How to Speed Up PrestaShop Caching: Complete Performance Optimization Guide

In the world of eCommerce, every millisecond matters. According to Google research, a 1-second delay in page load time can reduce conversions by up to 20% and increase bounce rates by 32%. Fast websites rank higher in search results and consume fewer server resources.

By temporarily storing generated pages, database queries, and static assets, caching reduces CPU load, minimizes database calls, and delivers content almost instantly to returning visitors. A large portion of internet content is delivered through CDNs and caching systems, which PrestaShop can benefit from to further improve speed and reliability.

In this guide, we’ll take a practical, step-by-step look at how to optimize PrestaShop caching - from its built-in features to advanced configurations with tools like Redis, Varnish, and Content Delivery Networks (CDNs).

Before implementing external caching systems, it’s essential to configure PrestaShop’s built-in cache settings. Properly tuned internal caching can reduce page generation time by up to 60% and is often the easiest way to achieve immediate speed improvements without any additional infrastructure.

To access these settings, go to Advanced Parameters → Performance in your PrestaShop admin panel. This section allows you to control how your store handles templates, assets, and static resources. Additionally, proper indexing of database tables is crucial for optimal cache performance and faster query speed.

PrestaShop uses Smarty, a PHP-based templating engine, to render pages. When caching is disabled, Smarty recompiles templates on every request - a process that can add hundreds of milliseconds to load time.

• Enable Smarty cache and set it to “Recompile templates if files have been updated”.
• This ensures that templates are cached but still automatically refreshed when modified.
• For production environments, choose “Never recompile templates” for maximum performance once your theme is stable.

This setting alone can cut template processing time by 30-50% on stores with heavy front-end customization.

CCC merges and minifies CSS and JavaScript files, reducing the number of HTTP requests and the total payload size.

• Combine CSS and JS files to reduce network round-trips.
• Compress files (gzip or Brotli) for faster transfers.
• Cache static assets to serve them from memory or disk instead of regenerating.

Optimizing large images through compression and resizing is also essential to prevent slow load times, especially on mobile networks.

According to HTTP Archive (2025), optimizing and combining front-end assets can improve load speed by up to 35% on mobile networks, where latency is a major bottleneck.

PrestaShop allows you to set a cache expiration period that defines how long cached data remains valid.

• For static pages (e.g., CMS, category listings), use a cache lifetime of 86400 seconds (24 hours).
• For dynamic content such as product pricing or stock levels, use shorter intervals (e.g., 600–1800 seconds).

This ensures a balance between freshness and performance.
You can further control cache validation using HTTP headers like Cache-Control: max-age (for example, max-age=3600 means the resource is considered fresh for one hour; after the max-age period expires, the browser must re-request a fresh copy from the server) or ETag for browser-level caching.

Under Performance → Media Servers (CDN), you can assign up to three subdomains (e.g., static1.yourstore.com, static2.yourstore.com) to distribute static content. Content stored on these media servers is delivered more efficiently to users, reducing load on the main server.

• This reduces load on the main server and parallelizes downloads.
• Combine it with Apache mod_expires or mod_headers to set far-future expiration headers for assets (e.g., 1 year for images).

Also enable Apache Optimization, which activates gzip compression and leverage browser caching. Both can improve TTFB (Time to First Byte) by 10–20% according to GTmetrix Benchmarks.

Always test caching changes in a staging environment before rolling them out to production.

Some PrestaShop modules override or bypass caching mechanisms, which may lead to outdated content or broken layouts if aggressive caching is used. Tools like Lighthouse or WebPageTest can help verify that your optimizations are improving performance without affecting functionality.

While PrestaShop’s built-in caching features are effective, server-side caching solutions unlock a much higher level of performance. These systems are typically deployed within data centers, ensuring high availability and optimal performance by leveraging a geographically distributed network. They intercept and serve requests before they even reach PrestaShop, reducing PHP execution, database access, and overall latency. Additionally, opcode caching stores precompiled PHP code in memory, further reducing processing time and enhancing application speed.

