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Cache Strategy Checklist

Use this page as a one-page checklist when you are validating a WordPress caching stack. The detailed implementation lives in the linked pages.

Rules

  • One system owns full-page caching at the origin (LiteSpeed, Nginx FastCGI, or Varnish).
  • One system owns JS optimization (minify/defer/delay).
  • Purge caches between comparisons (origin + CDN).

Verification Commands

Homepage (page cache + CDN):

curl-homepage-headers.sh
curl -I https://example.com/

Static asset (browser cache):

curl-static-asset-headers.sh
curl -I https://example.com/wp-content/uploads/hero.webp

Checkout (must bypass cache):

curl-checkout-bypass.sh
curl -I https://example.com/checkout/

Redis stats (server-level):

redis-hit-miss.sh
redis-cli info stats | grep -E 'keyspace_hits|keyspace_misses'

What to Look For

LayerTypical Header SignalWhat "Good" Looks Like
Page cachex-litespeed-cache or x-fastcgi-cacheHIT on repeat guest requests
CDNcf-cache-status (Cloudflare) or provider equivalentHIT on public pages, BYPASS on checkout/account
Browser cachecache-controlLong max-age for assets that are versioned
Rediskeyspace hits/missesHit rate improves over time on dynamic traffic

Common Mistakes

  • Cart/checkout/account cached
  • Logged-in cookies not bypassed
  • Long asset TTL without versioning
  • Multiple tools rewriting cache headers
  • Redis without maxmemory / eviction policy

What's Next