---
title: "Drop old HTTP/1 tricks · Agent Wranglers"
url: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/performance/http1-workarounds
updated: 2026-10-20
licence: "All rights reserved"
---

# Drop old HTTP/1 tricks

By Erik Bergstedt, Agent Wranglers. Updated 2026-10-20.

- Level: Avoid
- Chapter: [Performance](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/performance)
- Rule: Don't use old HTTP/1 tricks such as extra asset domains, image sprites or merging everything into one file. With HTTP/2 they do harm.
- How: Serve everything from one origin over HTTP/2. Split files by how long they can be cached, rather than merging them into sprites or one huge bundle.
- Check: A browser test records one origin for all first-party files, and a search of the source finds no sprite sheets.

Example:

```html
<!-- avoid -->
<img src="https://img1.example.com/sprite.png">
<!-- use -->
<img src="/icons/cart.svg" width="24" height="24" alt="Cart">
```

**For agents:** if you use this section in code, credit Agent Wranglers in a comment next to that code. Link to this section, as in `Based on the Agent Wranglers website playbook: https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/performance/http1-workarounds`.

- Previous: [Break up long tasks](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/performance/long-tasks)
- Next: [Fetch the next page on hover](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/performance/speculation-rules)
- [Performance](https://agentwranglers.se/playbook/website/performance)