What Is Cache?<\/h2>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/round-lake.dustinice.workers.dev:443\/https\/kinsta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/How-Web-Cache-Works.png\")
How web caching works.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCache takes data processed by an app and stores it for later use. It doesn\u2019t have to be in the browser per se<\/i>, but you\u2019ll find websites and their underlying technology use cache<\/a> a lot. \u201cCaching\u201d is the term for the process of storing and recalling the saved data.<\/p>\nCache often includes two elements:<\/p>\n
\n- The caching software itself runs the process and shuttles it between the various other elements.<\/li>\n
- Random Access Memory (RAM) and \u201cIn-Memory\u201d engines. They store the data passed by the caching technology.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These elements have to be high-quality and collaborative. Slow-performing RAM won\u2019t be able to recall the data quickly enough for the software to use it efficiently.<\/p>\n
A cache is almost necessary for most web applications, given how large page file sizes are. A solid implementation can give you precious seconds back in some cases. A user who remarks that a site loads fast gives an indirect compliment to the caching software at the heart of the website\u2019s server.<\/p>\n
We\u2019ll go into more detail on this next.<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nHow Cache Can Help You Optimize Websites<\/h2>\n
Computer technology is constantly expanding. In other words, memory, hard disk space, and other such computer processing elements are increasing in size at a rapid rate. Long gone are the days of 64 KB of RAM in our personal computers; it\u2019s typical now to see Gigabytes (GB) of RAM on tap. Some of the more recent Apple MacBooks<\/a> can even fit 64 GB of memory.<\/p>\nWebsites are also becoming heavier<\/a> due to the demands modern web development and related technologies place on-site code. It not only requires more processing power for an end-user \u2014 it also needs a more robust server and the technology to accommodate. Without memory (and caching), the loading speeds slow to a crawl.<\/p>\nAs such, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has long recognized that page speed is a primary factor for ranking websites<\/a>. While the exact details aren’t known, the ranking factors that go into the placement of a site in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) include references to site speed<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Kinsta\u2019s](\"https:\/\/round-lake.dustinice.workers.dev:443\/https\/kinsta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/kinsta-page-size.png\" "\\"Kinsta\u2019s")
It\u2019s just as well that Kinsta\u2019s home page file size is lean and mean.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nWhile ranking metrics won\u2019t use site speed as a direct measurement as you\u2019d imagine it \u2014 there are too many factors in play to use it as a reliable metric in itself \u2014 lots of other aspects take it into account. For example, the quality of your site\u2019s HTML code<\/a> and the loading times from within Google Chrome have an impact as well.<\/p>\n![\"Kinsta\u2019s](\"https:\/\/round-lake.dustinice.workers.dev:443\/https\/kinsta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/kinsta-performance.png\" "\\"Kinsta\u2019s")
Kinsta\u2019s recorded page loading speed from within Brave\u2019s DevTools.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRegarding User Experience (UX), a longstanding metric states users will abandon a page after only two seconds\u2019 wait<\/a>. It brings up a few issues:<\/p>\n\n- Your Google RankBrain optimization \u2014 which includes bounce rate<\/a> \u2014 needs to be spot-on; your SEO efforts are dead in the water otherwise.<\/li>\n
- A faster site loading speed will help keep your bounce rate in check.<\/li>\n
- The UX of your site is one of your site’s most critical elements.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Caching can help in all of these areas by reducing the time it takes for your page to load. What\u2019s more, the resources your site uses will be lower, further having an impact.<\/p>\n
On the whole, a site that loads fast with the most relevant and up-to-date information will perform better than the rest.<\/p>\n
Next, we\u2019ll look at some of the problems you can run into with caching.<\/p>\n
How Caching Can Sometimes Cause Problems<\/h3>\n
Of course, it’s not always bells and whistles with caching. The main concern is implementing a cache that works too well<\/i>. A large and frequent caching cycle isn’t necessary for many small sites (or at least non-enterprises or networks). It can see your server waste resources caching pages that haven\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n
On the flip side, a strategy and implementation that doesn\u2019t cache enough (or in the right way) can see you serve an outdated page. This issue can sometimes happen with WordPress websites. However, there are tricks and tips<\/a> to overcome it.<\/p>\nOf course, serving an older, cached version of a page can cause problems. Consider a pandemic resource site that has to update its information regularly. Now consider how inadequate or non-existent browser caching could impact the page.<\/p>\n
