https://www.peakhour.io/2023-11-02T13:00:00+11:002023-11-02T13:00:00+11:002023-11-02T13:00:00+11:00Dantag:www.peakhour.io,2023-11-02:/blog/magento-2-plugin/

<p>Elevate your e-commerce with our newly released Magento 2 plugin. Experience enterprise-level caching features accessible to all Peakhour customers.</p>

<p>We've released our Magento 2 plugin for e-commerce stores using Magento. It brings Peakhour's caching features into Magento, including capabilities that other providers often reserve for enterprise plans. With Peakhour, 'Enterprise for Everyone' means making those features available to all customers, regardless of plan.</p> <h2>Why Cache Tags Matter</h2> <p><a href="/learning/cache-tags/">Cache tags</a> solve a practical website management problem: keeping your cache current when content changes. In Magento 2, a single change, such as updating a product's price, can affect multiple pages. Cache tags ensure that only the relevant cached content is updated, maintaining cache efficiency and reducing server load. That matters for website speed and user experience, which directly affect sales and SEO rankings.</p> <h2>Enterprise for Everyone</h2> <p>While other providers offer cache tags only in expensive enterprise plans, Peakhour makes this feature available to everyone. Our infrastructure and caching algorithms make that possible. We also offer other enterprise-level features, including DDoS protection, real-time analytics, and custom caching rules, so 'Enterprise for Everyone' is reflected in the product rather than just the plan names.</p> <h2>Peakhour vs. Magento and Varnish Caching</h2> <p>Our plugin goes beyond Magento's built-in caching and Varnish cache in several ways:</p> <ol> <li> <p><strong>Custom Cache Tags</strong>: Unlike Magento's built-in cache, we offer custom cache tags for more granular cache control.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Advanced Algorithms</strong>: Our caching algorithms go beyond Varnish, helping improve cache hit rates and lower server load.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Additional Features</strong>: With Peakhour, caching sits alongside real-time analytics, DDoS protection, and custom caching rules, features often missing in standard Magento or Varnish setups.</p> </li> </ol> <h2>Expected Performance Improvements</h2> <p>By using Peakhour's Magento 2 plugin, you can expect performance improvements:</p> <ol> <li> <p><strong>Faster Page Loads</strong>: Our caching can reduce page load times by up to 50%, giving users a smoother experience.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Reduced Server Load</strong>: Efficient caching means fewer requests to your origin server, reducing server load by as much as 70%.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Improved SEO</strong>: Faster websites are favoured by search engines, which can improve SEO rankings.</p> </li> <li> <p><strong>Higher Conversion Rates</strong>: A faster website gives users a better experience, which can lead to higher conversion rates and increased sales.</p> </li> </ol> <h2>Installation Options</h2> <p>You can install the Magento 2 plugin through Magento Connect, Composer, or a ZIP file. For more detail, see our <a href="/docs/how-to-guides/integrations/magento-2/">plugin page</a>.</p>2023-11-01T13:00:00+11:002023-11-01T13:00:00+11:00Dantag:www.peakhour.io,2023-11-01:/blog/accelerate-magento/

<p>There are many things you can do to speed up your Magento store, here are just a few.</p>

