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Cache Enabler WordPress Plugin Review: Is It Worth Your Time?

Last Updated on August 31st, 2023

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Caching is a technique for increasing the speed of your website without sacrificing any functionality. It will not only result in faster load times but will also reduce the burden on the server if implemented appropriately.

That’s when a caching plugin for WordPress comes in handy! Depending on your setup, the caching plugin advises the server to save some files to disk or RAM. And as a result, it can recall and replicate the same content it has previously served. 

The Cache Enabler plugin was created to enhance web performance by decreasing the loading time of websites. In WordPress, the default method of delivering a page requires the complete WordPress core, any installed plugins, and database queries. These can be inefficient and waste server resources.

What is Caching?

To begin, let’s familiarize ourselves with the caching process in general.

Caching is a technique for storing copies of data or files in a temporary storage area (or cache) so that they can be retrieved more quickly. It caches data for programs, servers, and web browsers so that users don’t have to download information every time they visit a website or use an app.

Cached data refers to files, images, scripts, and other media items that the website or app has stored on your device. Data is saved in a designated area on your devices. Because cached data is merely considered “temporary storage,” it isn’t necessarily important. It does, however, exist to enhance the user experience. 

Images, videos, and even text take a long time to load on a page. However, when this data is cached, we can restart the program or go back to the page, knowing that it won’t take nearly as long.

But, in WordPress, how do you enable caching? Plugins are the simplest way to accomplish this. There are several free and paid WordPress plugins available to help you enable caching on your website. For example, Cache Enabler by KeyCDN is one of the most popular cache enabler plugins available. 

Why is Caching Important?

Performance

The main advantage of a cache is that it boosts system performance. Caching reduces the stress on your database by shifting a portion of the read load from the backend database to the in-memory layer, protecting it from poor performance under pressure or even crashing during spikes.

Scalability

Backend query workload is shifted to the cache system, resulting in cheaper costs and greater flexibility in the data processing.

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Saves data

Apps save recently and frequently used data to the cache to aid performance. Not only does this allow everything to run faster, but it can also allow apps to work “offline” in some circumstances. 

Availability

It saves a lot of time and effort to only download files once. For example, if the cache contains a copy of a file, the app won’t have to waste time, battery power, or other resources downloading it again. Instead, the app must only download updated or new files.

Types of Cache

Site Cache 

When a web page is loaded for the first time, a site cache, also known as an HTTP or page cache, is a system that temporarily saves data such as web pages, images, and other media material. This is a sort of client-side caching in which the end-user controls all of the cached elements. 

The only control you have as a website owner is how long material stays in the cache. You can specify the cache expiration date far into the future if a page’s elements never change. However, items that change often should have shorter expiration periods to ensure that they are refreshed regularly. 

Browser Cache

All current browsers have a cache feature called Browser Cache or Personal Cache (like Firefox, Chrome, IE). The browser saves website elements on your visitor’s machine and groups them with other files related to your content. HTML pages, CSS stylesheets, pictures, and other multimedia material can all be found in a browser cache. 

Server Cache 

A server cache is similar to a site cache, except instead of temporarily holding content on the client-side, it is saved on the site’s server. Without the intervention of the end-user or a browser, server caching is also entirely handled and managed on the server. The word “server cache” refers to a variety of distinct forms of caching. This comprises caching for the Content Delivery Network (CDN), objects, and opcodes.

On your website’s server, each one saves different content. End-users have no input towards this type of caching, which website owners manage. Therefore, one of the most effective ways to reduce server loads is to use server caching. 

When a request is made, the server first looks in its temporary storage for the required content before processing the request in its entirety. If the requested content is in the server cache, it will be immediately returned to the browser. Your server will be able to handle more traffic and return your websites faster as a result.

Micro Cache 

Micro caching is another sort of caching that many website owners may not be aware of. Micro-caching limits the number of requests that reach the origin server by storing content on cache servers for very brief periods. 

For up to 10 seconds, it saves static representations of dynamic items. Because this is a form of site cache, end-users are in charge of it, with little input from website owners. You must first access your server configuration file in order to use micro caching. To do this, you’ll need root server access, which isn’t always accessible with some forms of hosting.

