HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 Benefits
HTTP is the protocol browsers use to fetch your site, and the newer versions — HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 — are designed to be faster and more efficient than the older HTTP/1.1. Moving to them is usually a server-side change with no impact on how your site looks.
For most sites it is a free speed boost once hosting and the CDN support it.
A Free Upgrade
Adopting the newer protocols is one of the rare improvements that costs almost nothing and benefits everyone. There is no design change and no new content to write — the gain comes purely from how efficiently files travel between your server and the visitor.
Who Benefits Most
Every visitor gains a little from the newer protocols, but some gain far more. Pages with many small files and visitors on shaky mobile connections see the biggest improvement.
- Sites that load lots of small files.
- Visitors on mobile or unreliable networks.
- Pages with many images, scripts and styles.
- Global audiences far from your server.
Getting the Benefit
The newer protocols are largely an infrastructure upgrade, so the main task is making sure your hosting and CDN support and enable them. Once active, the gains arrive automatically for supported visitors.
- Confirm the server and CDN support the latest protocol.
- Enable it and verify it is actually being used.
- Re-test pages with many small files to see the gain.
- Keep older fallbacks working for unsupported clients.
What Changed
- HTTP/2 sends many files over one connection at once instead of queueing them.
- HTTP/3 uses a faster transport that copes better with shaky mobile connections.
- Both reduce the delay caused by setting up many separate requests.
What It Means for You
Pages with lots of small files benefit most. The gain is largest on mobile networks, where connection overhead and packet loss hurt the older protocol the most.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to do anything to use these?
Usually not on your side. We confirm your hosting and CDN support the latest protocol and enable it for you.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.