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What Nginx gzip compression actually does
The ngx_http_gzip_module is a response filter: it compresses eligible responses with the gzip method as Nginx sends them. The feature is disabled by default. Turning it on is only the first half of the configuration; Nginx must also recognize the response’s MIME type and find that type in gzip_types.
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By default, Nginx compresses only text/html. A stylesheet named site.css is not compressed merely because its name ends in .css. Nginx checks the response header, such as Content-Type: text/css. If the file is returned as application/octet-stream, or as another unexpected type, a matching gzip_types entry will not help until the MIME mapping is corrected.
Clients also have to negotiate gzip. A request that does not advertise Accept-Encoding: gzip should receive an uncompressed response. When negotiation succeeds, the response should contain Content-Encoding: gzip. Setting gzip_vary on adds Vary: Accept-Encoding, telling shared caches that the representation depends on the client’s accepted encodings.
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A practical baseline configuration
Put shared compression and MIME directives in the http block unless a particular virtual host or location intentionally needs different behavior. The following configuration enables runtime gzip, loads the standard MIME registry, skips very small responses, and covers common text, data, vector, font, and WebAssembly assets:
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;
}gzip, gzip_types, and the related gzip directives are valid in http, server, and location contexts. Keeping the shared policy in http avoids a situation in which one server block works while another silently falls back to defaults.
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include /etc/nginx/mime.types;: Loads extension-to-MIME mappings used when Nginx setsContent-Type. The path can differ by package, so use the path present on your installation.default_type application/octet-stream;: Supplies a fallback when no more specific mapping applies. It is not a substitute for adding a missing mapping; a generic binary type normally will not match your text-orientedgzip_types.gzip on;: Enables runtime compression. The default isoff.gzip_vary on;: AddsVary: Accept-Encodingto negotiated responses so caches do not treat compressed and uncompressed variants as interchangeable.gzip_min_length 1000;: Sets a minimum response size in bytes for compression decisions. A validly typed response shorter than this threshold can remain uncompressed.gzip_types: Adds MIME types eligible for compression.text/htmlremains included by default; listing additional values does not remove HTML.
Use semicolons exactly as shown. A syntax error, a directive in the wrong context, or a duplicate setting in a narrower block can prevent the intended policy from taking effect.
Why CSS, JavaScript, JSON, and SVG are not compressed
Most “gzip is not working” reports involve one of three separate checks: the client did not negotiate gzip, the response is below gzip_min_length, or the response Content-Type does not match the configured list. File extensions matter only indirectly, because they are used by the MIME registry to produce that response type.
Use the standard mappings first
The upstream MIME registry includes mappings for the common assets involved in web applications:
cssmaps totext/css.- JavaScript extensions map to JavaScript MIME values.
jsonmaps toapplication/json.svgmaps toimage/svg+xml.woffmaps tofont/woff.woff2maps tofont/woff2.wasmmaps toapplication/wasm.
Include the registry in the active http context, then make sure your gzip list contains the resulting MIME values. Correct extension mapping without a matching gzip_types entry produces the right Content-Type but still no compression. The reverse is also true: adding a MIME value to gzip_types cannot fix a response that is being labeled with the wrong type.
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Add a missing extension mapping
If an asset has no entry in the registry, add its extension and MIME value to a types block, then add that MIME value to gzip_types. For example:
http {
include /etc/nginx/mime.types;
types {
application/example-data datx;
}
gzip on;
gzip_types application/example-data;
}Replace application/example-data and datx with the actual type and extension required by your application. The important sequence is: define the extension mapping, confirm Nginx emits that MIME value, and then permit that MIME value in gzip_types.
Check for overrides
A later types directive or a narrower server or location block can override assumptions from the shared configuration. A default_type in the active block can also cause unknown files to be labeled generically. When the header is unexpected, inspect the complete loaded configuration rather than only the file you edited.
Verify compression from the client’s point of view
Do not infer gzip from an extension, a build artifact, or a browser’s network-size display alone. Test the negotiated response headers and the configuration Nginx actually loaded.
