The HTTP/1.x protocol served faithfully for almost 20 years. It was replaced by HTTP/2, based on the SPDY protocol, developed in conjunction with Google. HTTP/2 is a major revision of the HTTP protocol that:
- makes page loading and rendering faster;
- speeds up the delivery via HTTPS;
- makes utilization of available network capacity more efficient.
How HTTP/2 increases website load speed
Multiplexing allows multiple requests and response messages between the client and server to be in flight at the same time over a single https connection, instead of multiple connections, which improves page load times.
Header compression reduces the overhead bytes downloaded by the client, helping get the content to the viewer sooner. This is especially useful for mobile clients that are already constrained on bandwidth.
Stream priority, allows for quicker page rendering by enabling the client to control the order in which web assets are delivered, thereby optimizing user experience.
How HTTP/2 improves the performance of SSL
HTTP/2 was designed only for HTTPS (does not work with HTTP)
It works optimally with it, speeding up the work of the protocol. The reasons for choosing TLS-only mode are to take care of the user’s privacy, and early research has shown a high level of success with new protocols when using TLS.
Read why you need to go to https and how to do it correctly, read the article “A complete guide on how to migrate from HTTP to HTTPS the right way without traffic lossâ€.
How HTTP/2 makes network resources utilization more efficient
HTTP/2 enables a more efficient use of network resources and a reduced perception of latency by introducing header field compression and allowing multiple concurrent exchanges on the same connection. It also allows prioritization of requests, letting more important requests complete more quickly, further improving performance.
Read more about what technologies HTTP/2 uses to significantly improve your online store.