Varnish Cache 7.x acts as a reverse proxy sitting between your visitors and your web server. It stores full HTML page responses in memory and serves them directly on subsequent requests - often in under 10 ms. Varnish functions as one of the content servers in your caching infrastructure, offloading traffic from the origin server.

Key steps to configure:

• Install Varnish in front of Apache or Nginx.
• Update your web server to listen on port 8080, while Varnish listens on port 80.
• Configure caching rules using a VCL (Varnish Configuration Language) file.
• Integrate cache purging with PrestaShop using modules like Prestashop Varnish Cache or Varnish HTTP Purge.

When properly tuned, Varnish can handle 10,000+ requests per second with minimal resource consumption, making it ideal for high-traffic eCommerce stores.

If your hosting runs on LiteSpeed or OpenLiteSpeed, enable LiteSpeed Cache - a high-performance caching engine built directly into the web server. Unlike Varnish, it integrates natively with PHP and supports PrestaShop through the LiteSpeed Cache Plugins.

Features include:

• Smart full-page cache with automatic invalidation.
• Native ESI (Edge Side Includes) support for caching dynamic blocks.
• Built-in image optimization, critical CSS, and HTTP/3 (QUIC) support.

This is one of the most efficient and low-maintenance server-side caching options if your hosting provider supports LiteSpeed.

Redis is an in-memory key-value store used for session storage and object caching in PrestaShop. By offloading these operations from MySQL, Redis drastically reduces read/write latency and database load.

Recommended setup:

• Install Redis and the PHP Redis extension (php-redis).
• Enable Redis caching via Advanced Parameters → Performance → Caching → Redis.
• Use it for both session handling and data caching (cachefs or app/cache).

It’s particularly valuable for large catalogs, high cart volumes, or multi-store setups.

Memcached is another memory-based caching system, optimized for storing query results and temporary data. It’s lighter than Redis and ideal when you need a simple caching layer without persistence.

When to use:

• To cache results of expensive MySQL queries.
• For read-heavy environments with frequent identical queries.
• When Redis persistence or clustering isn’t required.

PHP OPcache caches compiled PHP bytecode in shared memory, eliminating repetitive script parsing.

Configuration tip (php.ini):

OPcache is bundled by default in PHP 7+ and should always be enabled in production environments.

Caching is only effective if it delivers fresh content. To maintain accuracy:

• Implement automatic cache purging when product data changes (price, quantity, or description).
• Use webhooks or modules to trigger PURGE or BAN requests in Varnish or LiteSpeed Cache.
• Schedule periodic Redis/Memcached cleanup tasks using cron to prevent stale or orphaned data.

Without proper invalidation, outdated product info may remain visible - which can hurt customer trust and SEO.

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is one of the most effective methods to reduce latency and improve site performance on a global scale.

Content providers use CDNs to distribute digital assets efficiently to end users across the globe.

CDNs work by replicating your static assets - such as images, CSS, and JavaScript - across a distributed network of servers (edge locations) around the world. A CDN acts as an overlay to the core network, helping to offload traffic and reduce network congestion. Network operators often collaborate with CDN providers to improve content delivery and reduce costs. Visitors automatically download these assets from the closest edge node, minimizing round-trip time and improving page rendering speed. Delivering content closer to the end user reduces latency and improves user experience.

A large variety of sites, including eCommerce, media, and application sites, rely on CDNs for fast and reliable content delivery. CDNs are used to deliver not only web pages but also software downloads and streaming media, ensuring high performance for all types of internet content. Content providers benefit from CDNs by enhancing performance, security, and scalability when distributing digital resources to end-users.

Cloudflare is one of the most popular CDNs for PrestaShop, combining content acceleration with robust security features such as DDoS protection, WAF (Web Application Firewall), and HTTP/3 support.

Recommended configuration:

• Enable “Cache Everything” Page Rule for static assets:
• example.com/* → Cache Level: Cache Everything, Edge Cache TTL: a day or more
• Exclude dynamic URLs: /cart*, /order*, /login*, /checkout*
• Activate “Always Online” mode for temporary origin outages.
• Use Polish and Brotli compression for image and text optimization.