- Identify the intended virtual host and location. Confirm that the request reaches the
serverandlocationblock where you placed the directives. A different host, an included file, or a more specific location may be serving the asset. - Send an explicit negotiation request. Use a client that includes
Accept-Encoding: gzip. For a header-only check, a command such ascurl -I -H 'Accept-Encoding: gzip' https://example.test/assets/site.csslets you inspect the response without downloading the body. Substitute your own host and path. - Check
Content-Type. It should be the expected value, such astext/css,application/javascript,application/json,image/svg+xml,font/woff2, orapplication/wasm. If it isapplication/octet-streamor another unexpected value, fix the MIME mapping or an overridingtypes/default_typedirective first. - Check
Content-Encoding. A negotiated compressed response should includeContent-Encoding: gzip. Its absence means a gzip decision filtered the response or the request did not negotiate gzip. - Check
Varywhen enabled. Withgzip_vary on, look forVary: Accept-Encoding. This is particularly important when an intermediary cache serves the same URL to clients with different encoding support. - Compare the response size with the threshold. If the body is shorter than
gzip_min_length, test a larger representative file or lower the threshold deliberately. A missingContent-Encodingon a tiny response can therefore be expected. - Validate before reloading. Run
nginx -t. Only reload after the test reports a valid configuration. - Inspect the expanded configuration. Run
nginx -Tto print the complete active configuration, including included files. Search the output forgzip,gzip_types,gzip_min_length,gzip_proxied,types, anddefault_type. - Check the build. Run
nginx -Vand inspect the configure arguments. The gzip module depends on zlib and can be omitted with--without-http_gzip_module. If the module is absent, configuration directives for it cannot provide runtime compression.
Use a response large enough to cross the configured threshold and test an asset whose type is listed explicitly. This separates a policy problem from a size-related skip.
Small responses and the gzip_min_length trap
gzip_min_length is evaluated against the response size. Compression adds processing and framing overhead, so Nginx can intentionally leave small responses untouched. With the baseline value of 1000, a 400-byte JSON response can have the correct MIME type and still lack Content-Encoding: gzip.
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To diagnose this case, request a larger file of the same type or temporarily lower the threshold in a controlled environment. If compression appears after lowering it, the MIME and negotiation paths are working; the original response was simply below the configured minimum. Choose a production threshold based on your traffic and CPU budget rather than assuming every response should be compressed.
Compression through a reverse proxy
Responses coming from an upstream application may be subject to an additional policy controlled by gzip_proxied. The official administration example uses:
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server {
gzip on;
gzip_types text/plain application/xml;
gzip_proxied no-cache no-store private expired auth;
gzip_min_length 1000;
}The parameters of gzip_proxied determine which proxied responses Nginx may compress. They refer to response and cache metadata, so inspect the upstream-related headers when troubleshooting:
ViaCache-ControlExpiresLast-ModifiedETag
If a direct static-file request compresses but the same content through a proxy does not, compare these headers and the active gzip_proxied parameters. Adjust the policy intentionally: allowing compression for every proxied response without considering cache semantics can produce behavior you did not want, while a restrictive list can make otherwise eligible responses remain uncompressed.
Runtime gzip versus precompressed .gz files
There are two different mechanisms, and they should not be confused.
| Approach | How it works | Operational trade-off | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runtime gzip | gzip on compresses eligible responses as Nginx sends them. |
Simple deployment, but compression consumes CPU at request time. | The HTTP gzip module and zlib support must be present. |
| Static gzip | gzip_static looks for a matching prebuilt .gz file and serves it when the client supports gzip. |
Compression work can happen during a build or deployment, making output reproducible; you must keep compressed files alongside originals. | The optional module must be built with --with-http_gzip_static_module. |
gzip_static does not perform on-the-fly compression. It merely uses a file compressed beforehand by a compatible tool. If the matching .gz file is absent or the client does not support gzip, Nginx sends the uncompressed original. Generate the precompressed files with the gzip command or another compatible tool, and keep the original and .gz modification times aligned as recommended by the module documentation.
