This does not mean every proxied response is compressed. The listed parameters tell Nginx which upstream cache and request conditions qualify. Inspect Via, Cache-Control, Expires, Last-Modified, and ETag when diagnosing a reverse-proxy path. Decide whether your cache can safely store variants and whether authenticated or private responses should be compressed at all.
Keep gzip_vary on when responses may pass through shared caches. Without an appropriate Vary signal, a cache could deliver a compressed representation to a client that did not request gzip, or serve an uncompressed copy when a compressed one is available.
Do not copy the example blindly into every proxy. A policy that allows private or auth responses may be appropriate for a controlled path, but it deserves review when responses contain user-specific data. The purpose of gzip_proxied is to make that decision explicit from the upstream headers, not to bypass normal negotiation.
Runtime gzip versus precompressed .gz files
Runtime compression and static precompression solve the same transfer problem differently.
| Approach | How it works | Advantages | Trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runtime gzip | gzip on compresses each eligible response as it is sent. |
No build step; useful for dynamic and frequently changing content. | Consumes CPU during requests and can produce work repeatedly for unchanged files. |
| Precompressed files | gzip_static on checks for a matching file such as app.css.gz and serves it when the client supports gzip. |
Compression cost is paid during deployment; output is reproducible and easy to cache. | Requires storing and deploying both files, keeping them synchronized, and installing the optional module. |
Enable static lookup only when the module exists and your deployment reliably creates the files:
location /assets/ {
gzip_static on;
}gzip_static does not compress an uncompressed file on demand. If the matching .gz file is missing or the client does not support gzip, Nginx serves the original file. The module is not built by default; a build must include --with-http_gzip_static_module. You can create files with the system gzip command or another compatible compressor, and it is recommended that the original and compressed files have aligned modification times.
For a static asset deployment, generate the compressed file from the exact bytes that will be published, retain both names, and remove stale .gz files when an asset is deleted. A stale pair can make debugging difficult because the browser may correctly receive an older compressed representation while an origin check shows a newer uncompressed file. Treat the original and its .gz companion as one release unit.
Check build support with:
nginx -V 2>&1The output shows configure arguments. Runtime gzip requires the HTTP gzip module and zlib; a build can disable it with --without-http_gzip_module. If that module is absent, configuration with gzip on fails rather than silently doing nothing.
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Inspect the configuration Nginx is really using
Include files and nested scopes make it easy to edit the wrong file. Use:
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sudo nginx -TThis prints the fully expanded configuration, including included files. Search the output for gzip, gzip_types, mime.types, types, and default_type. Confirm that the request’s server_name and location are the ones you edited. A different virtual host, an earlier matching location, or a location-specific override can explain an apparently ignored setting.
Check the effective file path and permissions as well as syntax. An include statement pointing at a missing file normally causes nginx -t to fail, while an include that loads a different registry can pass syntax but still produce an unexpected type. Look at the complete dump rather than only the short main configuration.
After changes, run sudo nginx -t again, reload, and repeat the header test. Test both a response that should compress and one that should not, such as a JPEG or ZIP file, to ensure the configuration is selective.
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Do not use gzip_types * as a reflexive fix. The wildcard can apply compression to binary or already-compressed formats where CPU use produces little or no size reduction. JPEG, PNG, MP4, ZIP, and similar formats are normally already compressed. Limit the list to text and other formats that benefit in your workload, such as CSS, JavaScript, JSON, XML, SVG, selected fonts, and WebAssembly.
Compression is not free: runtime filtering adds processing work, and higher compression levels increase CPU cost. The example configuration leaves the default compression level unless you explicitly tune it. Measure representative traffic before changing levels or lowering gzip_min_length. A threshold that helps large bundles may waste CPU on many tiny responses, while a threshold that protects CPU can leave useful application JSON uncompressed.
Review the list whenever a build pipeline introduces a new extension. The correct process is to identify the response’s actual MIME value, verify that the mapping is loaded, and then decide whether that value belongs in gzip_types. This avoids both common errors: a missing mapping that produces the wrong header and a broad wildcard that compresses formats that gain little.
