Using the Edgelin WordPress plugin
The Edgelin Cache Manager plugin integrates your WordPress site with the edge proxy service, allowing you to monitor cache performance and manage cache clearing directly from your WordPress dashboard.
Installation
Download the plugin from the Edgelin site. Upload it to your WordPress site through the Plugins menu, then activate it. Once activated, you'll see a new "Edgelin Cache" menu item in your WordPress admin sidebar.
Getting Your API Key
The plugin requires your endpoint's secret API key to communicate with the edge proxy. Find this key in your Edgelin dashboard by clicking the key icon next to your endpoint. Copy the entire key string—it's a long alphanumeric sequence that authenticates your plugin's requests.
Initial Configuration
Navigate to the Edgelin Cache menu in your WordPress admin. You'll see a settings section where you can paste your API key. Enter the key in the API Key field and click Save Settings. The plugin will immediately attempt to connect to your endpoint and display cache statistics.
If the connection succeeds, you'll see a "Performance Monitor" section appear with real-time statistics about your cache performance. If you see an error, verify that you've entered the correct API key and that your endpoint is active in the dashboard.
Understanding the Statistics
The Performance Monitor displays six key metrics. The Status shows whether your endpoint is online and responding. Cache Hit Rate is the percentage of requests served from cache versus those that went to your backend—higher is better. Total Hits shows how many requests were served from cache, while Cache Misses shows requests that required fetching from your backend.
RAM Cache displays the number of entries currently stored in fast memory, and Disk Cache shows entries stored on disk. These numbers fluctuate as content is cached, expires, and gets requested. The statistics refresh automatically when you load the page, but you can click "Refresh Statistics" to see current values at any time.
Manual Cache Flushing
The "Flush All Cache" button immediately clears all cached content for your endpoint, including both RAM and disk cache. After flushing, the next requests to your site will fetch fresh content from WordPress and rebuild the cache.
When you click this button, the plugin asks for confirmation since flushing affects all visitors. Once confirmed, it sends the flush command to your edge server and displays how many cache entries were cleared. Use this feature when you make changes that need to be visible immediately but don't trigger the automatic flush.
Automatic Cache Flushing
Enable the "Automatically flush cache when publishing or updating posts and pages" checkbox to have the plugin clear your cache automatically whenever you publish or update content. This is the recommended setting for most WordPress sites because it ensures visitors always see your latest content without requiring manual intervention.
When automatic flushing is enabled, every time you publish a new post, update an existing page, or modify published content, the plugin immediately flushes the entire cache. This happens in the background—you don't need to take any additional action. Within seconds of saving your changes, the edge cache is empty and ready to serve fresh content.
The automatic flush only triggers on published content. Saving drafts, scheduling posts for the future, or updating unpublished pages doesn't trigger a flush since those changes aren't visible to visitors yet.
When to Flush Manually
Even with automatic flushing enabled, you might need to flush manually in certain situations. If you update your theme files, modify CSS or JavaScript, or change settings in other plugins that affect your site's appearance, use the manual flush button to ensure changes propagate to the cache.
Manual flushing is also useful after bulk operations. If you import content, update multiple posts through bulk editing, or make changes through plugins that don't trigger WordPress's normal save hooks, a manual flush ensures everything is fresh.
Performance Best Practices
Leave automatic flushing enabled unless you have a specific reason to manage cache clearing yourself. The convenience of automatic updates typically outweighs any minor concerns about cache efficiency. Your cache will repopulate quickly after each flush as visitors browse your site.
Check your cache statistics periodically to verify your site is caching effectively. A hit rate above 80% indicates good cache performance. Lower hit rates might suggest you need to adjust your cache TTL settings or exclusion patterns in the main Edgelin dashboard.
If you notice cache statistics aren't updating or the flush button isn't working, verify your API key hasn't changed. Endpoint keys remain the same unless you explicitly regenerate them in the dashboard, but it's worth checking if connectivity issues arise.
Troubleshooting
If the plugin shows errors when trying to connect, first verify your API key is correct by copying it again from the Edgelin dashboard. Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the key when pasting it into WordPress.
Check that your endpoint status in the Edgelin dashboard shows as "active" rather than "pending" or "inactive". The plugin can only communicate with active endpoints that have completed domain verification and DNS setup.
If cache flushing seems to have no effect, verify that your DNS is correctly pointing to the edge server. If visitors are reaching your site directly instead of through the edge proxy, there's no cache to flush. Use the health check endpoint to confirm the edge proxy is in the request path.
Network connectivity issues between your WordPress server and the Edgelin API can also cause problems. Some hosting providers block outgoing connections to certain domains. Contact your host if you suspect firewall restrictions are preventing the plugin from communicating with the edge service.
Multiple Sites
If you manage multiple WordPress sites, each one needs its own plugin installation configured with its respective endpoint's API key. Each site operates independently with its own cache statistics and flush controls. Install and configure the plugin separately on each WordPress installation.
Uninstalling
If you decide to stop using the Edgelin service, deactivate and delete the plugin through WordPress's Plugins menu. This removes the plugin's menu items and stops automatic cache flushing. Your WordPress site continues functioning normally, though without the edge proxy benefits. Remember to update your DNS if you're completely removing the edge proxy from your infrastructure.