# Find out why WordPress pages are not cached with Claude Code

> Finding out why pages are not cached with Claude Code means asking it, from the terminal you deploy from, to read your xSpeed cache status, health checks and benchmark through xSpeed Hub and name the cause.

Page: https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/troubleshoot-cache/
Last updated: October 2026

You deployed, opened the site, and it feels as slow as before. Maybe a request shows a MISS, or the hit ratio you glanced at in wp-admin looks low. You are already in a terminal with the repository open, so you ask Claude Code instead of clicking through tabs. It lists your sites to match the name, then reads get_cache_status for the quick summary and get_health for the real diagnosis.

What comes back is the plugin's own report. get_cache_status gives caching on or off, the number of cached pages, the hit ratio and the time of the last purge. get_health adds pass or warn checks for the cache drop-in, the WP_CACHE constant, rewrite rules, PHP and WordPress versions and conflicting plugins, plus hourly hit and miss buckets. run_benchmark times the home page cached and uncached, so Claude Code can tell a broken cache from a cold one. A 29% hit ratio twenty minutes after a deploy usually means the deploy purged the cache, not that caching is broken.

Because Claude Code has a shell, it can also check what a visitor gets. Ask it to request the page twice and read the X-XSpeed-Cache header. Tell it to use a plain GET: a HEAD request, which is what curl -I sends, reports BYPASS even on a healthy site. The diagnostic tools only read, and the Hub has no prompt of its own, so the prompts you see are Claude Code's.

## Set up Claude Code once

### 1. Put your sites in xSpeed Hub

Sign in at app.xspeedcache.com with Google or email; the Hub is free and has no site cap. Then connect each WordPress site from its own dashboard: click Connect Hub in the xSpeed Cache top bar, then Connect via xSpeed Hub. Each site needs the free xSpeed Cache plugin.

### 2. Add xSpeed Hub to Claude Code

Run this once. --scope user makes the server available in every project; leave it off and it applies to the current project only, which is Claude Code's default.

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http --scope user xspeedhub https://app.xspeedcache.com/xspeed/mcp
```

### 3. Sign in with /mcp

Start Claude Code, run /mcp, pick xspeedhub and finish the sign-in in your browser. You approve access on an xSpeed Hub page; there is no token to paste, and Claude Code keeps the credentials it receives and refreshes them.

```
/mcp
```

Full setup: https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/

### Before you send a prompt that changes something

Reads change nothing on your sites, though contact_support emails xSpeed support. Writes run once your connection allows them, so your client's approval prompt and a read-only connection (the token's Read-only everywhere switch, or a Viewer sign-in) are the gates that matter. Claude Code asks before it runs an MCP tool unless a permission rule already allows it, or you work in auto mode, where a classifier reviews actions instead of you, or in bypassPermissions mode, which skips prompts. A rule such as mcp__xspeedhub__get_cache_status allows one tool, and mcp__xspeedhub__get_* allows every read whose name starts with get_. Keep purge_cache, update_settings, toggle_cache and the other write tools on the prompt, because the Hub itself runs a write as soon as your connection allows it.

## Prompts

- Pages on shop feel uncached since my last deploy. Use xSpeed Hub to read the cache status and the health report, and tell me the cause.
- With xSpeed Hub, run the benchmark on every site and list any where the cached request was not a hit.
- Request the shop home page twice with a plain GET, show me the X-XSpeed-Cache header both times, and compare that with get_health from xSpeed Hub.

## Example session

