A method and system is disclosed for compressing a file comprising computer markup language. Contents of a file containing markup language, including a first and second markup language tag, are read. Data corresponding to the first and second markup language tags is identified and the first markup language tag, data and a placeholder are pushed onto a stack. A method and system of decompressing the resulting compressed document are also disclosed. The first markup language tag, data and placeholder are popped off the stack, and the second markup language tag corresponding to the first markup language tag is identified. The second markup language tag corresponding to the first markup language tag is generated, and the first markup language tag, data and second markup language tag are stored in memory.