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ModPageSpeed 2.0: AVIF, WebP, and critical CSS — up to 69% less page weight on the live demo
2.0 1.1

Getting Started

Install mod_pagespeed 1.1 on nginx, Apache, IIS, or Envoy. Platform-specific setup instructions, verification steps, license activation, and next steps.

Choose your platform

mod_pagespeed 1.1 runs on nginx, Apache, IIS, and Envoy. Pick your web server below.

The signed repository at packages.modpagespeed.com ships the nginx dynamic module for Ubuntu 24.04 (noble, stock nginx 1.24) and AlmaLinux/RHEL 9 (stock nginx 1.20). One command configures the apt or yum source and imports the signing key:

curl -fsSL https://packages.modpagespeed.com/install.sh | sudo sh

Then install the package:

sudo apt install nginx-module-pagespeed     # Ubuntu 24.04
sudo dnf install nginx-module-pagespeed     # AlmaLinux/RHEL 9

The package drops the module into the standard nginx modules directory. Add the load directive to nginx.conf (top-level, before the http block) and enable it in your server block:

load_module modules/ngx_pagespeed_module.so;

server {
    pagespeed on;
    pagespeed FileCachePath /var/cache/pagespeed;

    # Your existing configuration...
}

Reload nginx:

sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl reload nginx

The repository ships amd64 / x86_64 binaries built against each distribution’s stock nginx. Updates flow through the normal package upgrade path (apt upgrade / dnf upgrade).

Other nginx versions (build from source)

The package targets the stock nginx shipped by Ubuntu 24.04 and AlmaLinux 9. If you run a different nginx version — for example nginx.org’s stable or mainline builds — build the dynamic module against your nginx source and drop the resulting .so in by hand:

# Copy the module to nginx modules directory
sudo cp ngx_pagespeed_module.so /usr/lib/nginx/modules/

# Add to nginx.conf (top-level, before http block)
load_module modules/ngx_pagespeed_module.so;

The signed repository at packages.modpagespeed.com ships the Apache module for Ubuntu 24.04 (noble) and AlmaLinux/RHEL 9. One command configures the apt or yum source and imports the signing key:

curl -fsSL https://packages.modpagespeed.com/install.sh | sudo sh

Then install the package:

sudo apt-get install mod-pagespeed     # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf install mod-pagespeed         # AlmaLinux/RHEL

The package drops the module into the standard Apache modules directory and enables it. Restart Apache:

sudo systemctl restart apache2   # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo systemctl restart httpd     # RHEL family

Updates flow through the normal package upgrade path:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade    # Debian/Ubuntu
sudo dnf upgrade                                # RHEL family

The repository ships amd64 / x86_64 binaries. For arm64 / aarch64, use the direct-download fallback below.

Direct download (arm64, air-gapped, or no package manager)

For Debian and Ubuntu (apt/dpkg):

# amd64
curl -O https://modpagespeed.com/releases/v1.1.0/mod-pagespeed_1.1.0-r0_amd64.deb
sudo dpkg -i mod-pagespeed_1.1.0-r0_amd64.deb
# arm64
curl -O https://modpagespeed.com/releases/v1.1.0/mod-pagespeed_1.1.0-r0_arm64.deb
sudo dpkg -i mod-pagespeed_1.1.0-r0_arm64.deb

For RHEL family (dnf/yum):

# x86_64
sudo dnf install -y https://modpagespeed.com/releases/v1.1.0/mod-pagespeed-1.1.0-0.x86_64.rpm
# aarch64
sudo dnf install -y https://modpagespeed.com/releases/v1.1.0/mod-pagespeed-1.1.0-0.aarch64.rpm

Your existing pagespeed.conf continues to work — no configuration changes needed.

Module-only install (no package manager)

If you’d rather drop the .so in by hand:

# x86_64
curl -O https://modpagespeed.com/releases/v1.1.0/libmod_pagespeed-linux-x86_64.so
sudo cp libmod_pagespeed-linux-x86_64.so /usr/lib/apache2/modules/mod_pagespeed.so
sudo systemctl restart apache2

Verify the download

Installs through packages.modpagespeed.com verify signatures automatically against the repository signing key (RSA 4096, fingerprint DF00E296BE9141CEA5411346F50D6054F10712A0).

