diff --git a/src/http/header/accept_encoding.rs b/src/http/header/accept_encoding.rs
index 828a0533c..0774944c6 100644
--- a/src/http/header/accept_encoding.rs
+++ b/src/http/header/accept_encoding.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use actix_http::header::QualityItem;
 
-use super::{common_header, Encoding};
+use super::{common_header, Encoding, Preference, Quality};
 use crate::http::header;
 
 common_header! {
@@ -64,20 +64,169 @@ common_header! {
     ///     ])
     /// );
     /// ```
-    (AcceptEncoding, header::ACCEPT_ENCODING) => (QualityItem<Encoding>)*
+    (AcceptEncoding, header::ACCEPT_ENCODING) => (QualityItem<Preference<Encoding>>)*
 
     test_parse_and_format {
+        common_header_test!(no_headers, vec![b""; 0], Some(AcceptEncoding(vec![])));
+        common_header_test!(empty_header, vec![b""; 1], Some(AcceptEncoding(vec![])));
+
         // From the RFC
-        common_header_test!(test1, vec![b"compress, gzip"]);
-        common_header_test!(test2, vec![b""], Some(AcceptEncoding(vec![])));
-        common_header_test!(test3, vec![b"*"]);
+        common_header_test!(
+            order_of_appearance,
+            vec![b"compress, gzip"],
+            Some(AcceptEncoding(vec![
+                QualityItem::max(Preference::Specific(Encoding::Compress)),
+                QualityItem::max(Preference::Specific(Encoding::Gzip)),
+            ]))
+        );
+
+        common_header_test!(any, vec![b"*"], Some(AcceptEncoding(vec![
+            QualityItem::max(Preference::Any),
+        ])));
 
         // Note: Removed quality 1 from gzip
-        common_header_test!(test4, vec![b"compress;q=0.5, gzip"]);
+        common_header_test!(implicit_quality, vec![b"gzip, identity; q=0.5, *;q=0"]);
 
         // Note: Removed quality 1 from gzip
-        common_header_test!(test5, vec![b"gzip, identity; q=0.5, *;q=0"]);
+        common_header_test!(implicit_quality_out_of_order, vec![b"compress;q=0.5, gzip"]);
+
+        common_header_test!(
+            only_gzip_no_identity,
+            vec![b"gzip, *; q=0"],
+            Some(AcceptEncoding(vec![
+                QualityItem::max(Preference::Specific(Encoding::Gzip)),
+                QualityItem::min(Preference::Any),
+            ]))
+        );
     }
 }
 
-// TODO: shortcut for EncodingExt(*) = Any
+impl AcceptEncoding {
+    // TODO: method for getting best content encoding based on q-factors, available from server side
+    // and if none are acceptable return None
+
+    /// Extracts the most preferable encoding, accounting for [q-factor weighting].
+    ///
+    /// If no q-factors are provided, the first encoding is chosen. Note that items without
+    /// q-factors are given the maximum preference value.
+    ///
+    /// As per the spec, returns [`Preference::Any`] if contained list is empty.
+    ///
+    /// [q-factor weighting]: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7231#section-5.3.2
+    pub fn preference(&self) -> Preference<Encoding> {
+        let mut max_item = None;
+        let mut max_pref = Quality::MIN;
+
+        // uses manual max lookup loop since we want the first occurrence in the case of same
+        // preference but `Iterator::max_by_key` would give us the last occurrence
+
+        for pref in &self.0 {
+            // only change if strictly greater
+            // equal items, even while unsorted, still have higher preference if they appear first
+            if pref.quality > max_pref {
+                max_pref = pref.quality;
+                max_item = Some(pref.item.clone());
+            }
+        }
+
+        max_item.unwrap_or(Preference::Any)
+    }
+
+    /// Returns a sorted list of encodings from highest to lowest precedence, accounting
+    /// for [q-factor weighting].
+    ///
+    /// [q-factor weighting]: https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7231#section-5.3.2
+    pub fn ranked(&self) -> Vec<Preference<Encoding>> {
+        if self.0.is_empty() {
+            return vec![];
+        }
+
+        let mut types = self.0.clone();
+
+        // use stable sort so items with equal q-factor retain listed order
+        types.sort_by(|a, b| {
+            // sort by q-factor descending
+            b.quality.cmp(&a.quality)
+        });
+
+        types.into_iter().map(|qitem| qitem.item).collect()
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+    use crate::http::header::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn ranking_precedence() {
+        let test = AcceptLanguage(vec![]);
+        assert!(test.ranked().is_empty());
+
+        let test = AcceptLanguage(vec![QualityItem::max("gzip".parse().unwrap())]);
+        assert_eq!(test.ranked(), vec!["gzip".parse().unwrap()]);
+
+        let test = AcceptLanguage(vec![
+            QualityItem::new("gzip".parse().unwrap(), q(0.900)),
+            QualityItem::new("*".parse().unwrap(), q(0.700)),
+            QualityItem::new("br".parse().unwrap(), q(1.0)),
+        ]);
+        assert_eq!(
+            test.ranked(),
+            vec![
+                "br".parse().unwrap(),
+                "gzip".parse().unwrap(),
+                "*".parse().unwrap(),
+            ]
+        );
+
+        let test = AcceptLanguage(vec![
+            QualityItem::max("br".parse().unwrap()),
+            QualityItem::max("gzip".parse().unwrap()),
+            QualityItem::max("*".parse().unwrap()),
+        ]);
+        assert_eq!(
+            test.ranked(),
+            vec![
+                "br".parse().unwrap(),
+                "gzip".parse().unwrap(),
+                "*".parse().unwrap(),
+            ]
+        );
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn preference_selection() {
+        assert_eq!(AcceptLanguage(vec![]).preference(), Preference::Any);
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            AcceptLanguage(vec!["compress;q=0; *;q=0".parse().unwrap()]).preference(),
+            Preference::Any
+        );
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            AcceptLanguage(vec!["identity;q=0; *;q=0".parse().unwrap()]).preference(),
+            Preference::Any
+        );
+
+        let test = AcceptLanguage(vec![
+            QualityItem::new("br".parse().unwrap(), q(0.900)),
+            QualityItem::new("gzip".parse().unwrap(), q(1.0)),
+            QualityItem::new("*".parse().unwrap(), q(0.500)),
+        ]);
+        assert_eq!(
+            test.preference(),
+            Preference::Specific("gzip".parse().unwrap())
+        );
+
+        let test = AcceptLanguage(vec![
+            QualityItem::max("br".parse().unwrap()),
+            QualityItem::max("gzip".parse().unwrap()),
+            QualityItem::max("*".parse().unwrap()),
+        ]);
+        assert_eq!(
+            test.preference(),
+            Preference::Specific("br".parse().unwrap())
+        );
+    }
+}