When customers ask for advice on which caching plugin to use, or when we notice that no caching is installed at all, we always recommend using the WP Fastest Cache plugin. It is one of the best free caching plugins available, offering great performance and ease of use.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the process of installing and configuring WP Fastest Cache, helping you enable caching on your website for faster load times and improved performance.
What is caching?
Caching is the process of storing a static version of your website to serve to visitors instead of generating the page from scratch every time it’s accessed. When a caching plugin is installed, it saves an optimized copy of your pages, which is then served to users on subsequent visits.
This significantly improves the loading speed of your website, as it reduces the need to load all the files and resources each time someone navigates to a new page.
How to Install WP Fastest Cache Plugin
Follow the steps below to install the WP Fastest Cache plugin from the WordPress plugin directory:
- Go to the “Plugins → Add New”
- At the search field enter “WP Fastest Cache”
- Press the “Install Now” button and wait
- When the “Activate” button shows up click that button
Enable Caching on Your Website
Now that the WP Fastest Cache plugin is installed, it’s time to configure it to enable caching for your website. Follow these steps:
- Cache System
- Preload (optional)
- New Post
- Update Post
- Gzip
- Browser Caching
After enabling the settings mentioned above, make sure to save your changes. To do this, simply click the Submit button at the bottom of the page. This will ensure that caching is fully activated on your website.
Clearing the cache
WP Fastest Cache automatically clears the cache whenever you make changes to a post or page. However, if you make updates to your website and don’t see those changes reflected immediately, you may need to manually clear the cache.
To do this:
- Hover Over the Admin Bar
- Click “Clear All Cache”
- Refresh the Page
Alternative Option: WP Rocket
If you’re looking for a premium caching solution and have a budget for it, I highly recommend the WP Rocket caching plugin (no affiliate link). It offers a wide range of advanced features that can significantly improve your website’s performance.
WP Rocket is known for its exceptional speed and optimization capabilities, making it one of the best caching plugins available. It also provides additional features such as lazy loading, database optimization, and image optimization, all of which contribute to a faster and smoother browsing experience for your visitors.
At the time of writing, WP Rocket costs $59 per year, which is a great investment if you want to take your website’s performance to the next level.
