Page cache
The page cache is the first level of caching that is encountered by each request made to a WordPress or Node.js environment on the VIP Platform.
If a request meets specific criteria to bypass the page cache (e.g., a unique request, or a request with no-cache headers), the request is routed to the origin server. If it qualifies, the new response for the request is then cached at VIP’s global network of edge cache server locations for future requests.
VIP’s global network of edge cache server locations serves a copy of the full page response generated by a site (usually from memory). Most of a site’s traffic can be served from the edge location closest to the user making the request, without ever hitting a line of PHP. This caching strategy provides low latency and very high site performance.
The edge cache servers also acts as a content delivery network (CDN) and serve static assets stored in the VIP File System and applies Brotli or Gzip file compression.
Insights into the page cache hit rate for HTTP requests that are made to an environment can be reviewed in the Insights & Metrics panel of the VIP Dashboard.
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Default page cache responses
The VIP page cache has default behaviors for cached responses and cache bypass.
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HTTP response headers
HTTP headers are part of the HTTP protocol used to request web pages, request responses from API endpoints, and to send the response (e.g. from the web page or the API response).
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Caching of query parameters
When receiving a request for a URL, the page cache considers the entirety of the URL, including GET parameters. As a result, the page cache will identify example.com/?a=1&b=1 as different from example.com?b=1&a=1 and cache each variant separately.
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Cookies that bypass cache
Only a limited set of cookies can be used to serve personalized content.
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Customize page cache behavior
Response headers and the VIP Cache Personalization API can be leveraged by WordPress and Node.js applications to customize some of the default behaviors and responses of the page cache.
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Purging the page cache
If needed, methods are available for purging the page cache for specific URLs or assets at a specific time or based on specific criteria.
Last updated: November 19, 2025