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What is Cache Enabler?

The Cache Enabler plugin by KeyCDN is a lightweight, feature-rich caching plugin for WordPress that generates static HTML files and saves them to the server’s hard drive. The accepted static HTML file is subsequently delivered by the web server, bypassing any resource-intensive backend operations. As a result, the speed of a WordPress site improves.

Another significant benefit of the Cache Enabler plugin is that it uses Google’s WebP image format. Cache Enabler is the only caching solution that supports WebP without requiring the usage of JavaScript. WebP is a relatively new image format that offers both lossless and lossy compression for images suited for the web. This plugin recommends using it in conjunction with Autoptimize.

Get Cache Enabler Here

The Cache Enabler plugin for WordPress is an entirely free caching plugin, and there are no premium plans available for this plugin. However, it has all of the functionality that one would expect from the finest WordPress caching plugins and is available for free in the WordPress directory.

Unlike other free WordPress caching plugins, Cache Enabler comes with thorough documentation that guides you through the plugin’s various functions. In addition, the guide will lead you through the many components of WordPress caching with gorgeous pictures and videos.

Cache Enabler Feature

Although the Cache Enabler plugin is a newcomer to the WordPress caching industry, its unique combination of features and excellent functionality distinguish it from its competitors and give it the potential to be the greatest free caching solution for WordPress.

Let’s take a look at the important features Cache Enabler has to offer now that we’ve got that out of the way.

  • Cache engine that is quick and efficient 
  • Smart cache cleansing is done automatically
  • Clearing the cache manually 
  • Clearing the cache in WP-CLI 
  • Expiration of the cache 
  • The size of the cache is displayed in the WordPress dashboard
  • HTML minification with or without inline CSS and JavaScript 
  • Support for WordPress multisite networks 
  • WebP compatibility (convert images to WebP with Optimus) 
  • Support for Gzip pre-compression 
  • Support for custom post types is 304. Support that has not been altered 
  • Autoptimize and the majority of third-party plugins are compatible

Pros

There are various benefits to using the Cache Enabler plugin in WordPress, such as:

  • Minifying inline JS and HTML files can significantly improve website load time. 
  • Most famous WordPress plugins are compatible with Cache Enabler. 
  • The only plugin that supports the WebP and srcset file formats.
  • The user interface is simple and on point. It’s by far one of the most straightforward caching plugins to set up. This type of WordPress caching plugin should be suitable for users of all levels of experience.
  • On the dashboard, the real cache size is displayed so you can see how much space the cache is taking up. It’s a quick and efficient caching tool with both automated and manual cache clearing options.

Cons

Despite being a useful plugin, unfortunately, Cache Enabler has some drawbacks, such as:

  • When combined with WP Security, Cache Enabler causes issues. 
  • The plugin significantly degrades the mobile display of the website.
  • Some files are not compressed with Gzip. 
  • Cache expiry does not always function. 
  • Compatibility problem with WordPress Multisite. 

Cache Enabler Installation & Setup

The WordPress Cache Enabler plugin is simple to install and set up and can be up and running in minutes. Simply follow the steps outlined below.

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Installation

  • Search for Cache Enabler in your WordPress Dashboard’s Add New Plugins tab. 
  • Then click the Install Now button.
  • When the installation is complete, you need to activate the plugin by clicking the “activate plugin” button.

Setup 

  • Click “Cache Enabler” in your WordPress dashboard’s settings.
  • You can now customize the following options:

Cache Expiry — Cache Expiry is the first option on the plugin’s options page. You can check how long the cache will be valid. It’s set to 0 by default, which means it won’t expire until you manually delete the cache. You can specify the duration (in hours) of the plugin’s produced cache in this text box. Unless you often add material to your website, we recommend leaving it at the default value. In this case, supplying the time that corresponds to your procedure could spare you from having to manually remove the cache in order to see the most recent modifications you’ve made. You’ll notice five checkboxes, each of which specifies a condition that will cause the cache to be cleared. Note that your cache is cleared every time you hit the Save Changes button.