<p>Out of the box, Magento is not the fastest ecommerce platform. Magento 2 is built with Full Page Cache in mind, so repeat page requests do not always have to hit the application. A slow Magento store can frustrate customers, increase bounce rates, and cost sales. There are several practical ways to accelerate <a href="/learning/ecommerce-security/securing-magento-shopify/">your Magento</a> store and improve the user experience. These are good places to start.</p> <h2>Caching is King</h2> <p>Caching is usually the biggest performance lever for a Magento store. By storing pre-generated versions of pages, you reduce server response times and avoid asking Magento to rebuild the same page for every request.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Full Page Caching (FPC)</strong>: Magento includes built-in FPC, but it can be extended. Varnish is a common choice for this role. Magento 2 has native support for Varnish, which acts as a web application accelerator.</li> <li><strong>Redis</strong>: Use Redis for session and cache storage. It is an in-memory data structure store that can speed up backend operations by reducing database load.</li> <li><strong>Edge Caching</strong>: Use Peakhour Edge to cache your dynamic pages close to users. This serves content from a nearby delivery path and reduces latency. Peakhour's <a href="/docs/how-to-guides/integrations/magento-1/">Magento 1</a> and <a href="/docs/how-to-guides/integrations/magento-2/">Magento 2</a> plugins make this straightforward to set up.</li> </ul> <h2>Optimise Your Images</h2> <p>Images often make up the bulk of a page's weight. Optimising them is one of the simplest ways to improve load times.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Compression</strong>: Use image compression tools to reduce file sizes without a noticeable loss in quality.</li> <li><strong>Next-Gen Formats</strong>: Serve images in modern formats like WebP or AVIF, which offer better compression. A CDN can often handle this conversion automatically.</li> <li><strong>Lazy Loading</strong>: Implement lazy loading for images that are "below the fold" (not immediately visible). This means they only load when they are about to enter the user's viewport.</li> </ul> <h2>Minify and Merge CSS/JavaScript</h2> <p>Magento has built-in features for merging and minifying CSS and JavaScript files.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Minification</strong>: Removes unnecessary characters (like whitespace and comments) from code to reduce file size.</li> <li><strong>Merging</strong>: Combines multiple CSS or JavaScript files into a single file to reduce the number of HTTP requests.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Note</strong>: Always test thoroughly after enabling merging, as it can sometimes cause issues with certain themes or extensions.</p> <h2>Keep Your Environment Updated</h2> <p>The environment your Magento store runs in has a direct effect on performance.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Latest PHP Version</strong>: Use the latest stable version of PHP supported by your Magento version. Each new release brings performance and security improvements.</li> <li><strong>Server Resources</strong>: Ensure your server has adequate RAM and CPU power to handle your traffic, especially during peak times.</li> <li><strong>Web Server</strong>: Use a high-performance web server like Nginx, which is known for its speed and efficiency.</li> </ul> <h2>Use Edge Caching and Delivery</h2> <p>An edge delivery layer is a practical requirement for many ecommerce stores. It caches your static assets (images, CSS, JavaScript) close to users.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Reduced Latency</strong>: Users receive content from the server geographically closest to them, which speeds up load times.</li> <li><strong>Reduced Origin Load</strong>: By serving cached content, an edge cache reduces the number of requests that hit your origin server, improving its performance and stability.</li> <li><strong>Enhanced Security</strong>: Peakhour also offers security features like a Web Application Firewall (WAF) and DDoS protection.</li> </ul> <h2>Database Optimisation</h2> <p>A slow database can slow the whole store.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Clean Logs</strong>: Regularly clean out Magento's log tables (e.g., <code>log_customer</code>, <code>log_visitor</code>). These can grow very large and slow down database queries.</li> <li><strong>Enable Flat Catalog</strong>: For Magento 1 and older versions of Magento 2, enabling the Flat Catalog for products and categories can improve performance by reducing the complexity of database queries.</li> <li><strong>Re-index Regularly</strong>: Keep your Magento indexes up to date. A cron job should be set up to handle this automatically.</li> </ul> <h2>Audit Third-Party Extensions</h2> <p>Poorly coded or unnecessary third-party extensions are a common cause of Magento performance issues.</p> <ul> <li><strong>Review Extensions</strong>: Audit your installed extensions regularly. If you're not using one, disable or uninstall it.</li> <li><strong>Use a Profiler</strong>: Use Magento's built-in profiler or a tool like New Relic to identify slow-running code, which can often be traced back to a specific extension.</li> </ul> <p>These changes will not fix every Magento performance problem, but they cover the areas that usually matter first: cache behaviour, asset weight, the hosting environment, database maintenance, and extension overhead.</p>2023-03-20T13:00:00+11:002023-03-20T13:00:00+11:00Dantag:www.peakhour.io,2023-03-20:/blog/wordpress-plugin-cache-tags/

