Caching, or “caching” in French, is a process that creates and temporarily stores copies of files. This allows for faster access, which is particularly beneficial for web applications.
What is caching?
Websites are becoming more and more demanding. Even though terminals continue to improve, there is an urgent need to find methods that allow you to surf faster. One of these methods is caching. This technique allows you to temporarily memorize the content ofa web application during the visit. When a user returns to this page, the data can be rendered more quickly. Loading times are significantly reduced, which is very beneficial from a search engine optimization (SEO) point of view.
Elements like HTML, JavaScript, CSS or image files are usually temporarily stored on a server during caching and are then retrieved during a revisit. This caching process, however, can be done on hardware or using software. If configured correctly, visitors benefit frommuch faster access to all the information they need. Caching therefore has enormous benefits, especially for websites that are visited regularly.
How does caching work?
In caching, specific data belonging to a website is copied into an intermediate memory (cache), or “cache”. When you visit a website, your browser stores various contents of pages visited on your device or on a server. This happens in the background and you don’t know what content is stored by default. Once the tab or window is closed, the data will remain intact initially. If you visit the website again later, the browser loads the data saved in the cache, which significantly reduces the loading time.
Caching is not only used for websites. THE Local apps and search engines also use this method to provide a better user experience. However, in the majority of cases, the stored data can only be retained temporarily, because the intermediate memory is relatively limited. This is why a time limit is allocated to files. Once elapsed, the file is automatically deleted from the cache to make room for new files. If the cache is too full, it can also be cleared manually to avoid crashes and restrictions.
What benefits does caching offer?
Caching has many advantages, which is why it is widely used. Properly executed, its benefits far outweigh any of its drawbacks. Here is a short presentation of the advantages:
Better user experience
The goal of caching is to provide much easier and faster access to websites and applications. This has benefits for both parties involved. For users, this means that all the information they need is available much more quickly, making access more user-friendly. Service providers thus increase the satisfaction of their visitors and can, in many cases, record higher usage figures. Some content is guaranteed to be available even if a website experiences issues or outages.
Performance
Caching also allows providers to significantly increase the performance of their application. Faster access to data reduces the server load, and therefore the overall costs. There is also less demand on the backend, reducing loading times and the risk of outages.
Relief
So, caching results in great relief for websites and applications. This is especially important when many users access the same page at the same time. Caching allows you to better manage the flow of visitors. Even particularly busy areas of a website can be operated more efficiently.
Where is caching needed?
Caching is a very important factor that significantly speeds up loading times and improves user satisfaction. It is therefore worthwhile for most providers to optimize their own website. If you have an online offering, you can analyze loading times, search engine rankings, and other metrics to come up with an appropriate caching strategy. It’s also a quick and easy way to make WordPress faster. The CMS offers many WordPress cache plugins.
What types of caching are there?
The three most common options for caching a website are:
Browser caching
With this method, some data from a website is stored on the visitor’s terminal and can be retrieved from there on a return visit. As a service provider, you can select the information to be stored via caching. Users can manage data in their own memory and delete it if necessary. This reduces server load. This method is commonly used by large, frequently visited websites.
CDN caching
This type of caching temporarily stores data on different servers. A Content Delivery Network (CDN) then makes it possible to search for and provide the stored information. CDNs distribute data across a server structure so that it can be delivered even faster if necessary. This distribution is particularly useful when many users want to access a page at the same time. It also has a positive effect on a website’s ranking in a search engine.
Site caching
For websites that are experiencing infrastructure issues, site caching can provide some relief. In principle, this method consists of recording a backup of a website in order to restore it via the Google cache when the site encounters problems. The provider can define what items to store and how long to store them in the backend. However, this method is not optimal for websites whose content is updated daily.