Cache Behaviour — Instead of utilizing the above text box to establish a cache expiry, you can use the many choices offered here to change the cache’s behavior.

If you’re logged in, disable caching. 

Clear the entire cache if a new post has been published (instead of only the home page cache): When you publish a post on your WordPress blog, the default feature is only to delete the homepage page. If you wish to remove the entire cache every time you publish a post, check the first option in the plugin’s Cache Behavior section. However, turning this on if you routinely submit content is not a good idea because the cache will need to rebuild itself repeatedly, and you will not experience much gain.

Clear the complete cache if a new comment has been posted (instead of only the page-specific cache): By choosing the Clear Cache link in the upper-right corner of your WordPress dashboard, you can easily manually clear the whole cache. When enabled, this option clears ALL of the plugin’s cache once a new comment is made. If your posts receive a lot of comments, we don’t advocate selecting this option because the cache’s benefits would be minimal.

Pre-compression of cached pages. Needs to be disabled if the decoding fails in the web browser:  This option turns on compression for your pages. Keep the third checkbox in the Cache Behavior section of the plugin selected if you’re fine with utilizing gZip to cache your site. 

Create an additional cached version for WebP image support. Convert your image to WebP with Optimus: Cache Enabler was one of the first plugins to support WebP, as we discussed earlier. To use this feature, you must first convert your photos to WebP. Converting images to WebP requires using a cache enabler plugin in conjunction with the Optimus Image Optimizer Plugin. Be sure that these two have the WebP option enabled. 

Cache Exclusions – You can use the Cache Exclusions text field if you don’t want to allow caching for specific posts or pages. While in the editor, look at the value of the post variable in the URL to find your post or page ID. Simply type it into the Cache Exclusions text area once you’ve discovered it.

Cache Minification – eliminates superfluous data from your cache, such as portions of HTML or inline JavaScript code. As a result, the purpose of minification is to reduce the source code’s size to increase performance. You can disable minification, enable it for only HTML, or enable it for both HTML and Inline JS using the Cache Minification drop-down menu.

  • After customizing the above option, you may click save changes.

How do you verify cache?

For all of the enabled options, the WordPress Cache Enabler plugin can generate several static HTML files. Gzip can then be used to compress all static HTML files. Examine your source code to ensure that the cache is operational. A comment, “Cache Enabler,” will appear in the footer, along with a timestamp. It will also indicate whether the gzip HTML version is being delivered and whether WebP is enabled.

Clearing Cache

You’re removing the temporarily saved files in your cache data layer when you clean your website’s cache. Browsers will load the most recent version of your website’s pages and utilize them to construct new cache data after you delete your cache. 

The permanent data on your website is not deleted when you clear your cache files. Instead, only the previously saved snapshots of your website pages are deleted.

Cleaning your WordPress cache on a regular basis is an important element of maintaining excellent website cleanliness.

By hitting the “Clear Cache” button in the top right corner of your dashboard, you may simply clear your WordPress cache at any moment.

Verdict 

Performance is one of the downsides of developing current websites and internet-based services. Caching plugins can assist you in making better use of your resources and delivering material more quickly. Certain setups allow you to get better outcomes when you only have a limited amount of server space and computer capacity to work with.

So, if you’re looking for a new caching plugin, we suggest giving Cache Enabler a shot. It’s definitely worth a test drive if you’re interested in improving the performance of your website. This caching plugin is completely free to use and performs admirably. You can substantially reduce your website’s loading time in minutes, clear your cache manually or automatically, choose which pages and posts to purge the cache for, monitor the cache size in your dashboard, minify HTML and Javascript, support multisite, and more. 

Cache Enabler is, without a doubt, one of the most effective caching plugins for WordPress sites. Thanks to its support for the newest web protocol and Google’s image formats, it’s sure to create a name for itself in the WordPress caching arena.

As usual, we’re just a comment away if you need help with anything! :)

A team of WordPress experts that love to test out new WordPress related software, WordPress plugins and WordPress themes.