Server and Browser Cache
Heavy caching is one of the best ways to speed up your browsing experience, which is why WP Engine provides heavy caching through default and upgraded services. The primary caching layers are server (Varnish) and network (CDN).
When updating content on your site, you might not see your updates and changes reflected immediately when viewing the site. The reason for this is most commonly caching, and caches simply need to be purged. Typically seeing your changes is as easy as purging the right cache.
Not seeing changes after a deployment? Website looks wrong after copying? Made a change to a post or page but not seeing it reflected on the frontend? Purge caches!
WP Engine Cache
Our servers employ extensive caching by default. This is part of what makes WP Engine the fastest WordPress® website host.1 When using page caching, the typical flow for the first page request looks something like this:
Many of these steps are saved when you introduce a cached version:
Each layer of caching has its own default expiration times as well.
Page Cache — Stores the dynamically generated version of a page.
- 10 minute cache expiration
Network Caches —DNS-level caching, including CDN, powered by Cloudflare. Requires a domain be added to the environment to activate.
- Advanced Network Cache, includes CDN
- Advanced network is included with all plan levels
- 365 day static asset cache expiration
- Global Edge Security (GES) Cache, includes CDN
- 365 day static asset cache expiration
- Caches based on file extension. Uses all of Cloudflare’s default file extensions, plus mp4.
- Edge Full Page Cache, caches HTML files on the Cloudflare CDN
- Advanced network only (GES available in the future)
- Cache expiration time is based on cache-control headers for posts and pages which are 10 minutes by default
Object Cache — Stores results of database queries.
- Object cache an optional feature
- No cache expiration
- 1MB buffer size, data is stored based on what was request most recently
Page Speed Boost (PSB) — A performance tool that automatically handles cloud-based optimization of the frontend of your website.
- PSB is an optional product extension
Browser Cache — Stores assets in a user’s local browser, such as Chrome or Firefox.
- All static assets on the WP Engine platform are cached 365 days by default
- Cache expiration can be adjusted through cache headers
Edge Full Page Cache
Edge Full Page Cache is an optional layer of caching at the network level which will improve your website’s performance. This feature caches the website’s HTML and stores it on Cloudflare’s CDN network, improving the Time to First Byte (TTFB) and latency of most websites.
If your domain is currently configured using Advanced Network or Global Edge Security, the majority of your website’s static assets are already cached using Cloudflare’s CDN network. However, HTML files by default are served directly from WP Engine’s servers. With Edge Full Page Cache, HTML pages can now be served from Cloudflare’s CDN which places assets geographically closer to your visitors and will improve overall page performance.
Edge Full Page Cache is currently only available for domains pointed to WP Engine’s Advanced Network for DNS. Global Edge Security (GES) will be supported in the future.
For more information about WP Engine’s other types of server caching, see the WP Engine Cache section.
Enable
Edge Full Page Cache can be enabled for any domain on the Advanced Network from the Domains page for an environment.
- From the Sites page, select the environment name
- Select Domains in the secondary lefthand menu (You may have to expand the Manage dropdown section)
- Click the three dot menu button to the far right of the domain
- Select Enable Edge Full Page Cache