Proxy Cache Purge

This plugin does not install nor configure a cache proxy. It acts as an interface with such services.

One common method of caching content for websites is via the use of reverse proxy caching. Common examples of this are Varnish and NGINX. These systems allow a website to update content and have the visitor’s experience cached without the need for complex plugins storing the files locally and using up a user’s disk space.

A reverse proxy cache is installed in front of a server and reviews requests. If the page being requested is already cached, it delivers the cached content. Otherwise it generates the page and the cache on demand.

The Proxy Cache Purge plugin sends a request to delete (aka flush) the cached data of a page or post every time it’s modified.

How It Works

When content on a site is updated by WordPress, the plugin reaches out to the proxy cache service with the URL of the page, requesting the cache be deleted.

Not all pages are deleted from the cache on every change. For example, when a post, page, or custom post type is edited, or a new comment is added, only the following pages will purge:

• The front page
• The post/page edited
• Any categories, tags, and/or custom taxonomies associated with the page
• Related feeds
• Associated JSON API pages

In addition, your entire cache will be deleted on the following actions:

• Changing themes
• Pressing the Empty Cache button on the toolbar

Plugins can hook into the purge actions as well, to filter their own events to trigger a purge.

On a multisite network using subfolders, only network admins can purge the main site.

Keep Your Cache Warm

Purging is only half the story. Once Proxy Cache Purge empties a page, the cache for that URL is gone, so the next visitor triggers a full uncached render and waits for it. On busy sites this “cache stampede” shows up as slow pages right after every update.

Cacheability Pro is a companion plugin that closes that gap: it automatically re-warms purged URLs in the background so visitors keep hitting fast, cached responses, and it tunes your cache headers so more of your pages stay cacheable in the first place. Proxy Cache Purge handles invalidation; Cacheability Pro handles everything around it.

Monitor Your Cache

Read the full description on the official page →