WP HTTP Compression
by sdesalas · Performance
Also makes 1 other plugin · 500+ installs across the portfolio →
This plugin allows your WordPress blog to output pages compressed in gzip format if a browser supports compression. HTTP compression generally means …
Try it live opens a temporary test site in your browser, which can take about 20 seconds to load. Plugins that rely on outside services or a full server may not work completely there.
Health
F 38/100
Stale · Likely abandoned · Few reviews
Active installs
400+
≈480 estimated
Momentum
—
no download trend yet
Biggest opportunity: “compression”, “gzip” and “http” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
38 health vs 69 average across 1,808 Performance plugins
Install conversion
How it's measured →0.6%
of downloads still active
At least 400 of 62K lifetime downloads are still running, below its category: the median Performance plugin keeps 1.4%, across 1,103 plugins.
Downloads count every update, not just first installs, so older and more frequently released plugins read lower. Compare against other Performance plugins, not across the directory. wp.org reports active installs as the bottom of a band, so the real rate is this or higher.
High removal-risk signals
63/100Maintenance and integrity signals that tend to precede a WordPress.org removal. Not an official status, a heads-up to act.
- Long abandoned. No update in 14+ years — the top precursor to removal once a vulnerability is found.
- Compatibility drift. Tested only up to WordPress 2.9.2, well behind 6.8.
Details
Directory ranking optimization
How it's scored →How well this listing is tuned to rank in WordPress.org search, on the factors an owner controls. Not popularity, optimization.
Under-optimized
Most to gain: Update recency
Updated 5225 days ago, past the ~180 days where wp.org starts discounting
Tested up to WordPress 2.9.2; the current branch is 6.8
2.3★ over 8 reviews, smoothed to 3.85★ and held back under 25 reviews
5 of 5 tags set · short description in place
To rank higher: Last updated 5225 days ago — ship an update; wp.org decays a listing's search weight after ~180 days.
Get the full rank-higher report →Search visibility
How it's tracked →Directory searches this plugin turns up in, and which way each one is moving. WordPress.org publishes no history of search positions, so this starts the day we first tracked a keyword and never backfills.
Not enough tracked days yet to call a direction. Momentum needs at least three keywords measured a week or more apart.
wp.org is where the directory puts the plugin for that search. On merit is where it would sit if results were ranked on rating, support and updates, without the install boost. The last column is how far the wp.org position moved, from our first reading in the last 90 days to the latest.
| Keyword | wp.org | On merit | wp.org move, 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| compression your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| gzip your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| http your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| performance your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
| server your tag | Not in the top 24 | ||
0 searches this plugin appeared in over the last 90 days. 5 of its tags aren't in the top 24 for their own search.
What to do about it
- “compression”, “gzip” and “http” aren't earning a slot. You list them, but you're not in the first 24 results for those searches. WordPress.org counts only your first five tags, so free the slot for a search you can win.
Daily downloads
Since 5 Oct 2022 · 1,488 days · wp.org + Plugin Pulse archive
30-day downloads
Rolling 30-day volume · peak 197 · peaks are release surges
Directory rank vs rivals
wp.org popularity rank over time · higher is better · when a rival's line climbs above yours, they've overtaken you
Rating trend
Star average over time · dips mark rough releases
Health trend
Composite health score, snapshotted daily
Update activity
How busy the existing users are, measured as downloads in the last 30 days for every 1,000 active sites. A spike means a new release everyone's pulling; a long, slow decline means an aging user base that updates less.
What its installed base runs
via wordpress.orgShare of active installs on each version of this plugin · 100% run the current release. Green is the current release; a big slice on older versions is a user base that has stopped updating.
Estimated active installs
The public count shows “400+”. Our estimate pins where the real number sits.
Crossed into this band 3 months ago and a band this size takes about a year or more to cross, so the real count is still just under 500.
