Caching in WordPress: What Is It and The Main Types
Caching in WordPress is a way to temporarily store website data. For example, you can store pictures, JavaScript, and web pages so that they are quickly retrieved when the user reopens the site. Let us talk about the data storage types in WordPress:
- WP Page caching. All page data is saved as a static HTML file. Thanks to this, when re-opening the site, the user does not have to wait long for the page to load. This increases the site loading speed, and hence the user experience.
- Object caching. In this case, the page is not saved completely, but only resource-intensive frequently used objects. For example, pictures, videos, catalogs, and other website parts.
- Database caching. It is needed to save the database query results to reduce the queries required to create a page.
- Browser caching. These are copies of pages, pictures, videos and other materials that the user viewed using the browser. The cache helps save time on opening pages: if the page the user is viewing is already in the cache, the browser will instantly open it. This type of caching includes CSS caching, font caching, etc.
Caching is one of the important tools website developers use. With caching, a website can load faster and more efficiently, which improves the user experience and improves search engine rankings. Caching is especially important for dynamic WordPress sites where content is frequently updated and generated on the fly. Next, we will tell you how our developers set up site caching, and what methods they use.
Our Development Team’s Approach
The technical specialists of our company have a comprehensive approach to caching, as it plays an important role in page loading speed and other website performance indicators. Before setting up, the following steps are performed:
- Selecting the caching type. Experts take into account the site specifics, traffic, content type, and other aspects. For example, if you’re experiencing performance issues with certain database queries or API responses, WP object caching might be a better choice.
- Hosting analysis. Developers check if the hosting is optimized for caching. If the environment is not suitable, most likely it will not be possible to implement any kind of caching.
- Check for updates. WordPress version, PHP, plugins, and theme should be updated and configured according to the caching type you choose. If the versions are old, you can hire WP developers and update them to the latest ones.
Keep in mind that not all site content should be cached. For example, pages that display personalized or dynamic content may not be cached. After a website preliminary analysis, our specialists begin to set it up. Key methods our company uses:
- Code caching. CMS system WordPress supports caching at the code level. This allows our developers to embed caching functionality directly into the page syntax. This is an effective method, but it cannot be implemented independently without special skills and knowledge. You can contact our website development company, and our specialists will qualitatively implement the necessary functions in the codebase.
- Caching at the server level. Experts configure the server to store content. The provider must support this method. By configuring the server to store frequently accessed content in cache memory, your website performance and speed are greatly improved.
- WP browser caching. Developers customize the cache expiration time and the files that are cached based on your website needs and the file types that are accessed frequently. This optimizes your website performance, reduces loading time, and improves the overall experience of your web page visitors.
In addition, the specialists of our web development company check whether CDN is used. It is a network of servers strategically located around the world to deliver content to users from the server closest to them. By using a CDN, you can reduce the load on your server and speed up page loading times. If you use CDN and the provider offers caching features, you can further optimize your site performance.
Caching Plugins for WordPress: How Developers Choose Them
Installing the plugin allows you to automatically cache individual page parts or the site as a whole. When choosing a tool, developers take into account the following aspects:
- Compatibility with PHP versions, themes, etc. It is important that after installing the plug-in, the site performance is not disturbed, and the performance indicators are not reduced.
- Reliability. Some plugins create a cache, but it is short-lived, the system stops working after a few minutes or hours. We already know which plugins are the most reliable.
- Server load. The plugin mustn’t create a heavy load on the server. This is necessary to avoid losses in web page performance and efficiency.
After choosing a plugin that is perfect for your site, we start setting it up. Depending on the selected type, we configure WP database caching, pages or objects caching. If your site takes a long time to load and you want to optimize it, you can send us a link to it and we will choose the ideal caching solution together with you and set up the system to increase page performance.
What is the advantage of contacting us?
Our team consists of experienced developers who know the WordPress websites’ features and the intricacies of caching settings. We have implemented a large number of projects, developed dozens of websites, and increased productivity. Main reasons to contact us:
- extensive experience in selecting WordPress caching solutions;
- individual and comprehensive approach to each project;
- providing advice on functions, and website optimization.
Our team knows the intricacies of WordPress sites and can achieve high performance. If you want to get a fast website, improve user experience, and ensure page loading in a short time, just write to us. We can provide a preliminary estimate of the work cost and deadlines. Check out our portfolio and customer testimonials to see our professionalism. Remember that a fast and reliable website is the foundation of a successful business!
