Every GUDHOST site has two layers of caching built in: a page cache that keeps ready-made copies of your pages, and a content delivery network (CDN) that serves those copies, along with your images, CSS and JavaScript, from locations close to your visitors. WordPress doesn't have to rebuild a page for every visit, so your site loads faster and copes better with busy periods. There is nothing to set up.
What isn't cached
Some pages always need to be fresh, so they are never cached:
- The WordPress dashboard (
/wp-admin/) and the login page - Shop pages such as
/shop,/cart,/checkoutand/my-account - Any page you view while logged in to WordPress
This is why your site can feel slower while you're logged in. To see what your visitors see, log out or use a private browser window.
If you've moved your shop, cart, checkout or account page to a different address, contact support and we'll make sure that page is kept out of the cache too.
When the cache clears itself
You rarely need to clear the cache by hand:
- Editing, publishing, trashing or restoring a post or page, or adding a comment, refreshes that page. WooCommerce products count as posts.
- Switching your theme, saving changes in Appearance → Customize, or activating or deactivating a plugin clears the cache for the whole site.
If an old version still shows after a few minutes, open the page in a private window. If it's still old there, open your site under Websites in your GUDHOST account and press Clear cache under Performance.
Do I need a caching plugin?
No, and please don't install one. Caching plugins such as W3 Total Cache, WP Super Cache, WP Rocket or Hummingbird conflict with the built-in cache and can stop your pages being cached at all. Fewer plugins also means WordPress itself runs faster.