Amazon CloudFront is AWS’s globally distributed CDN that integrates seamlessly with S3, EC2, and Elastic Load Balancer (ELB). It is particularly suited for high-traffic or media-heavy eCommerce stores.

Configuration highlights:

• Create a CloudFront Distribution pointing to your PrestaShop origin.
• Enable Origin Shield to reduce repeated fetches to the same origin.
• Use Lambda@Edge for dynamic cache key logic (e.g., exclude cart or session URLs).
• Activate Real-Time Metrics in CloudWatch to monitor cache hit ratios.

StackPath CDN specializes in media and image acceleration, making it ideal for PrestaShop stores with large product catalogs, galleries, or promotional videos.

Advantages:

• Low-latency edge nodes optimized for image-heavy workloads.
• Instant Purge API for fast cache invalidation when updating product images.
• Integrated image optimization (auto WebP conversion and resizing on the fly).
• Simple integration via a CNAME (e.g., cdn.yourstore.com).

While built-in and server-side caching mechanisms form the foundation of PrestaShop performance, third-party caching modules can push optimization even further. Removing unnecessary modules can also enhance caching efficiency and overall PrestaShop performance by reducing system load. These modules provide granular control over cache rules, personalized content handling, and smart invalidation workflows that go beyond the platform’s native tools.

Page Cache Pro is one of the most advanced full-page caching solutions available for PrestaShop. Unlike the native system, it allows context-aware caching, where different cache versions are stored based on user group, device type, currency, or location.

Key features:

• Smart cache segmentation by customer group, device, or language.
• Cache preloading (warming) for faster first visits.
• Automatic cache invalidation triggered by product or catalog updates.
• Optional AJAX exclusion rules for dynamic blocks (e.g., cart summary, wishlist).

Note: Requires PHP 7.4+ and sufficient server memory allocation for optimal cache preloading.

Super Speed is a multipurpose optimization module that combines caching, front-end compression, and media optimization under one interface.

What it does:

• Full-page and partial caching with AJAX exclusion.
• Image optimization with WebP conversion.
• Lazy loading for media and iframes.
• Database optimization (cleaning logs, trimming expired carts).
• Automatic minification and combination of CSS/JS.

It’s a good choice for store owners who want an all-in-one performance solution without manually configuring separate systems.

JPresta Page Cache offers a simplified, low-overhead caching approach. It focuses exclusively on HTML page caching, making it ideal for small to mid-size stores that don’t need complex optimizations or additional features.

Highlights:

• Minimal setup (no server-side dependencies).
• Fast page delivery with sub-100 ms response times.
• Compatible with most themes and third-party modules.
• Automatic invalidation on product or CMS updates.

Because of its simplicity, JPresta Page Cache rarely causes module conflicts and works well on shared hosting environments.

If your PrestaShop store includes a blog or content section, the Smart Blog Cache module can significantly improve page delivery times for these content-heavy sections.

Why it matters:
Blog pages typically use dynamic widgets (e.g., related posts, comments, or tags) that behave differently from product pages. Smart Blog Cache caches static elements while keeping interactive parts dynamic, ensuring content freshness without sacrificing speed.

Benefits:

• Separate cache layer for blog templates.
• Smart invalidation on post update or comment submission.
• Improved SEO performance through reduced load times.

As PrestaShop stores expand and accumulate complex data relationships, the database often becomes the main source of latency. Optimizing caching and memory allocation within MySQL can dramatically reduce query time and lower CPU and I/O load.

Enable MySQL Query Cache (for legacy MySQL versions)
For stores running MySQL versions prior to 8.0, enable the query cache and allocate around 256 MB for medium-sized installations. The query cache stores the results of identical SELECT queries in memory, allowing subsequent requests to be served instantly. This is especially effective for product listings and category pages that don’t change frequently.

