This guide concerns website optimization and more specifically the use of a cache engine on it.

Preamble

• When Infomaniak notices that your website consumes more resources than other sites on the same server, an analysis is carried out.
  • Often, it turns out that a simple modification of a request or a parameter would allow you to optimize your site and reduce the server load.
  • You will then be contacted by email with the instructions to follow, which frequently include the installation or activation of a cache engine.
• Resource consumption is not necessarily related to the number of visitors.
  • A well-optimized, up-to-date site with a correctly configured cache engine can handle several tens of thousands of daily visitors, while a poorly optimized site can consume far too many resources with just a few visits per day.
• A cache engine temporarily stores frequently used data in order to provide it more quickly for new requests.
  • This significantly improves the speed of the site and reduces the load on databases or web services.
  • To install an advanced caching system (Redis, Memcached) on Infomaniak Cloud Server, refer to this guide.

Activate a cache engine...

... on WordPress

WordPress has many caching plugins. Here are the most popular and effective ones:

• WP Rocket (paid, the most powerful and simple "all-in-one" solution).
• WP Super Cache (free, developed by Automattic, very reliable).
• LiteSpeed Cache (free, extremely comprehensive).

Standard activation procedure:

1. Log in to your WordPress administration.
2. Go to Extensions > Add.
3. Search for one of the mentioned plugins, install it, and then activate it.
4. Configure the cache options: page caching, CSS/JS minification, and especially Lazy Load for images.

Also, refer to this other guide on the subject.

… on Joomla (v4 & v5)

1. Go to System > Global Configuration.
2. Select the System tab.
3. In the Cache Settings section, enable the cache (the Conservative mode is the safest to start with).
4. Select the cache manager (default File).
5. Then go to System > Plugins and make sure the System - Cache plugin is enabled to cache entire pages.

… on PrestaShop (v1.7 & v8+)

1. Go to Advanced Parameters > Performance.
2. Smarty: check "Never recompile template files" (in production) and enable "Cache".
3. CCC (Combine, Compress and Cache): enable all options (Smart cache CSS, Smart cache JS, Apache optimization).
4. Cache: at the bottom of the page, enable "Use cache". On shared hosting, prioritize the file system; on Cloud Server, use Memcached.

… on Drupal (v9, v10 & v11)

Caching is natively integrated and very powerful on Drupal:

1. Go to Configuration > Development > Performance.
2. Check "Cache pages for anonymous users".
3. Set a duration for "Maximum cache lifetime in the browser and proxy" (e.g., 10 minutes).
4. Enable the aggregation of CSS and JavaScript files.

… on Contao (v4 & v5)

1. The cache is now mainly managed via the configuration file config/config.yaml or via the administration interface under Layout > Themes > Edit page layout.
2. Define a "Cache expiration delay" for the page in question.
3. Use the Contao Manager to clear the production cache (Symfony Cache) after structural changes.

Check the effectiveness

After activation, test your site with these free tools:

• Google PageSpeed Insights
• GTmetrix