<p>Read about automatic cache tags in the updated Peakhour WordPress plugin.</p>

<p>We have updated the Peakhour WordPress plugin with automatic cache tag generation. The update is designed to help keep cached WordPress content accurate without forcing full cache clears for routine content changes. We have also checked compatibility with the latest versions of WordPress and PHP.</p> <h2>What are Cache Tags?</h2> <p>Cache tags are labels that CDNs such as Peakhour use to manage cached content more precisely. Instead of clearing the whole cache when one page changes, you can purge only the content associated with the relevant tag. Visitors get the updated content, while the rest of the site can continue to be served from cache.</p> <h3>A Cache Tag Example</h3> <p>Suppose you run a site with a home page, product pages, and blog articles. Without cache tags, updating one product page or article may require clearing the entire cache. With cache tags, each part of the site can use its own tag, such as "homepage," "product," and "blog." When you update content, you only need to purge the cache for the affected tag. That means less unnecessary cache invalidation and a faster site for visitors.</p> <h2>Automatic Cache Tags in the Peakhour WordPress Plugin</h2> <p>The updated Peakhour WordPress plugin generates cache tags automatically for your site's content. When you update content in the WordPress admin, the plugin sends the relevant purge requests to Peakhour. The result is more targeted cache clearing without extra manual work.</p> <h2>How to Get Started with Automatic Cache Tags</h2> <ol> <li>Update to the latest version of the Peakhour WordPress plugin.</li> <li>Follow the instructions to configure cache tags in the Peakhour admin.</li> <li>Flush your cache.</li> </ol> <p>After that, the plugin generates cache tags and sends purge requests to Peakhour whenever you update content in the WordPress admin.</p> <h2>Final Thoughts</h2> <p>Automatic <a href="/learning/cache-tags/">cache tags</a> in the Peakhour WordPress plugin make cache purging more precise. They help improve performance, give you more flexibility, and reduce unnecessary cache clears. Try the updated plugin and let us know how it works for you.</p>2022-10-05T13:00:00+11:002022-10-05T13:00:00+11:00Dantag:www.peakhour.io,2022-10-05:/blog/drupal-purge-module/

<p>We're excited to announce our Drupal 8/9 caching module, read on for more details.</p>

<p>Drupal is an open source content management system (CMS) widely used by Australian government websites. For example, GovCMS is a customised version of Drupal. Peakhour now provides a purge module for Drupal 8/9, extending our existing Drupal support.</p> <p>The Peakhour Purge module extends the Drupal Purge module. The Purge module provides a standardised way of integrating third party CDNs, like Peakhour, with Drupal's native full page caching support. Drupal's native support is suitable for small websites, but has a number of drawbacks. These drawbacks include:</p> <ul> <li>Doesn't support the Vary header.</li> <li>Is served by PHP, so it doesn't scale well.</li> <li>Runs on the same server as Drupal, so geographic latency is still an issue.</li> </ul> <p>Peakhour's edge cache and delivery layer <strong>removes these issues before requests reach origin</strong>, and also adds <strong>image/content optimisation and website security.</strong></p> <h2>Default Caching</h2> <p>Since version 8, Drupal has supported cache tags to provide efficient, targeted invalidation of content for anonymous browser sessions. In this context, anonymous means a user that does not have a Drupal Session cookie. Peakhour supports cache tags for all sites, a feature some competitors reserve for 'Enterprise' plans.</p> <p>Cache tags are great, but another default setting is not. That setting is to add a:</p> <div class="highlight"><pre><span></span><code><span class="n">Vary</span><span class="o">:</span><span class="w"> </span><span class="n">Cookie</span> </code></pre></div> <p>Header to the page response to make sure that logged-in users don't get cached pages. The Vary header informs a cache that different content may be served from origin based on the value in the Cookie header sent by the browser.</p> <p>This is fine if you are using Drupal with no third party javascript libraries. If you do use third party libraries, it can render page caching close to useless. For example, drupal.org itself uses perimeterx for bot detection, which results in a unique session cookie being set on the very first request.</p> <div class="text-center" style="padding: 20px 0px"> <img src="/static/images/blog/drupal-org-first-request.jpg" width="100%" alt="The cookie set by perimiterx"/> <em>The first request to drupal.org results in a unique cookie being set by perimiterx</em> </div> <p>If you use Google analytics, Facebook, or any of a wide array of popular third party libraries, the same thing can happen.</p> <p>This means only the <strong>very first</strong> request from the user could be served from a general page cache. Hit rates would be virtually zero.</p> <h2>Fix the Vary issue with Skip Cache on Cookie</h2> <p>Peakhour gives you a way to work around this. The first step is to disable the <strong>Vary: Cookie</strong> header. Then, to make sure any user with a Drupal Session bypasses the cache, use Peakhour's <strong>Skip Cache on Cookie</strong> feature. As soon as Drupal sets a session cookie, eg when someone logs in, Peakhour will pass requests through to the origin. Full instructions on how to do this are provided on our <a href="/docs/how-to-guides/integrations/drupal/">drupal module documentation</a></p> <h2>eCommerce Drupal sites</h2> <p>If you are running an ecommerce store, or some other type of site that might serve customised information on a page, for example a mini cart with cart count/information, then you will have to do custom development to continue caching pages. A workaround for a mini cart would be to make it load via Ajax or to use local browser storage, and <strong>Peakhour assists in making that happen</strong>.</p> <h2>Future features</h2> <p>Hopefully in the future Drupal will support setting its own cookie for varying the cache, in a similar manner to Magento 2. eg X-Drupal-Vary, this would allow Peakhour to store multiple versions of a page to serve to different users. For example, a user in Germany might get a version of a page in German with German currency.</p>2022-08-04T13:00:00+10:002022-08-04T13:00:00+10:00Dantag:www.peakhour.io,2022-08-04:/blog/prestashop-plugin/

