Keeping Sites Fast

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Ensuring your Concrete CMS website operates efficiently is crucial for providing a seamless user experience. Concrete offers several tools and settings to help you optimize your site’s performance.

Caching Mechanisms

Caching improves site speed by storing parts of your website temporarily, reducing the time it takes to load pages. Concrete provides various caching options:

  • Block Cache: Stores individual blocks to prevent repetitive data processing.
  • CSS and JavaScript Cache: Combines and minifies CSS and JavaScript files to enhance load times.
  • Overrides Cache: Caches overridden files to expedite rendering.
  • Full Page Cache: Saves entire pages to serve them rapidly to users.

You can configure these caching settings globally or on a more granular level (per page, area, or block). To adjust global caching settings:

  1. Navigate to the Dashboard.
  2. Go to System & Settings > Optimization > Cache & Speed Settings.

Here, you can enable or disable specific caching options to suit your site’s needs. See the cache settings on specific pages, areas, and blocks for further refinement.

Clearing the Cache

After making significant changes to your site, such as updating content or design elements, it’s advisable to clear the cache to ensure users see the latest version. To clear the cache:

  1. In the Dashboard, go to System & Settings > Optimization > Clear Cache.
  2. Click on Clear Cache to remove stored cache data.

Automated Tasks

Concrete includes automated tasks that help maintain site performance. These tasks can be scheduled to run at specific intervals:

  1. In the Dashboard, navigate to System & Settings > Automation > Tasks.
  2. Here, you can view a list of available tasks, such as updating the search index or generating sitemaps.
  3. Select the tasks you want to run and set their schedules according to your maintenance plan.

Regularly running these tasks ensures your site remains optimized and up-to-date.

Additional Optimization Tips

  • Image Optimization: Ensure images are appropriately sized and compressed to reduce load times.
  • Minimize External Scripts: Limit the use of external scripts and plugins that may slow down your site.
  • Regular Updates: Keep Concrete and all add-ons updated to benefit from performance improvements and security patches.