Browser Cache
What Browser Cache Does
The Browser Cache setting helps browsers store static website files for longer periods of time, reducing repeated downloads when visitors return to the site.
This can improve loading performance for returning visitors and reduce unnecessary requests for files that rarely change.
Typical Benefits of Browser Cache
Enabling browser caching can provide several common performance improvements:
faster repeat visits
fewer requests for unchanged static assets
improved caching scores in performance audits
These benefits are usually most noticeable on websites with large CSS, JavaScript, font, or image assets.
Server and CDN Considerations
On Apache servers, browser cache rules can often be applied automatically through .htaccess configuration changes generated by FastMe. On Nginx servers, browser cache behavior is commonly controlled through server-level configuration managed by the hosting provider or system administrator.
If your CDN already manages browser cache headers, it is generally recommended to let the CDN remain the primary caching authority unless you have a specific reason to override those rules manually.
Recommended Steps After Enabling Browser Cache
After enabling Browser Cache, complete the following steps before testing results:
Save settings.
Purge plugin cache.
Clear CDN or reverse-proxy cache.
Retest using browser developer tools or an HTTP header checker.
Proper cache clearing is important because old cached headers may continue appearing until all cache layers are refreshed.
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