For direct downloads, each artifact is GPG-signed and listed in SHA256SUMS:

curl -O https://modpagespeed.com/releases/v1.1.0/SHA256SUMS
sha256sum --check --ignore-missing SHA256SUMS
# Or with the GPG signing key:
curl -O https://modpagespeed.com/releases/v1.1.0/weamp-pkg-public.asc
gpg --import weamp-pkg-public.asc
gpg --verify mod-pagespeed_1.1.0-r0_amd64.deb.asc

Requirements

  • Windows Server 2019 or later (IIS 10+)
  • 64-bit only
  • IIS worker process identity needs write permissions on the cache directory

Migrating from IISpeed?

If IISpeed is installed on this host, uninstall it before running the mod_pagespeed 1.1 MSI. The two modules register the same handler in IIS and cannot coexist — leaving IISpeed in place will cause one or both to fail at site startup. Open Apps & features (or Programs and Features), remove “IISpeed”, iisreset, and then run the 1.1 installer.

Your existing IISpeed license transfers to mod_pagespeed 1.1 at no cost — contact us to arrange the transfer before activating the trial.

Install the module

Download the IIS MSI installer (signature) and run it on your Windows Server. The installer registers the module in IIS as a native HTTP module automatically and creates the default cache directory at %ProgramData%\We-Amp\IISWebSpeed\Cache.

Configure the file cache path

After installation, verify the cache path in the server-level configuration at %ProgramData%\We-Amp\IISWebSpeed\pagespeed.config:

pagespeed FileCachePath %ProgramData%\We-Amp\IISWebSpeed\Cache

The cache directory must be writable by the IIS worker process identity (typically IIS_IUSRS or the app pool identity). The installer creates this directory with appropriate permissions.

To validate the cache path, make a request to any page on your server and check that files appear in the cache directory.

Enable optimization for a site

Place a pagespeed.config file in your website’s root directory:

pagespeed on
pagespeed FileCachePath %ProgramData%\We-Amp\IISWebSpeed\Cache

The FileCachePath must be included in per-site configs if not set in the server-level config. Site-level settings override server-level settings.

IIS Express

For local development with IIS Express, add the module to applicationhost.config in %userprofile%\Documents\IISExpress\config\:

  1. Copy the module DLL to a known location
  2. Add the module registration under <globalModules> and <modules>
  3. Restart IIS Express

Disable optimization

To disable optimization for a site, either delete or rename its pagespeed.config file, or add:

pagespeed off

Envoy

Add the mod_pagespeed HTTP filter to your Envoy configuration. Envoy integration is experimental — contact us for setup guidance.

Verify it works

Send a request and check for the response header:

curl -I http://localhost/

You should see:

X-Page-Speed: 1.1.0

On Apache the header is named X-Mod-Pagespeed instead of X-Page-Speed. On IIS the module emits X-Page-Speed, the same as nginx — check for it with PowerShell:

(Invoke-WebRequest http://localhost/ -Method Head).Headers["X-Page-Speed"]

The first request to any URL will show X-Page-Speed: MISS (or X-Mod-Pagespeed: MISS on Apache) while resources are being optimized. Subsequent requests will show HIT.

License activation

The module ships locked — it loads into your web server but does not rewrite responses until a license is active. To unlock it, open the admin console at /pagespeed_global_admin on your server (e.g. https://your-site/pagespeed_global_admin) and either start the 14-day trial or activate a license you already own. Both flows live on the same page.

The trial runs for 14 days from activation. Cancel before day 15 and you pay nothing. To purchase a license, visit modpagespeed.com/pricing/ — license keys are issued by email and pasted into the same admin console page.

If you are migrating from IISpeed, your existing license transfers at no cost. Contact us to arrange the transfer before activating.

Next steps