svgz

SVGZ is a compressed form of an SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) file, using gzip compression and usually bearing the .svgz extension. In effect, it is the same XML-based vector graphic as an uncompressed .svg file, but stored in a gzip‑encoded container to reduce file size for storage and transfer.

As with any gzip‑compressed content served over the web, an SVGZ file is typically delivered with a content type of image/svg+xml and a content encoding of gzip. When a client that supports gzip requests the file, the browser or renderer decompresses the data before rendering the SVG. If the server does not indicate gzip encoding, or if the file is opened directly from a filesystem without decompression, the result may be unreadable data or a download prompt.

Support for SVGZ varies. Some editors and graphics tools can read and write SVGZ files, while others save only standard SVG. Web browsers commonly render SVGZ correctly when the file is served with proper HTTP headers and the client decompresses it, but not all tooling or content pipelines recognize the extension or handle it consistently. In many workflows, a non‑compressed SVG is preferred for widest compatibility, while SVGZ can offer smaller file sizes for large or complex SVG graphics when gzip is available.

In practice, the use of SVGZ is less widespread than plain SVG, and its viability depends on server configuration, tooling support, and the desired balance between compression benefits and broad compatibility.