What is WOFF2? Web Open Font Format 2.0 Explained
A W3C web font format using Brotli compression for the smallest font downloads.
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What is WOFF2?
WOFF2 (Web Open Font Format 2.0) is the successor to WOFF, published as a W3C Recommendation in March 2018. Like WOFF, it wraps SFNT-based TrueType or OpenType fonts, but it achieves substantially smaller file sizes.
WOFF2 replaces WOFF's zlib compression with the Brotli algorithm and adds font-specific preprocessing of the glyph tables. This typically yields around 30% better compression than WOFF, while supporting the full TrueType/OpenType feature set including variable fonts and font collections.
How WOFF2 Works
WOFF2 compresses the entire font with the Brotli algorithm rather than per-table zlib, and applies font-specific transforms to the glyf and loca tables that reorganize outline data into a more compressible form before compression.[1] The decoder reverses these transforms to restore the original SFNT tables.[1]
History and Standardization
The W3C published WOFF2 as a Recommendation in March 2018, reporting roughly 30% smaller files than WOFF on average.[2] It is registered with the media type font/woff2 and is now the dominant web font format in modern browsers.[4]
WOFF2 vs WOFF
Both formats wrap the same TrueType/OpenType data and support variable fonts and font collections, but WOFF2's superior compression comes with more processing during encoding and decoding.[3] A common practice is to serve WOFF2 to capable browsers while retaining WOFF as a fallback.[3]
MKV Technical Specifications
WOFF2 vs Other Font Formats
| Feature | WOFF2 | WOFF | TTF |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Web font wrapper[1] | Web font wrapper | Outline font |
| Standardized by | W3C[1] | W3C | Apple / IANA |
| Compression | Brotli[2] | zlib / DEFLATE | None |
| File size | Smallest[2] | Small | Largest |
| Best for | Modern web delivery | Broad compatibility | Desktop fonts |
WOFF2 achieves the smallest size via Brotli but is unsupported in some older browsers that still accept WOFF.
Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages
WOFF2 uses Brotli plus glyph-table preprocessing, typically about 30% smaller than WOFF for faster loading.
It supports the entire TrueType/OpenType spec, including variable fonts, color fonts, and font collections.
WOFF2 is implemented in all major modern browsers and is widely used in production.
Brotli decoding is designed to be fast and memory-friendly even on lower-end mobile devices.
Disadvantages
Legacy browsers that predate WOFF2 require a WOFF or TTF fallback.
WOFF2 is designed for web delivery and is not used for desktop installation or print.
Creating WOFF2 requires Brotli-capable tools, though these are now widely available.
Common Use Cases
WOFF2 is the default modern format for serving custom web fonts.
Primary web font delivery | FileFormer
Sites serve WOFF2 first via @font-face to give most visitors the smallest, fastest fonts.
Variable font deployment | FileFormer
WOFF2 efficiently delivers variable fonts, packing many weights and styles into one compressed file.
Performance optimization | FileFormer
Developers adopt WOFF2 to reduce page weight and improve Core Web Vitals on font-heavy pages.
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Try Font Converter FreeFrequently Asked Questions
What is WOFF2?
WOFF2 is the Web Open Font Format 2.0, a W3C-standardized web font wrapper that uses Brotli compression to deliver TrueType/OpenType fonts at smaller sizes than WOFF.
How is WOFF2 better than WOFF?
WOFF2 uses the Brotli algorithm and font-specific preprocessing, achieving roughly 30% better compression than WOFF's zlib-based approach.
Do browsers support WOFF2?
Yes. WOFF2 is supported in all major modern browsers and is the recommended primary web font format.
Does WOFF2 support variable fonts?
Yes. WOFF2 supports the full TrueType and OpenType specifications, including variable fonts, color fonts, and font collections.
When was WOFF2 standardized?
WOFF 2.0 was published as a W3C Recommendation in March 2018, with the reference implementation provided by Google.