Adjust InnoDB Buffer Pool Size
Configure the InnoDB buffer pool to use approximately 70–80% of available RAM. The buffer pool acts as an in-memory cache for frequently accessed data and indexes, minimizing slow disk reads. An optimally sized buffer pool can improve overall database performance by several times, especially under high traffic.

Use Database Connection Pooling
Establishing new connections for each request adds significant overhead. Implement connection pooling to reuse existing connections efficiently. This is particularly valuable for dynamic, high-traffic environments where multiple PHP processes frequently query the database.

Analyze and Optimize Slow Queries
Enable the MySQL slow query log to identify queries exceeding a defined execution threshold (e.g., 1 second). Reviewing and optimizing these queries - by adding indexes, simplifying joins, or restructuring data - can yield major performance gains. Tools like pt-query-digest simplify this analysis process.

Set Up Read Replication
Implement database replication to separate read and write workloads. Write operations go to the master server, while one or more replicas handle read-only queries. This configuration significantly increases scalability for catalog-heavy or search-intensive stores while maintaining data consistency.

Maintain Regular Database Health
Over time, MySQL tables may become fragmented, leading to slower reads. Schedule regular table optimization using commands like OPTIMIZE TABLE or automation scripts. Combine this with routine maintenance tasks - index rebuilding, statistics updates, and backups - to ensure long-term stability and responsiveness.

Additionally, always apply the latest security fixes to your PrestaShop installation and database systems to maintain both performance and security.

Caching and performance tuning require continuous validation and refinement. Regular testing and real-time monitoring ensure that your caching layers deliver consistent results as traffic patterns, content, and infrastructure evolve.

Measure Front-End Performance with GTmetrix
Use GTmetrix to analyze page load times, request chains, and caching effectiveness. Its detailed waterfall view helps visualize how each optimization - such as CDN integration or browser caching - impacts loading speed. Schedule recurring tests to track changes and verify that performance gains remain consistent over time.

Optimize Core Web Vitals via Google PageSpeed Insights
Monitor your site with PageSpeed Insights to assess Core Web Vitals (Largest Contentful Paint, First Input Delay, Cumulative Layout Shift). These metrics directly influence user experience and SEO performance. The tool provides actionable suggestions for improving caching efficiency, image compression, and resource prioritization.

Enable Global Monitoring with Pingdom
Implement Pingdom for real-time uptime and performance tracking from multiple geographic locations. Continuous synthetic monitoring reveals regional bottlenecks and validates CDN behavior under different network conditions. Use alerts to detect sudden slowdowns that may signal cache expiration or configuration errors.

Conduct In-Depth Cache Verification with WebPageTest
Run WebPageTest for granular insights into how your caching headers and CDN configurations behave in real-world scenarios. Use “Repeat View” tests to confirm that cached resources load instantly on subsequent visits. Its advanced metrics - like Time to First Byte (TTFB) and cache-control header analysis - make it invaluable for verifying optimization accuracy.

Use New Relic APM for Server-Side Insights
Deploy New Relic Application Performance Monitoring (APM) to observe backend metrics such as database query latency, cache hit rates, and PHP process performance. This level of visibility helps correlate front-end delays with underlying infrastructure issues, ensuring that caching strategies complement application behavior.

Benchmark and Document Improvements
Before implementing caching optimizations, record baseline performance metrics - page load times, server response times, and database latency. After each optimization, rerun tests to measure the impact. Maintaining a historical record of these benchmarks not only validates improvements but also helps prioritize future optimization work.

As your PrestaShop store scales and traffic grows, traditional caching methods may no longer be enough to sustain optimal performance. Advanced caching strategies help balance efficiency, flexibility, and freshness, enabling enterprise-level responsiveness even under heavy load.

Use ESI (Edge Side Includes) for Dynamic Page Composition
Implement Edge Side Includes (ESI) to cache page templates while keeping dynamic components - such as customer-specific recommendations, shopping cart data, or login states - fresh and up to date. ESI allows CDNs and reverse proxies to assemble pages from a mix of static and dynamic fragments, significantly improving load speed without compromising personalization.

