Website access speed optimized after enabling HTTPS

　　HTTPS has gone from an "optional" to a "basic configuration" for websites. Whether it's a corporate website, an independent e-commerce site, or a personal blog, anything still using HTTP is marked as "insecure." However, many website owners find a new problem after enabling HTTPS: their websites seem slower. First-screen loading time increases, initial access is noticeably delayed, and some overseas users even report unstable connections. This phenomenon is actually very common. HTTPS itself introduces TLS handshakes, certificate verification, and cryptographic calculations. Without corresponding optimizations, it can easily slow down overall access speed.

　　To optimize HTTPS, you must first understand why it might slow down. Compared to HTTP, HTTPS adds three key steps: TLS handshake, certificate verification, and encryption/decryption. If server performance is average, network latency is high, or TLS parameters are not configured properly, these additional overheads will be significantly amplified, especially in cross-border access or mobile network environments. Therefore, the essence of HTTPS optimization is: reducing the number of handshakes, lowering encryption costs, and compressing transmission size.

　　I. Optimizing HTTPS Performance Starting with Certificates

　　Many people overlook the impact of certificates themselves on speed. Currently, the mainstream certificates are divided into two categories: RSA and ECC. Compared to RSA, ECC has a shorter key length, faster handshake speed, and lower CPU consumption. If your cloud vendor or certificate platform supports it, it is recommended to choose ECC (ECDSA) certificates directly. This step itself reduces TLS computational overhead.

　　Properly configure the certificate chain; an excessively long certificate chain will increase browser verification time. It is recommended to use a complete but concise certificate chain to avoid duplicate intermediate certificates. After deployment, you can use online tools to check the certificate structure to ensure there are no redundant nodes.

　　II. Enable TLS Session Resumption to Reduce Repeated Handshakes

　　One of the biggest reasons for slow HTTPS is that a full handshake is required for each new connection. The solution is to enable Session Resumption.

　　For example, using Nginx:

ssl_session_cache shared:SSL:10m;
ssl_session_timeout 10m;
ssl_session_tickets on;

　　This means that when the same client visits again, the existing session can be reused, significantly reducing handshake time. This optimization is crucial for websites with returning users.

　　III. Enabling HTTP/2 to Improve Multi-Resource Loading Efficiency

　　HTTP/2 is an important performance accelerator in HTTPS environments. It supports multiplexing, header compression, and request prioritization.

　　Enabling it is very simple; in Nginx:

listen 443 ssl http2;

　　Once enabled, a single TCP connection can concurrently load multiple resources, avoiding the "head-of-line blocking" problem of traditional HTTP. The effect is particularly noticeable for sites with many images and scripts.

　　IV. Server TLS Parameter Tuning

　　Default TLS configurations are often conservative and can be optimized appropriately.

　　Example:

ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;
ssl_prefer_server_ciphers on;
ssl_ciphers EECDH+AESGCM:EECDH+CHACHA20;

　　Enable TLS 1.3 simultaneously:

ssl_protocols TLSv1.2 TLSv1.3;

　　TLS 1.3 reduces one handshake round trip, greatly benefiting overseas access.

　　V. Enable Gzip/British Compression for Transmitted Content

　　Compression is especially important in HTTPS environments.

　　Nginx Example:

gzip on;
gzip_comp_level 5;
gzip_types text/plain text/css application/javascript application/json;

　　If Brotli is supported:

brotli on;
brotli_comp_level 5;

　　Typically, this can reduce transmission volume by 40%–70%.

　　VI. Other Optimization Methods

　　Even with perfect HTTPS configuration, if front-end resources are bloated, speed will still be slow. It is recommended to simultaneously implement WebP conversion for images, merging and compressing JS/CSS, lazy loading images, and removing unnecessary plugins. This is especially important for WordPress users, as the number of plugins is often a significant reason for slowdowns after HTTPS.

　　Using a CDN to carry HTTPS traffic is one of the most effective ways to improve HTTPS access speed. The advantage of a CDN is that the TLS handshake is completed at the nearest node, static resources no longer need to go back to the origin server, and it automatically supports HTTP/2/TLS 1.3. After deployment, users establish HTTPS connections with the nearest CDN node, and your origin server only carries a small amount of origin server traffic. This is especially important for Hong Kong cloud servers, Japanese nodes, or overseas servers.

　　Enabling OCSP Stapling reduces certificate verification latency. Browsers usually need to access a CA server when verifying certificates. With OCSP Stapling enabled, the server directly provides the verification result, reducing one external request and improving the initial connection speed.

　　In summary, HTTPS is not simply a matter of installing a certificate; it involves upgrading the entire transport chain. Without optimization, it can indeed slow down a website; however, with proper TLS configuration, enabling HTTP/2, resource compression, CDN integration, and TCP tuning, HTTPS will not only avoid becoming a burden but can also significantly improve the overall user experience.