```
You: Shop pages were fast before the deploy. Using xSpeed Hub, why do they look uncached now?
  → list_sites [read-only]: 6 sites; shop is shop.example.com
  → get_cache_status(site: shop) [read-only]: page cache on, 41 cached pages, hit ratio 29% in the last 24h, last purge 18 minutes ago
  → get_health(site: shop) [read-only]: all environment checks pass: drop-in present, WP_CACHE defined, cache directory writable, no plugin conflicts
  → run_benchmark(site: shop) [read-only]: home page: 612 ms uncached, 74 ms cached, cached request was a hit
Agent: Caching works. The last purge was 18 minutes ago. If that purge came with your deploy, most pages have not been rebuilt yet, and the ratio should climb as visitors request them. I can start the preloader to rebuild them before visitors arrive.
```

## How it works

1. **Start with the quick summary**: get_cache_status returns whether page caching is on, the stats (cached pages, size, hit ratio, last purge) and the web server xSpeed detected. It is a glance. If caching is off, or the hit ratio is far below what you expect, the agent moves on to the diagnostic.
2. **Run the diagnostic**: get_health is the tool for troubleshooting. It returns the environment checks with pass or warn tones (the advanced-cache.php drop-in, the WP_CACHE constant, rewrite rules, PHP and WordPress versions, caching plugin conflicts), the cache stats, 24 hourly hit and miss buckets and a 30-day hit-ratio series. The Hub tells the agent to use it, not get_cache_status, when you are troubleshooting rather than glancing.
3. **Time cached against uncached**: run_benchmark requests the home page once with the cache bypassed and once normally, after a warm-up request, and returns the timings. If the second request still is not a cache hit, the page cache is not serving the home page, and the result says so. It measures xSpeed's own response time. It does not return a Lighthouse score.
4. **Read what the checks mean**: A warn is a lead, not always a fault. A static-file rewrite warning, for example, can mean the nginx snippet is not in your server config yet, or that xSpeed could not verify it, which is not evidence the config is wrong. The agent reads the detail line and tells you which one it is.
5. **Fix it or hand it over**: If caching is simply off, toggle_cache turns it on. If another caching plugin owns the drop-in, the site refuses to enable xSpeed and says why; removing the other plugin is yours to do. If nothing explains it, contact_support emails xSpeed support with the agent's summary, after the agent has confirmed the message with you.

## Reference

| | |
| --- | --- |
| Quick check | get_cache_status (read): cache on or off, stats, detected web server |
| Diagnostic | get_health (read): environment checks, 24 hourly buckets, 30-day hit-ratio series, recent activity |
| One site per call | get_health does not accept site: "all"; call it for each site you care about |
| Benchmark | run_benchmark (read): home page only, cache bypassed against cache served, timings in milliseconds |
| Benchmark on every site | run_benchmark accepts site: "all" or a list of handles, one result per site |
| Benchmark history | get_benchmark_history reads past runs and the settings changes on the same timeline |
| Pro suggestions | get_pro_audit (read): which Pro features would help this site, from its settings and stats |
| Hit ratio scope | Counts requests that reach your server; pages answered by a CDN or Cloudflare edge are not counted |
| Support | contact_support emails xSpeed support with your account email and site list attached; classed read |
| Turning caching on | toggle_cache (write); refused by the site when another plugin owns the cache drop-in |

## Rules

- Diagnose with the read tools first. get_cache_status, get_health, run_benchmark and get_pro_audit change nothing on the site, so a read-only connection can run all of them. For clients that send the connection token, that means Read-only everywhere on; an OAuth sign-in gets the scopes the client asks for, unless the member is a Viewer.
- Do not answer a PageSpeed question with run_benchmark. It measures cached against uncached response time and returns no Lighthouse score; for a score, use the speed test or scan jobs.
- toggle_cache is a write. It runs as soon as your connection allows writes, and the Hub tells the agent to confirm the target site first. That is guidance to the agent, so your client's approval prompt is the gate that matters.
- contact_support sends a real email. The Hub tells the agent to confirm the message with you before sending, but the tool is classed read, so even a read-only connection can send one.
- The agent cannot edit your server configuration or another plugin's settings. When a check needs an nginx snippet or a conflicting plugin removed, it tells you what to do and you do it.

## Good to know with Claude Code

A permission rule written as mcp__xspeedhub__get_* covers get_cache_status, get_health and get_pro_audit, but not run_benchmark or contact_support, because their names start differently. Claude Code will still prompt for those two, unless you work in auto mode, where a classifier reviews actions instead of you, or in bypassPermissions mode, which asks nothing. The prompt suits contact_support: it emails xSpeed support, and the Hub only tells the agent to confirm the message with you first. That is guidance to the model, not a lock. If you allowed the whole server with a rule such as mcp__xspeedhub__*, nothing in Claude Code stops that email.

## More prompts for this job

They work in any client connected to xSpeed Hub.

- Using xSpeed Hub, why is the cache hit ratio so low on shop? Run the full health check and tell me the most likely cause.
- Using xSpeed Hub, is page caching actually working on blog? Benchmark cached against uncached and tell me if the second request was a hit.
- xSpeed Hub's get_health on docs shows a warning about the static-file rewrite. What does it mean and do I need to act?
- Use xSpeed Hub to check whether another caching plugin is conflicting with xSpeed on shop.
- Caching looks off on the staging site. Use xSpeed Hub to turn it on and tell me if the site refuses.
- Using xSpeed Hub, which Pro features would help the shop site, based on how it is set up now?
- With xSpeed Hub, compare the last few benchmark runs on blog and tell me whether my settings changes helped.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can Claude Code tell me why my WordPress pages are not cached?