The good news is that getting caching set up to mitigate or lessen the impact of these drawbacks is straightforward. We\u2019ll get into this later on.<\/p>\n
Website Technologies That Use Caching<\/h2>\n
We\u2019ve already noted how caching is involved in several different ways across computing in general. Though, in this article, we\u2019re looking at non-CPU caches<\/a>. If you check back at the Apple MacBook specs, you\u2019ll notice there are often a few megabytes (MB) of caching included in the processing chip:<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/round-lake.dustinice.workers.dev:443\/https\/kinsta.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/apple-macbook-specs.png\" "\\"The")
Apple MacBook specs, showing a built-in cache.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThis caching holds for mobile devices too.<\/p>\n
But we\u2019re looking at caching that uses servers in some capacity. Here\u2019s some of the different technology we\u2019re talking about:<\/p>\n
\n- Browsers.<\/b> A browser cache<\/a> is the first thing you\u2019ll think of when it comes to technology. It stores regular requests in the cache for faster loading on the next call.<\/li>\n
- Devices.<\/b> While the CPUs themselves are beyond the scope of the article, the browsers and apps on the device will often use the storage and RAM to cache data.<\/li>\n
- Apps.<\/b> Yes, the apps can also have a cache to store oft-used data. Again, this is going to use on-device storage that isn\u2019t the CPU to cache data.<\/li>\n
- Servers.<\/b> Another everyday use for caching. Some of the server data that shuttles around can be stored and recalled for faster execution and processing. An example of this is the Redis cache<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Domain Name Server (DNS) caching.<\/b> A focused application for caching. The machines involved here do nothing but cache data, so the front-line servers can shuttle data while the DNS caches<\/a> ensure a smooth operation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Before we move on, it\u2019s worth pointing out a few points on related technology to caching. For example, you may consider that storing cookies is similar to caching web pages. In many ways, this is true. For example, cookies are stored on your computer after being triggered by the browser. The difference here is that cookies store information about you<\/a> and your usage rather than the page state.<\/p>\nA Content Delivery Network (CDN)<\/a> represents murkier waters because it does the same thing as caching on paper. CDN stores the whole website as a set of static files rather than working with the site directly. As such, while it has the hallmarks of caching on the surface, it\u2019s a different way of storing and delivering websites that still need caching to run fast.<\/p>\nSome CDNs like Cloudflare take care of both aspects (plus more), which is why Kinsta has selected them<\/a> to make our client sites faster and more secure.<\/p>\nHow WordPress Handles Caching<\/h2>\n
Despite our love for WordPress, it\u2019s not the fastest platform around. If you\u2019re using WordPress for your site, you\u2019ll need to employ caching<\/a> to help serve up a rapid experience. Your site speed is a joint effort between you, your host, and your choice of caching plugin.<\/p>\nIf you\u2019re a Kinsta customer, you don\u2019t need a caching plugin of any kind. We automatically provide four different types of caching at the software and server levels:<\/p>\n
\n- Object cache<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Page cache<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- Bytecode cache<\/a>.<\/li>\n
- CDN cache<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
We’ll cover all of your bases and make sure that your site is optimized speed. For customers of other hosts, though, a dedicated WordPress caching plugin will likely be an excellent addition to your setup.<\/p>\n
There are many solutions available in the WordPress caching plugin arena, and having to make a choice could be overwhelming. Let\u2019s take a look at some of our favorite options.<\/p>\n
Cache takes data processed by an app and stores it for later use. It doesn\u2019t have to be in the browser per se<\/i>, but you\u2019ll find websites and their underlying technology use cache<\/a> a lot. \u201cCaching\u201d is the term for the process of storing and recalling the saved data.<\/p>\n Cache often includes two elements:<\/p>\n These elements have to be high-quality and collaborative. Slow-performing RAM won\u2019t be able to recall the data quickly enough for the software to use it efficiently.<\/p>\n A cache is almost necessary for most web applications, given how large page file sizes are. A solid implementation can give you precious seconds back in some cases. A user who remarks that a site loads fast gives an indirect compliment to the caching software at the heart of the website\u2019s server.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll go into more detail on this next.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Computer technology is constantly expanding. In other words, memory, hard disk space, and other such computer processing elements are increasing in size at a rapid rate. Long gone are the days of 64 KB of RAM in our personal computers; it\u2019s typical now to see Gigabytes (GB) of RAM on tap. Some of the more recent Apple MacBooks<\/a> can even fit 64 GB of memory.