Mistake: reading bytes-sent as page weight when content is gzipped

Mistake: reading bytes-sent as page weight when content is gzipped

The %b / $body_bytes_sent field is the compressed size on the wire — not what you optimized. Reads:

→ Apache / Nginx logging docs — Bytes logged are post-compression when gzip/brotli is on.
Takeaway: don't conclude a page is "small" for crawlers from log bytes alone.

→ Web.dev (text compression) — How wire size and decoded size diverge, and why crawl cost relates to both.
Takeaway: pair log bytes with actual fetch size when judging crawl weight.

★ Pick of the week — a bytes-by-template aggregation — Sums wire bytes Googlebot pulled per URL pattern.
Takeaway: heavy templates by total bytes are where compression and trimming pay off.