<p>Prestashop is the latest shopping cart we've made a plugin for, read on for more details.</p>

<p>Prestashop is a popular open source eCommerce platform written in PHP. We're releasing a Prestashop module that enables full page caching through Peakhour. Pages can stay cached at the Peakhour edge for longer, and the plugin refreshes them when the underlying content changes in Prestashop.</p> <p><a href="/blog/caching-dynamic-content-with-a-cdn/">Full Page Caching</a> reduces load times by removing the time it takes for a CMS to generate a dynamic page. That is typically around half a second for a quick page, and 3-5 seconds for a slow one. Here is a cache miss and hit from our client fatburnersonly.com.au:</p> <div class="text-center" style="padding: 20px 0px"> <img src="/static/images/blog/prestashop-cache-miss.jpg" width="100%" alt="Prestashop cache miss"/> <em>A typical cache miss on a category page. The origin has to generate the page, taking <strong>2.49 seconds</strong></em> </div> <div class="text-center" style="padding: 20px 0px"> <img src="/static/images/blog/prestashop-cache-hit.jpg" width="100%" alt="Prestashop cache miss"/> <em>A cache hit: <strong>only 35.7 milliseconds</strong> to deliver to the client from our edge</em> </div> <p><strong>Nearly 2.5 seconds removed from Time to First Byte and Largest Contentful Paint.</strong> That's without changing the site itself.</p> <h3>Tag Based Flushing</h3> <p>Like all our recent plugins, the Prestashop plugin adds a header with tag metadata for each cacheable page. This header is called X-Prestashop-Tag and contains the IDs of the relevant entities on the page, eg products, categories, brands, pages, etc. This metadata is stored alongside the cached page. When an entity changes in the Prestashop admin, eg a product price is updated, the plugin issues a flush-by-tag request to Peakhour. Peakhour finds the pages with the associated tag and invalidates them in the cache. The next request for the page passes through to origin and is then re-cached.</p> <div class="text-center" style="padding: 20px 0px"> <img src="/static/images/blog/prestashop-tags.jpg" width="100%" alt="Prestashop full page caching headers"/> <em>Headers returned by the [caching plugin](/blog/opencart/opencart-3-caching-plugin/).</em> </div> <h3>Custom TTL</h3> <p>TTL (Time to live) is the time a resource stays in cache before the cache checks for a new version. You can control this within the plugin. The plugin then sets the peakhour-cdn-cache-control header, part of the new <a href="/blog/cdn-cache-control-header/">cdn-cache-control specification</a>, so only Peakhour responds to the cache directive.</p> <h3>Ajax Mini Cart</h3> <p>Mini carts are dynamic sections of eCommerce websites, and they often stop pages from being cacheable. The Peakhour plugin loads them via Ajax so as many pages as possible remain cacheable.</p> <div class="text-center" style="padding: 20px 0px"> <img src="/static/images/blog/prestashop-mini-cart.jpg" width="100%" alt="Prestashop mini cart"/> <em>The mini cart is in the top right; it is usually returned as part of the generated page.</em> </div> <h3>Cache varying</h3> <p>The same page can show different information depending on factors such as whether a user is logged in, or whether a multicurrency store changes currency. The Peakhour Prestashop plugin handles this by changing a cookie value when those factors change, creating separate cache regions for the different possibilities.</p> <h2>The Results</h2> <p>The Peakhour Prestashop plugin can improve store performance measurably. Our client fatburnersonly.com.au improved their 'good' web vitals scores by 20% in the two months they've been using Peakhour.</p> <div class="text-center" style="padding: 20px 0px"> <img src="/static/images/blog/prestashop-lcp-improvements.jpg" width="100%" alt="Prestashop web vitals improvement"/> <em>Full page caching was enabled halfway through May. Note that a significant number of pages, eg checkout and admin, cannot be cached and are included in these stats</em> </div> <h2>Grabbing the plugin</h2> <p>If you have a slow Prestashop store, see our <a href="/docs/how-to-guides/integrations/prestashop/">plugin page</a> or <a href="/contact-us/">contact us</a> for more information.</p>2022-03-25T13:00:00+11:002022-03-25T13:00:00+11:00Dantag:www.peakhour.io,2022-03-25:/blog/opencart-3-plugin/

