HTTP/3 is the latest version of the HTTP protocol, which is the foundation of the internet. It is designed to improve the performance and security of web applications and services. QUIC is a transport protocol that is designed to improve the performance of web applications by reducing the latency of network connections. Altis now supports HTTP/3 with QUIC, which can provide a significant boost in performance for WordPress sites.
HTTP/3 has the greatest impact for mobile users and people on slower networks. This is important for Core Web Vitals real world usage data, which measure your site’s load times from people using your website. Core Web Vitals simulation tests such as https://web.dev/vitals/ are important for bench-marking, but often don’t cover the diversity in networks and devices from your users. HTTP/3 with QUIC means better Core Web Vitals report for the long tail of slow connections.
We rolled out HTTP/3 support to production for existing Altis Cloud customers around 1 month ago, so we now have a good amount of data on usage. As is shown below, a significant portion of Altis traffic is already using the improved HTTP/3 protocol.
Can I Use also has good data on browser support for HTTP/3. The large omission currently is iOS support via Mobile Safari. Given HTTP/3 with QUIC has a most significant positive impact on patchy connections, once iOS is updated to use HTTP/3 connections a larger benefit will be felt.
Interested in a performance lift on your WordPress site? Get in touch with us, we’d love to show you how these updates can enhance your website.