Reduce Initial Server Response Time via htaccess

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Reducing Initial Server Response Time refers to optimizing the time it takes for a web server to respond to a user’s initial request. This involves improving server performance, minimizing processing delays, and optimizing network communication to enhance overall website speed.

To achieve a lower Initial Server Response Time, consider optimizing server hardware, reducing database query times, implementing caching mechanisms, and utilizing content delivery networks (CDNs) to distribute content closer to users, minimizing latency. Additionally, efficient server-side scripting and resource management contribute to faster response times.

Reduce initial server response time

To reduce initial server response time via .htaccess, you can implement several optimizations to improve your website's performance. Below is a guide detailing various techniques you can use:

1. Enable Gzip Compression

<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
    # Compress HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Text, XML and fonts
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/javascript
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/rss+xml
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/vnd.ms-fontobject
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-opentype
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-otf
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-truetype
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-font-ttf
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/x-javascript
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/xhtml+xml
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE application/xml
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE font/opentype
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE font/otf
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE font/ttf
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE image/svg+xml
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE image/x-icon
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/css
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/html
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/javascript
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/plain
    AddOutputFilterByType DEFLATE text/xml

    # Remove browser bugs (only needed for really old browsers)
    BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4 gzip-only-text/html
    BrowserMatch ^Mozilla/4.0[678] no-gzip
    BrowserMatch bMSIE !no-gzip !gzip-only-text/html
    Header append Vary User-Agent
</IfModule>

2. Enable Browser Caching

<IfModule mod_expires.c>
    ExpiresActive On
    ExpiresByType image/jpg "access plus 1 year"
    ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 1 year"
    ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 1 year"
    ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 1 year"
    ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 1 month"
    ExpiresByType application/pdf "access plus 1 month"
    ExpiresByType text/x-javascript "access plus 1 month"
    ExpiresByType application/x-shockwave-flash "access plus 1 month"
    ExpiresByType image/x-icon "access plus 1 year"
    ExpiresDefault "access plus 2 days"
</IfModule>

3. Leverage Browser Cache

<IfModule mod_headers.c>
    <FilesMatch ".(ico|jpe?g|png|gif|swf)$">
        Header set Cache-Control "public"
    </FilesMatch>
    <FilesMatch ".(css)$">
        Header set Cache-Control "public"
    </FilesMatch>
    <FilesMatch ".(js)$">
        Header set Cache-Control "private"
    </FilesMatch>
    <FilesMatch ".(x?html?|php)$">
        Header set Cache-Control "private, must-revalidate"
    </FilesMatch>
</IfModule>

4. Enable Keep-Alive

<IfModule mod_headers.c>
    Header set Connection keep-alive
</IfModule>

5. Minimize Redirects

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteCond %{HTTPS} off
    RewriteRule ^ https://%{HTTP_HOST}%{REQUEST_URI} [L,R=301]
</IfModule>

6. Limit Server Requests

<IfModule mod_deflate.c>
    SetEnvIfNoCase Request_URI .(?:gif|jpe?g|png)$ no-gzip
</IfModule>

7. Optimize PHP Configuration

<IfModule mod_php5.c>
    php_value upload_max_filesize 20M
    php_value post_max_size 20M
    php_value max_execution_time 200
    php_value max_input_time 200
</IfModule>

8. Reduce Server Load

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteRule ^wp-admin/includes/ - [F,L]
    RewriteRule !^wp-includes/ - [S=3]
    RewriteCond %{SCRIPT_FILENAME} !^(.*)wp-includes/ms-files.php
    RewriteRule ^wp-includes/[^/]+.php$ - [F,L]
    RewriteRule ^wp-includes/js/tinymce/langs/.+.php - [F,L]
    RewriteRule ^wp-includes/theme-compat/ - [F,L]
</IfModule>

9. Block Access to Directories

Options All -Indexes

10. Prevent Image Hotlinking

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
    RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://(www.)?yourdomain.com/.*$ [NC]
    RewriteRule .(gif|jpg|png)$ - [F]
</IfModule>

Implement these optimizations by adding the provided code snippets to your .htaccess file. Ensure to make a backup of your existing .htaccess file before making any changes, and test your website thoroughly after each modification to ensure compatibility and functionality.

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