how cloudflare manages cache invalidation

Managing Cache Invalidation

To ensure that CloudFront serves updated content promptly after changes on the origin server, you can manage cache invalidation:

1. Invalidation Requests: Manually trigger cache invalidation requests in the CloudFront console or through the AWS SDK/API. This purges cached copies of specific files or paths immediately, forcing CloudFront to fetch fresh content from the origin server on subsequent requests.

2. Versioning or Unique URLs: Implement versioning or use unique URLs for updated content (e.g., example.jpg?v=2 or example-2024.jpg). This approach ensures that each updated version of a file is treated as a new resource by CloudFront, bypassing cached copies of the previous version.

3. Cache-Control Headers: Set appropriate Cache-Control headers on dynamic content or content that frequently changes. Use Cache-Control: no-cache or set a short max-age to minimize caching for content that needs to be updated frequently.

Best Practices

• Cache Invalidation Strategy: Plan and implement a cache invalidation strategy based on how frequently your content changes and your application's requirements.

• Versioning and Unique URLs: Use versioning or unique URLs for assets that change regularly to ensure that updated content is delivered promptly to users.

• Monitoring and Testing: Regularly monitor cache behavior, test cache invalidation processes, and adjust TTL settings based on traffic patterns and content update frequency.