Frequently Asked Questions
Short answers to the questions people ask most about xSpeed Cache. Each answer reflects how the plugin actually behaves. For step-by-step help with a specific problem, see Common Problems and Troubleshooting.
Getting started
Will xSpeed Cache break my site?
It is very unlikely. xSpeed Cache includes safety checks for its optimizations. Minification skips files that already look minified and falls back to the original if anything looks off, and the page cache automatically bypasses logged-in users, admin pages, AJAX, and REST requests. If something looks wrong, you can turn any feature off on its own.
Do I have to configure a lot of settings?
No. A setup wizard walks you through first-time configuration in a few steps. Settings save automatically, so there is no Save button to forget. You can turn on page cache and leave most defaults as they are.
Does it work with my server?
Yes. xSpeed Cache runs on Apache, nginx, LiteSpeed, IIS, and any standard PHP host. The static-cache rewrite and GZIP auto-configuration work out of the box on Apache and LiteSpeed. On nginx and IIS, xSpeed Cache gives you a ready-to-paste config snippet to add by hand.
Does it support WordPress Multisite?
Yes. Each site in the network has its own independent cache and settings.
Page cache behavior
Does it cache logged-in users?
No. Page cache only applies to logged-out visitors. Logged-in users, admin screens, AJAX requests, cron, and REST requests are never served from the page cache.
Is the page cache GET-only?
Yes. Only GET requests are eligible for the page cache. Other request methods, such as form submissions, are never cached.
How can I tell whether a page is being cached?
Check the response headers for X-XSpeed-Cache. A cache hit sends X-XSpeed-Cache: HIT. The first visit to any URL is a MISS because nothing is cached yet, the second visit to the same URL should be a HIT.
The first visit is still slow. Can I avoid that?
Yes. Turn on the Cache Preloader. It warms your cache from your sitemap and re-warms pages when you publish or update content, so the first real visitor after a purge still gets a fast page.
How long do cached pages stay cached?
Until they are purged or their lifetime expires. You set the lifetime yourself, anywhere from 1 to 720 hours. xSpeed Cache also purges automatically when you publish or update content, change settings, or switch themes.
Exclusions and dynamic sites
How do I exclude a page from being cached?
Open the xSpeed Cache settings and paste the URL path into the Excluded URLs field, one path per line (for example /cart). Changes save automatically.
Does it work with WooCommerce?
Yes. Add /cart, /checkout, and /my-account to the Excluded URLs list and xSpeed Cache skips caching those pages. Logged-in customers are never served cached pages regardless. Fresh installs also ship with sensible exclusion defaults so common dynamic pages are handled out of the box.
Can I stop caching for one specific post?
Yes. xSpeed Cache adds per-post cache rules so you can disable caching or set a custom expiry for an individual post. Developers can do the same with the xspeed_cache_skip_for_post and xspeed_cache_expiry_for_post filters.
Other caching plugins and CDNs
Can I run xSpeed Cache alongside another caching plugin?
For page caching, no. Run only one page-cache plugin at a time. xSpeed Cache detects other caching and optimization plugins and refuses to enable an overlapping feature, or warns you, to prevent double-caching. See the conflict list in Common Problems and Troubleshooting.
Will it conflict with LiteSpeed Cache?
At the server level, no. On a LiteSpeed server, xSpeed Cache detects LiteSpeed’s server-level caching module and steps back automatically to avoid double-caching. As a general rule, still only run one page-cache plugin at a time.
Can I use xSpeed Cache with Cloudflare?
Yes. The built-in Cloudflare module connects your zone and auto-purges Cloudflare’s cache whenever xSpeed Cache purges its own, so both caches stay in sync. xSpeed Cache also supports pull-zone URL rewriting for any CDN provider.
Minification and debugging
Can I turn minification off temporarily for debugging?
Yes. You can toggle the option off in the dashboard, enable WP_DEBUG (xSpeed Cache automatically skips HTML minification when debug mode is on), or use the xspeed_skip_minify filter.
Does combining files change anything besides file count?
Combining merges several CSS or JS files into fewer requests, which can change load order. If a page breaks only with combine on, leave combine off for that file type and keep plain minify on. Turn options on one at a time so you can tell which one caused a change.
Object cache and the database
Is an object cache the same as the page cache?
No. The page cache stores finished HTML pages for logged-out visitors. The object cache (Redis or Memcached) stores repeated database results in memory, which helps dynamic pages and logged-in traffic that the page cache does not cover. They work together.
Do I need Redis or Memcached to use xSpeed Cache?
No. The object cache is optional. Page cache, minification, GZIP, lazy load, and browser cache all work without it. Use the object cache only if you already run Redis or Memcached.
Does xSpeed Cache write to my wp-config.php?
Yes, for two features. Enabling page cache sets WP_CACHE, and enabling the object cache writes its connection constants between xSpeed Cache’s own markers. Disabling each feature removes what it added. If wp-config.php is not writable, xSpeed Cache shows you the snippet to add by hand instead.
Does the database cleanup delete things permanently?
The Database module removes post revisions, spam, trash, transients, and orphaned meta, and can optimize tables. These are normal cleanup operations on data WordPress already treats as removable, but they are not reversible once run. Review what you are clearing before you run it, and keep a backup if you are unsure. You can also schedule cleanup to run automatically.
Pro and privacy
Is xSpeed Cache Pro required for the main features?
No. Page cache, minification and combine, GZIP, lazy load, fonts optimization, browser cache, the cache preloader, object cache, CDN and Cloudflare, database optimization, and disable-bloat are all in the free plugin. Pro adds extras such as the AI-powered site audit and advanced cache warming.
Does xSpeed Cache collect my personal data?
No. xSpeed Cache never collects personal data, stores IP addresses, or uses tracking cookies, and optimizations run on your own server. xSpeed Cache also includes optional usage analytics, which the setup wizard presents with a clearly labeled consent control. When enabled, it shares only anonymous, non-sensitive diagnostics such as your WordPress and PHP version, server type, and which features you have switched on. It never sends values you enter or any page content, and you can turn it off at any time from your dashboard.
Related
- How to Enable Page Cache
- Purging the Cache
- Excluding Pages, URLs, and Cookies from Cache
- Setting Up Object Cache (Redis and Memcached)
- Common Problems and Troubleshooting