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Choose runtime gzip when configuration simplicity and serving dynamically changing responses matter most. Choose precompression when you can generate assets during a build and want to move CPU work out of request handling. In either case, verify the response headers; a precompressed file still needs correct client negotiation and content-type behavior.
Choosing MIME entries safely
It can be tempting to use gzip_types * to make every response eligible. That is a blunt fix. Many binary formats are already compressed or gain little from gzip, including JPEG, PNG, MP4, ZIP, and similar formats. Compressing them can waste CPU and occasionally increase the payload.
Prefer an explicit list of text and data formats that benefit from compression. The baseline list covers plain text, CSS, XML, JSON, JavaScript, RSS and Atom feeds, SVG, common web fonts, and WebAssembly. Add another type only after confirming the response’s actual Content-Type and testing its size and CPU impact.
Security and performance considerations
CPU overhead
Runtime compression performs work while serving requests. The Nginx administration guidance notes that this adds processing overhead. Monitor CPU and latency after enabling it, especially on servers handling many concurrent dynamic responses. Precompressing stable assets can shift that cost to the build or deployment stage.
BREACH exposure over TLS
The official gzip module documentation warns that compressed responses sent over SSL/TLS can be subject to BREACH attacks. Compression can reveal information through response-size differences when attacker-controlled input is combined with secrets. Review whether sensitive, reflected content should be compressed over encrypted connections, and apply an application-specific mitigation rather than enabling compression indiscriminately.
Already-compressed formats
Do not add image, video, archive, or other already-compressed binary types simply because a filename extension is missing from the gzip list. The likely result is extra CPU work with no useful reduction. Keep these formats out unless measurement on your own assets demonstrates a real benefit.
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Common failure patterns and precise fixes
The header says application/octet-stream
This indicates that no specific MIME mapping is being applied, or that a later directive overrides it. Confirm the active mime.types include, inspect types blocks in nginx -T, and add the correct extension mapping. Then add the resulting MIME value to gzip_types.
The type is correct but there is no Content-Encoding
First verify that the request includes Accept-Encoding: gzip. Next compare the response size with gzip_min_length. If the request is proxied, inspect the metadata used by gzip_proxied. Finally, confirm that gzip on appears in the server’s effective configuration rather than only in an unused file.
One virtual host compresses and another does not
Check which server block matched the request and whether a more specific location changes gzip, gzip_types, types, or default_type. The directives can be placed at several levels, so a narrower block may produce a different result from the shared http policy.
gzip_static is configured but nothing changes
Confirm that the optional static module exists in the build, using nginx -V to inspect configure arguments. Then verify that a matching .gz file is present beside the original and that the client advertises gzip. Remember that this directive does not create the file or compress a response at request time.
The configuration test fails after adding gzip
Run nginx -t and read the reported file and line. Common causes include a missing semicolon, a directive placed outside an allowed context, a misspelled MIME value, or a build without the gzip module. Use nginx -T after correcting syntax to verify that the intended include order and overrides are present.
A deployment checklist
- Load the correct
mime.typesfile in the activehttpcontext. - Enable
gzip onand setgzip_vary onif shared caches may serve the responses. - List the MIME values your text, data, vector, font, and WebAssembly assets actually emit.
- Set
gzip_min_lengthwith awareness that smaller responses may be intentionally skipped. - Review
gzip_proxiedfor reverse-proxy traffic and inspect the relevant upstream headers. - Keep already-compressed media and archive formats out of the list unless testing proves otherwise.
- Run
nginx -tbefore every reload and usenginx -Tto audit the complete active configuration. - Use
nginx -Vto confirm zlib support, the gzip module, and, when applicable,--with-http_gzip_static_module. - Verify with a request that sends
Accept-Encoding: gzip, then inspectContent-Type,Content-Encoding, andVary.
When these checks agree, missing compression is no longer a mystery: the response is either correctly compressed, deliberately excluded by size or proxy policy, or clearly identified as a MIME or build configuration problem.
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