HTTPS and BREACH considerations
Compressed responses sent over SSL/TLS can be exposed to BREACH-style attacks when secrets and attacker-influenced text share a response. Treat compression of pages containing sensitive tokens, reflected input, or other secret-dependent content as a security decision. Possible mitigations include avoiding compression for those responses, separating secrets from compressible content, and ensuring application responses do not reflect attacker-controlled data alongside secrets. The risk is not a reason to disable compression for every static asset, but it should be reviewed for authenticated, dynamic pages.
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- No
Content-Encodingat all: verifyAccept-Encoding,gzip on, the active server block, and the build’s gzip module. - Correct type but no compression: check whether the MIME value appears in
gzip_types, then checkgzip_min_length. - Wrong
Content-Type: inspectmime.types, location-leveltypes, and laterdefault_typedirectives. - Static files work but proxied files do not: inspect upstream cache and authorization headers and review
gzip_proxied. - Configuration test reports an unknown directive: inspect
nginx -V; the package may lack the HTTP gzip module or the optional static module. - Compression appears intermittently: compare cache hits, virtual hosts, response sizes, and whether a CDN or intermediary is rewriting headers.
- A browser reports a decoding or cache error: verify that compressed and uncompressed variants are separated by
Vary: Accept-Encodingand that no intermediary is stripping or fabricatingContent-Encoding.
When a test reports compression but the browser still downloads a large file, inspect whether the browser is displaying the decoded size. Transfer size and decoded resource size are different measurements. Use response headers and the network panel’s encoded and decoded values, rather than judging by the file’s source size alone.
Final verification checklist
- Run
nginx -Tand confirm the intendedhttp,server, andlocationscopes. - Confirm the MIME registry is included and the asset extension maps to the expected type.
- Confirm that exact MIME type is listed in
gzip_types. - Send a request containing
Accept-Encoding: gzip. - Check
Content-Type,Content-Encoding, and, when enabled,Vary. - Use a response larger than
gzip_min_lengthwhen testing. - For reverse proxies, inspect cache and authorization headers before changing
gzip_proxied. - Run
nginx -t, reload, and retest after every configuration change. - Use
nginx -Vto verify module and zlib support if directives are unavailable. - Test a deliberately uncompressed format, such as JPEG or ZIP, to confirm that the allow-list is not too broad.
- If using
gzip_static, verify that the matching.gzfile exists, is deployed with the original, and is served only to clients that negotiate gzip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is gzip enabled by default in Nginx?
No. The gzip directive defaults to off. The default gzip_types value includes only text/html, so CSS, JavaScript, JSON, SVG, fonts, XML, and WebAssembly require explicit MIME entries.
Why does adding .css or .js to gzip_types not work?
gzip_types accepts MIME values, not filename extensions. Ensure the file maps to text/css or application/javascript, then list that exact MIME value.
What headers prove that Nginx compressed a response?
Send Accept-Encoding: gzip and inspect the response for Content-Encoding: gzip. Also check the expected Content-Type and, when gzip_vary on is enabled, Vary: Accept-Encoding.
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Check the response size against gzip_min_length, confirm the client sent the negotiation header, and review gzip_proxied for upstream responses. A cache or different virtual host may also be returning another variant.
Should I use gzip_types *?
Usually not. A wildcard can spend CPU on JPEG, PNG, MP4, ZIP, and other already-compressed formats. List only text and formats that show a useful reduction in your traffic.
What is the difference between gzip_static and gzip on?
gzip on compresses eligible responses at request time. gzip_static on looks for a prebuilt matching .gz file and serves it; it does not create that file and requires the optional static module.
How do I know whether my Nginx build has the required modules?
Run nginx -V 2>&1 and inspect the configure arguments. Runtime gzip needs the HTTP gzip module and zlib; static files require a build with --with-http_gzip_static_module.
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Compressed HTTPS responses can be exposed to BREACH-style attacks when secrets and attacker-controlled text share a response. Review compression for authenticated dynamic pages, while ordinary static assets generally remain appropriate candidates.
The Bottom Line
Reliable Nginx gzip requires three things working together: a client that requests gzip, a response with the correct MIME type, and that MIME type listed in gzip_types. Keep the MIME registry active, respect gzip_min_length and proxy rules, verify the live configuration with nginx -T, and confirm headers after every reload. Use runtime gzip for changing responses or prebuilt .gz files when deployment can produce and synchronize them reliably.
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