What are the most effective techniques for compressing web resources?

2 Script compression

Scripts, such as JavaScript and TypeScript, are essential for adding interactivity and functionality to your website. However, they can also be bulky and complex, especially if you use frameworks, libraries, or dependencies. Script compression can reduce the size of your scripts by removing unnecessary characters, such as whitespace, comments, and semicolons, and by minifying or obfuscating the code. You can use tools like UglifyJS, Terser, or Babel to compress your scripts and make them faster and harder to read.

3 Stylesheet compression

Stylesheets, such as CSS and SASS, are important for defining the layout and appearance of your website. However, they can also be verbose and redundant, especially if you use multiple files, selectors, or properties. Stylesheet compression can reduce the size of your stylesheets by removing unnecessary characters, such as whitespace, comments, and brackets, and by minifying or combining the code. You can use tools like CleanCSS, CSSNano, or PurgeCSS to compress your stylesheets and make them more efficient and concise.

4 Font compression

Fonts, such as WOFF and WOFF2, are useful for customizing the typography and design of your website. However, they can also be heavy and diverse, especially if you use multiple fonts, weights, or styles. Font compression can reduce the size of your fonts by removing unused glyphs, subsetting the characters, or converting the format. You can use tools like Font Squirrel, Glyphhanger, or Google Fonts to compress your fonts and make them more lightweight and compatible.

5 HTTP compression

HTTP compression is a technique that allows the web server and the browser to compress and decompress web resources during the transmission. This can reduce the amount of data transferred and improve the network speed and latency. HTTP compression can be applied to any web resource, such as images, scripts, stylesheets, and fonts, by using algorithms like gzip, deflate, or brotli. You can enable HTTP compression on your web server by configuring the settings or using modules like mod_deflate or mod_brotli.

6 Cache control

Cache control is a technique that allows the web server and the browser to store and reuse web resources that do not change frequently. This can reduce the number of requests and downloads and improve the loading time and bandwidth. Cache control can be applied to any web resource, such as images, scripts, stylesheets, and fonts, by using headers like Cache-Control, Expires, or ETag. You can enable cache control on your web server by configuring the settings or using modules like mod_expires or mod_headers.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?