Question: How do I enable caching on GHFS Hosting? Print

Answer :

Caching improves your website’s speed by storing static versions of pages, reducing server load, and delivering content faster to visitors. GHFS Hosting supports caching through Plesk tools, WordPress plugins, and Cloudflare.

This guide explains the recommended methods for enabling caching based on your website type.

1. Enable Caching for WordPress (Recommended Method)

A. Install a WordPress Caching Plugin

Common options:

• LiteSpeed Cache (if your server uses LiteSpeed)

• WP Super Cache

• W3 Total Cache

• WP Fastest Cache

• WP Rocket (premium)

Most recommended setup:

If server = LiteSpeed

Use LiteSpeed Cache → provides best performance.

If server = Apache

Use WP Super Cache or WP Fastest Cache.

Steps (example using WP Super Cache):

1. Log in to WordPress admin

2. Go to Plugins → Add New

3. Install WP Super Cache

4. Activate it

5. Go to Settings → WP Super Cache

6. Turn Caching On

Your site will now serve cached pages.

2. Enable Server-Side Caching From Plesk (If Available)

Some GHFS Hosting plans include server-side caching (depends on server configuration).

To check:

1. Log in to Plesk

2. Go to Websites & Domains

3. Open Hosting Settings

4. Look for:

   • “Caching”

   • “Speed Optimization”

   • “nginx caching”

   • “LiteSpeed settings”

If available, toggle caching On.

3. Enable Caching Through Cloudflare (Highly Recommended)

If your domain uses Cloudflare:

A. Enable CDN Caching

Cloudflare automatically caches:

• Images

• CSS

• JavaScript

• Static assets

B. Recommended settings:

1. Caching → Caching Level → Standard

2. Caching → Browser Cache TTL → 1 Month

3. Speed → Auto Minify → On

4. Speed → Brotli → On

This significantly speeds up your site with zero server load.

4. Manual Caching Using .htaccess (For Non-CMS Websites)

Add caching rules to /httpdocs/.htaccess:

This adds browser caching for static files.

5. Verify That Caching Works

For WordPress:

Use online tools:

• GTmetrix

• PageSpeed Insights

• WebPageTest

Look for “Cache HIT” or improved load times.

For Cloudflare:

In browser dev tools → Network tab → “cf-cache-status: HIT”

For .htaccess caching:

Check response headers for “expires” values.

6. When NOT to Use Caching

Caching may cause issues for:

• Membership sites

• E-commerce checkout pages

• Logged-in user dashboards

• Dynamic applications

If using WooCommerce, ensure:

• Cart

• Checkout

• My Account

are excluded from caching (done automatically by most plugins).

7. When to Contact GHFS Hosting Support

Contact support if:

• Caching does not activate

• Pages break after enabling caching

• Cloudflare caching behaves unexpectedly

• You want to know if your server supports LiteSpeed or native caching

• You need help optimizing your website’s performance

Support can help configure caching for best performance.