Caching layers explained simply: browser, page, and object cache
Short answer: Caching stores copies to avoid repeating expensive work—browsers, CDNs, page caches, and object caches each solve different problems.
Understanding layers stops “I purged Cloudflare but WordPress still shows old content” confusion.
Browser cache
- Honour cache headers for static assets; version filenames when you deploy breaking CSS/JS changes.
Page cache
Serves full HTML for anonymous visitors—great for blogs; careful with cart and logged-in experiences.
Object cache
Speeds database-heavy WordPress by storing query results in memory—helpful for WooCommerce at scale.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I still see old pages?
Multiple layers may cache—purge systematically from edge to origin.
Does caching hide updates from editors?
Exclude admin and preview URLs; teach editors to use hard refresh when testing.