External Resources Caching

The refresh frequency depends on how often the external resources change. For stable libraries like jQuery or Bootstrap, monthly or even quarterly refreshes are sufficient. Google Fonts and analytics scripts typically need weekly refreshes. Social media widgets might require daily updates. WP Lightning Load offers flexible scheduling options: manual refresh, daily, weekly, or monthly automatic updates. You can also trigger immediate refreshes when you know external resources have been updated. The plugin’s smart detection system compares cached versions with originals to avoid unnecessary downloads.

When properly configured, external resource caching should not affect functionality. However, some resources may have dependencies or expect to be loaded from their original domains. Test thoroughly after enabling caching, especially for: payment processing scripts, real-time chat widgets, A/B testing tools, and analytics that rely on specific loading sequences. WP Lightning Load includes exclusion options for problematic resources. If you notice issues, you can easily disable caching for specific resources or entire categories while keeping the benefits for other assets.

Storage requirements vary based on the number and size of external resources you cache. Typical usage ranges from 10-50MB for most websites, but can be higher for sites with many external dependencies. Common resource sizes: Google Fonts (50-200KB per family), jQuery (85KB), Bootstrap CSS (150KB), analytics scripts (20-100KB each). WP Lightning Load stores files efficiently and provides cleanup options. You can monitor storage usage through the plugin’s dashboard and set up automatic cleanup for old or unused cached resources. The storage investment is usually minimal compared to the performance benefits gained.

Yes, external resource caching works well with CDNs and can actually improve performance further. The plugin caches resources at your origin server, and your CDN can then cache those local copies at edge locations worldwide. This creates a two-tier caching system: your server provides the external resources locally, and the CDN distributes them globally. Configure your CDN to cache the external-cache/ directory with appropriate TTL settings. Some CDNs offer specific features for origin-pulled resources that can enhance this setup. Always test the complete flow to ensure resources load correctly from both your origin and CDN edge locations.