Cloudflare shows Gzip instead of Brotli

Just chiming in to report that when we switched on Brotli in CF, the only things that got the br response header were the htmls. So we ended up taking a two-pronged approach and implemented Brotli for static assets through httpd’s mod_brotli.

Hi,
When using Cloudflare, if you have enabled the Brotli compression inside the Cloudflare dashboard, then you will have that for all requests, n to just for HTML. I have just tested it on a few sites. Working perfectly. But still, I will also recommend having server level Brotli compression as there is nothing wrong with it.

then you will have that for all requests, n to just for HTML. I have just tested it on a few sites. Working perfectly.

Yeah, that’s how it’s supposed to work. My guess is it could be due to the ETags we put on the static files? That’d explain why CF only compressed html, which doesn’t take ETags.

@jwchong what Content-Encoding header do you see in your browser’s developer tool? That’ll help with troubleshooting.

https://www.mediafire.com/view/jo8hovhzuuopbl2/Screenshot_2023-04-07_at_7.14.48_PM.jpg/file

https://www.mediafire.com/view/2lyn62czn6iwpt9/Screenshot_2023-04-07_at_7.14.57_PM.jpg/file

https://www.mediafire.com/view/dzsv3aogwd5f9sy/Screenshot_2023-04-07_at_7.20.12_PM.jpg/file

https://www.mediafire.com/view/tk4emi8souxrhph/Screenshot_2023-04-07_at_7.22.15_PM.jpg/file

https://www.mediafire.com/view/0ogga0kpkbag0up/Screenshot_2023-04-07_at_7.25.19_PM.jpg/file

https://www.mediafire.com/view/3pftbnmxu7kcflr/Screenshot_2023-04-07_at_7.25.31_PM.jpg/file

https://www.giftofspeed.com/gzip-test/
https://www.brotli.pro/
https://www.ipvoid.com/brotli-test/
These 3 websites result:
https = Brotli enabled
http = Gzip enabled or Brotli NOT enabled

https://tools.keycdn.com/brotli-test
This website result:
https and http = Brotli enabled

Based on the browser’s Developer Tools > Content-Encoding header, only keycdn.com shows the correct result.

Do you have similar result from your side using your other website for testing?

@isaumya I have tried to install several Cache plugins (disabled their Page Cache etc as per the FAQ in Super Page Cache for Cloudflare plugin). But W3 Total Cache plugin can only enable Gzip option, the Brotli option grey out.

I have checked some websites (they do not use Cloudflare) in my hosting server and show that server is using Brotli already.

Maybe you can suggest some plugins that can confirm to use Brotli?

Thank you.

No plugin can enable Brotli compression as it is a server level settings. So, either enable it at the server level or enable it in the Cloudflare settings so that Cloudflare can handle the compression.

You mention that Cloudflare only use Brotli for HTML and recommend setup Brotli in server. So as long as our hosting provider confirm that they have enabled Brotli in server and we have tested it working using the Brotli testing websites above, we are good enough and do not have to do anything else? I am asking because one of the web page benchmark says I am not using compress, while another website says I already using compression. Very confusing with their result and not sure which one to belief and to confirm ourselves.

Hi,
Looking at the above screenshot I can see Brotli is fully working on your website. But don’t test on the HTTP instead test over HTTPS. Also use the KeyCDN tool as that gives more accurate information.