Yes, for the causes xSpeed can see. It reads the cache status, the health checks and a benchmark through xSpeed Hub, then names the check that failed or explains that the cache is healthy. It cannot see why one specific URL bypassed the cache unless you also have it request that page and read the response headers.

### Do I need a connection that allows writes to troubleshoot with Claude Code?

No. get_cache_status, get_health, run_benchmark and get_pro_audit only read, so a read-only connection is enough to diagnose: the connection token with Read-only everywhere on, or a Viewer member's sign-in. Turning caching on or purging is a write, and needs a connection that allows writes plus your approval in Claude Code.

### Why are my WordPress pages not being cached?

The common causes are that page caching is switched off, the advanced-cache.php drop-in or the WP_CACHE constant in wp-config.php is missing, another caching plugin owns the drop-in, or the pages set cookies or headers that make them uncacheable. An agent can read all of these from get_health through xSpeed Hub and tell you which one applies to your site.

### What is the difference between get_cache_status and get_health?

get_cache_status is a quick summary: whether caching is on, the stats and the detected web server. get_health is the diagnostic. It adds the environment checks with pass or warn tones, 24 hourly hit and miss buckets and a 30-day hit-ratio series. The Hub tells the agent to use get_health when you are troubleshooting.

### Does run_benchmark give me a PageSpeed score?

No. run_benchmark measures how fast your own cache answers compared with an uncached request for the home page. For a Lighthouse score, ask for a speed test or a speed scan instead.

### Can the agent check every site at once?

Only partly. run_benchmark accepts every site in one call. get_cache_status and get_health take one site per call, and get_health does not accept site: "all", so for a fleet the agent calls them site by site or you use the Hub dashboard for the rollup.

### Will troubleshooting change anything on my site?

Not with the diagnostic tools. They are read tools and change nothing. Changes only happen if the agent calls a write tool such as toggle_cache, which runs once your connection allows writes, so your AI client's approval prompt and a read-only connection (the connection token with Read-only everywhere on, or a Viewer sign-in) are the gates.

## Find out why pages are not cached with other agents

[Claude](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Claude Cowork](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-cowork/troubleshoot-cache/) · [ChatGPT](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/chatgpt/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Codex](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/codex/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Cursor](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/cursor/troubleshoot-cache/) · [GitHub Copilot in VS Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/github-copilot/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Windsurf](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/windsurf/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Gemini CLI](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/gemini-cli/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Antigravity](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/antigravity/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Zed](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/zed/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Kiro](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kiro/troubleshoot-cache/) · [OpenCode](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/opencode/troubleshoot-cache/) · [OpenClaw](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/openclaw/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Hermes Agent](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/hermes-agent/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Grok Build](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/grok-build/troubleshoot-cache/) · [ChatGPT dots](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/chatgpt-dots/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Grok](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/grok/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Grok Bot](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/grok-bot/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Muse](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/muse/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Manus](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/manus/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Kimi Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/kimi/troubleshoot-cache/) · [Paperclip](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/paperclip/troubleshoot-cache/) · [NanoClaw](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/nanoclaw/troubleshoot-cache/)

## More with Claude Code

- [Purge the WordPress cache with Claude Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/purge-cache/)
- [Scan a website for speed problems with Claude Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/speed-scan/)
- [Run and track PageSpeed tests with Claude Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/pagespeed-tests/)
- [Raise a WordPress site's PageSpeed score with Claude Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/optimize-site/)
- [Tune WordPress cache settings with Claude Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/cache-settings/)
- [Warm the WordPress cache with Claude Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/preload-cache/)
- [Set up the Redis object cache with Claude Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/object-cache/)
- [Manage Cloudflare caching with Claude Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/cloudflare/)
- [Manage every WordPress site at once with Claude Code](https://xspeedcache.com/agent/claude-code/fleet/)

## Documentation

- How to read your cache diagnostics: https://xspeedcache.com/docs/cache-diagnostics/
- Understanding cache hits and misses: https://xspeedcache.com/docs/hits-and-misses/
- How to check your site health: https://xspeedcache.com/docs/health/
- Common problems and troubleshooting: https://xspeedcache.com/docs/common-problems-and-troubleshooting/
- How to enable Page Cache: https://xspeedcache.com/docs/page-cache/