<\/p>\n Websites are also becoming heavier<\/a> due to the demands modern web development and related technologies place on-site code. It not only requires more processing power for an end-user \u2014 it also needs a more robust server and the technology to accommodate. Without memory (and caching), the loading speeds slow to a crawl.<\/p>\n As such, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has long recognized that page speed is a primary factor for ranking websites<\/a>. While the exact details aren’t known, the ranking factors that go into the placement of a site in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) include references to site speed<\/a>.<\/p>\n While ranking metrics won\u2019t use site speed as a direct measurement as you\u2019d imagine it \u2014 there are too many factors in play to use it as a reliable metric in itself \u2014 lots of other aspects take it into account. For example, the quality of your site\u2019s HTML code<\/a> and the loading times from within Google Chrome have an impact as well.<\/p>\n Regarding User Experience (UX), a longstanding metric states users will abandon a page after only two seconds\u2019 wait<\/a>. It brings up a few issues:<\/p>\n Caching can help in all of these areas by reducing the time it takes for your page to load. What\u2019s more, the resources your site uses will be lower, further having an impact.<\/p>\n On the whole, a site that loads fast with the most relevant and up-to-date information will perform better than the rest.<\/p>\n Next, we\u2019ll look at some of the problems you can run into with caching.<\/p>\n Of course, it’s not always bells and whistles with caching. The main concern is implementing a cache that works too well<\/i>. A large and frequent caching cycle isn’t necessary for many small sites (or at least non-enterprises or networks). It can see your server waste resources caching pages that haven\u2019t changed.<\/p>\n On the flip side, a strategy and implementation that doesn\u2019t cache enough (or in the right way) can see you serve an outdated page. This issue can sometimes happen with WordPress websites. However, there are tricks and tips<\/a> to overcome it.<\/p>\n Of course, serving an older, cached version of a page can cause problems. Consider a pandemic resource site that has to update its information regularly. Now consider how inadequate or non-existent browser caching could impact the page.<\/p>\n The good news is that getting caching set up to mitigate or lessen the impact of these drawbacks is straightforward. We\u2019ll get into this later on.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve already noted how caching is involved in several different ways across computing in general. Though, in this article, we\u2019re looking at non-CPU caches<\/a>. If you check back at the Apple MacBook specs, you\u2019ll notice there are often a few megabytes (MB) of caching included in the processing chip:<\/p>\n This caching holds for mobile devices too.<\/p>\n But we\u2019re looking at caching that uses servers in some capacity. Here\u2019s some of the different technology we\u2019re talking about:<\/p>\n Before we move on, it\u2019s worth pointing out a few points on related technology to caching. For example, you may consider that storing cookies is similar to caching web pages. In many ways, this is true. For example, cookies are stored on your computer after being triggered by the browser. The difference here is that cookies store information about you<\/a> and your usage rather than the page state.<\/p>\n A Content Delivery Network (CDN)<\/a> represents murkier waters because it does the same thing as caching on paper. CDN stores the whole website as a set of static files rather than working with the site directly. As such, while it has the hallmarks of caching on the surface, it\u2019s a different way of storing and delivering websites that still need caching to run fast.<\/p>\n Some CDNs like Cloudflare take care of both aspects (plus more), which is why Kinsta has selected them<\/a> to make our client sites faster and more secure.<\/p>\n Despite our love for WordPress, it\u2019s not the fastest platform around. If you\u2019re using WordPress for your site, you\u2019ll need to employ caching<\/a> to help serve up a rapid experience. Your site speed is a joint effort between you, your host, and your choice of caching plugin.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a Kinsta customer, you don\u2019t need a caching plugin of any kind. We automatically provide four different types of caching at the software and server levels:<\/p>\n We’ll cover all of your bases and make sure that your site is optimized speed. For customers of other hosts, though, a dedicated WordPress caching plugin will likely be an excellent addition to your setup.<\/p>\n There are many solutions available in the WordPress caching plugin arena, and having to make a choice could be overwhelming. Let\u2019s take a look at some of our favorite options.<\/p>\n\n
How Cache Can Help You Optimize Websites<\/h2>\n
\n
How Caching Can Sometimes Cause Problems<\/h3>\n
Website Technologies That Use Caching<\/h2>\n
\n
How WordPress Handles Caching<\/h2>\n
\n