Speed Up WordPress by Compressing Output

I’ve used dreamhost to host this website for years, but for some reason, wordpress runs extremely slowly on it. But I found some code to compress your php so I’m giving it a try. Does my page load a faster? Seems so to me, but maybe it’s just psychological.

First, place the following code in a file and call it “test.php” and then upload it to the root of your blog directory:

<?php phpinfo(); ?>

Make sure that “zlib” is enabled by your hosting provider.

Second, place the following code in your header (above the DOCTYPE):

<?php
ini_set('zlib.output_compression', 'On');
ini_set('zlib.output_compression_level', '1');
?>

If all’s well, make sure to delete that test.php file.

High five to wprecipes.com.