Automate Cache Warming for Critical Pages
Deploy cache warming scripts that automatically pre-load popular pages after deployments or cache purges. This ensures your most visited product and category pages are already cached before users access them. Pre-warming is especially valuable during marketing campaigns or sales events, preventing cold cache slowdowns during high-traffic periods.

Design a Multi-Layered Cache Architecture
Combine several cache layers - browser cache, CDN cache, reverse proxy cache, and application-level cache - for optimal efficiency. Each layer serves a specific role in the delivery chain: browser caches reduce client-side requests, CDNs offload static assets, and reverse proxies accelerate dynamic responses. Proper hierarchy and configuration can dramatically reduce server load and latency.

Enable Cache Stampede Protection
Prevent cache stampede (also known as cache dogpiling) by ensuring only one process regenerates expired cache entries while others wait for the refreshed result. Techniques like request coalescing or lock-based regeneration can protect your infrastructure from sudden load spikes when cached data expires.

Adopt Cache Versioning for Granular Invalidation
Implement cache versioning to manage invalidation efficiently. By appending version identifiers (such as timestamps or build numbers) to cache keys, you can selectively invalidate outdated resources without clearing the entire cache. This approach minimizes downtime, ensures content accuracy, and keeps high-traffic pages consistently fast.

We created this guide for store owners and developers who want to maximize PrestaShop performance without compromising stability.

So, let's summarize our key recommendations:

• Test changes on a staging environment first to prevent production issues.
• Monitor cache performance and adjust TTLs according to content update frequency.
• Implement automated cache invalidation for products, prices, and other dynamic content.
• Document your caching setup for team knowledge sharing and troubleshooting.
• Keep modules updated to ensure compatibility, security, and optimal performance.
• Pre-warm caches for major site updates or promotional events to avoid slowdowns during traffic spikes.

Start with PrestaShop’s built-in caching and gradually implement advanced strategies like server-side caching, CDN integration, and cache versioning. Each step builds measurable improvements, ensuring faster pages and smoother customer experiences.

Scalesta provide optimized hosting solutions for PrestaShop with the best caching parameters. We also offer full audits of your eCommerce infrastructure, identifying performance bottlenecks and recommending tailored optimizations for your store’s growth. If you want to make your PrestaShop store faster, more reliable, and ready for high traffic:

Does PrestaShop have built-in caching?
Yes. PrestaShop includes built-in caching options such as Smarty cache and CCC (Combine, Compress, Cache) that help optimize template rendering and reduce HTTP requests. However, for high-traffic stores, external caching systems like Redis or Varnish are highly recommended.

What’s the difference between PrestaShop cache and server-side cache?
PrestaShop’s built-in cache handles template and file-level caching, while server-side cache (e.g., Varnish, LiteSpeed, Redis) stores full-page or object data at the web server level, providing much greater performance gains.

How often should I clear the PrestaShop cache?
You should clear cache only after structural changes such as theme edits, module updates, or product catalog modifications. Over-clearing can slow performance by forcing the system to regenerate cached data too frequently.

Can caching cause problems during checkout or login?
Yes. Checkout, cart, and user login pages should never be cached since they contain session-specific data. Always exclude these URLs from every caching layer to prevent data conflicts or security risks.

What’s the best CDN for PrestaShop?
Popular and reliable choices include Cloudflare, Amazon CloudFront, and StackPath (MaxCDN). The best option depends on your target regions, budget, and technical stack.

How can I measure if my caching setup works effectively?
Monitor cache hit ratios and page load metrics using tools like GTmetrix, Pingdom, or New Relic. A cache hit ratio above 80% typically indicates a well-optimized caching setup.

Вoes caching affect SEO?
Indirectly, yes. Faster page load times improve Core Web Vitals, which influence search rankings. Efficient caching enhances both user experience and search engine performance signals.

What if my store still feels slow after caching?
Caching is one part of performance optimization. Check for database inefficiencies, unoptimized images, excessive modules, or hosting limitations. Scalesta offers full performance audits to identify and resolve such bottlenecks.