Install history since 16 Mar 2015
Recent reviews
All reviews on wp.org ↗- ★★★★★ stonethemes9.8y ago
It;s works perfectly in my every website.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ citrusuk12.0y ago
Not updated since 2012, best avoid this, as it breaks the progress of updates, Both Plugings and WP core. When doing plugin updates the process hangs at downloading and appears never to complete, after a few minutes and you go back to plugins, the plugin has updated but is deactivated. Simply avoid this anoying problems by not using this plugin, others are available that are more recently maintained. This plugin should be removed / retired as the author clearly has no interest in it anymore. The moral of this story is: Only use plugins that are activley maintained by good developers and where possible pay for the good ones to support them.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ stunley12.5y ago
This works, but breaks the WP update progress message system. You just have to guess when the plugin/wordpress install is complete.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ soobz12.5y ago
I activate and this broke my site…
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ mobilewebexpert12.7y ago
It works but I have a big problem in that I can not install any other plugins if this plugin is active! The problem may be due to a reported conflict with the W3 Total Cache plugin. (I am using both because the gzip functionality in W3 Total Cache doesn’t seem to work, but with this plugin the gzip functionality does work.) But even if I disable the W3 Total Cache plugin and enable this plugin, I still cannot install any other plugins.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ Skunkster13.1y ago
Very useful for helping my website load quicker. Many thanks!
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ RichardCriss13.8y ago
error’s across the top, it’s not compatible with the current WP version.
Read on wp.org ↗ - ★★★★★ volomike14.0y ago
Upon activating the plugin, immediately I receive the error of missing a URI variable. Tis broke. Deactivated immediately since there are several HTTP Compression plugins out there.
Read on wp.org ↗
Behavioral tests
via WP HiveAutomated install-time checks, tested on PHP 7.2.16 · WP 5.3
AI assistants
How it's measured →Whether ChatGPT and Claude name this plugin when asked the category question, and whether the readme gives them something to quote.
Not measured yet for this plugin’s topics. Its tracked searches are not among the measured topics. See the topics measured so far.
Readme readiness
4 of 8 pass · checked 31 Oct 2026Can an assistant quote this readme? Eight deterministic checks over the wp.org listing, no model involved.
- ✓ Says what it does "This plugin allows your WordPress blog to output pages compressed in gzip format if a browser supports comp..."
- ! Has a FAQ No FAQ section.
- ! FAQ asks real questions No FAQ to judge.
- ! Names who it is for Never says who the plugin is for or what they use it for.
- ✓ Names what it works with Mentions Google Analytics.
- ! Headings and lists 0 headings and 0 lists; assistants quote headed sections and bullet lists, not paragraphs.
- ✓ Enough to quote 1,117 characters of description.
- ✓ Tags match the text 3 of 5 tags appear in the text; "performance", "server" do not.
Growth timeline
Install-tier crossings we have observed, and how long each tier took to outgrow
- 2026-08-03 500+ → 400+ down after 1 days in tier
- 2026-08-02 400+ → 500+ up after 2 days in tier
- 2026-07-31 500+ → 400+ down after 240 days in tier
- 2025-12-03 600+ → 500+ down after 129 days in tier
- 2025-07-27 700+ → 600+ down after 2 days in tier
- 2025-07-25 600+ → 700+ up after 1 days in tier
- 2025-07-24 700+ → 600+ down after 6 days in tier
- 2025-07-18 600+ → 700+ up after 1 days in tier
Competes with
The plugins that solve the same job, ranked by shared tags then reach, closest match first. The letter on the right is each plugin's health grade (A best, F worst).
-
TinyPNG Image Optimization – Image Compression JPEG & PNG | Convert to WebP & AVIF 100K+ installs · 4.5★ · 2 shared tags A -
Cache Enabler 100K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags A -
Cache-Control 1K+ installs · 4.3★ · 2 shared tags D -
Cache Using Gzip 400+ installs · 4.1★ · 2 shared tags A -
Instant Gzip Compression 300+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags D - W WP GZip 200+ installs · 3.6★ · 2 shared tags
Embed this report card
Drop a live Pulse card for WP HTTP Compression into a readme, a review or a deck. It updates itself.
<iframe src="https://plugins.wpmayor.com/embed/wp-http-compression" width="480" height="300" style="border:0" loading="lazy" title="WP HTTP Compression — Plugin Pulse"></iframe> WP HTTP Compression: 400+ active installs, 2.3★ (8 reviews). Plugin Pulse (WP Mayor), as of 2026-10-31. https://plugins.wpmayor.com/plugin/wp-http-compression
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