Suboptimal Configuration of a CloudFront Distribution

Service Category

Networking

Cloud Provider

AWS

Service Name

AWS CloudFront

Inefficiency Type

Inefficient Configuration

Explanation

This inefficiency occurs when compression is either disabled or not functioning effectively on a CloudFront distribution. Static assets such as text, JSON, JavaScript, and CSS files are compressible and benefit significantly from compression. Without compression, CloudFront transfers larger objects, leading to increased data transfer charges and slower delivery performance—without improving user experience.

Relevant Billing Model

CloudFront is billed based on the volume of data transferred and the number of HTTP/HTTPS requests. Compression reduces the size of data sent to users, which directly lowers transfer volume and speeds up delivery. When compression is disabled or misconfigured, larger payloads are sent, increasing bandwidth usage and data transfer costs.

Detection

Identify CloudFront distributions with compression disabled
Check whether compressible MIME types (e.g., text/html, application/javascript) are being served uncompressed
Review cache behavior settings to ensure compression is enabled for eligible file types
Validate that origin responses include compressible content and allow compression
Confirm whether compression is effectively applied at the edge by inspecting actual responses

Remediation

Enable compression for all applicable content types in CloudFront settings
Review and adjust cache behaviors to ensure compression is applied at the edge
Coordinate with origin services to ensure headers support compression (e.g., avoid disabling with restrictive cache-control headers)
Test end-to-end to confirm that content is being served compressed under real-world scenarios

Relevant Documentation