<p>Elevate your Opencart 3 store's performance with Peakhour's full page caching plugin. Learn how our features outperform LiteSpeed and Varnish Cache.</p>

<p>Peakhour's Opencart plugin includes features that are usually reserved for enterprise plans with other providers. It follows our 'Enterprise for Everyone' approach in a practical way:</p> <h3>Tag-Based Flushing</h3> <p>Peakhour's plugin records metadata for each Opencart page in the cache. When you update a product or category, only the relevant pages are refreshed. That keeps cache flushing targeted instead of clearing more content than necessary.</p> <div class="text-center" style="padding: 20px 0px"> <img src="/static/images/blog/opencart-3-full-page-caching-headers.jpg" width="100%" alt="Opencart 3 [full page](/blog/drupal/drupal-purge-module/) caching headers"/> <em>Headers returned by caching plugin.</em> </div> <h3>Custom TTL</h3> <p>Control how long a resource stays in the cache before it checks for a new version. This gives you a direct way to manage cache freshness.</p> <h3>Ajax Mini Cart and Wishlist</h3> <p>Dynamic sections like mini carts and wishlists usually prevent caching. The plugin loads these sections via Ajax, which makes more pages cacheable.</p> <h3>Cache Vary</h3> <p>The plugin adapts to different user states, currencies, and languages. It changes a cookie value to create separate cache regions for these variables.</p> <h2>Peakhour vs. LiteSpeed and Varnish Cache</h2> <p>LiteSpeed and Varnish Cache are good options, but Peakhour offers a more flexible and efficient caching solution for Opencart. The plugin makes Opencart as cache-friendly as Magento 2 or Drupal 8, if not more so.</p> <h2>The Results Speak for Themselves</h2> <p>Our client saw a clear improvement in their web vitals scores and website scalability. Full <a href="/blog/prestashop-plugin/">page caching</a> was enabled in October, with the gains shown below.</p> <div class="text-center" style="padding: 20px 0px"> <img src="/static/images/blog/opencart-3-web-vitals-lcp-improvement.jpg" width="100%" alt="Opencart 3 web vitals improvement"/> <em>Full page caching was enabled in October. Note a significant amount of pages, eg checkout, admin etc cannot be cached which affects these stats</em> </div> <p><em>For more information, visit our <a href="/docs/how-to-guides/integrations/opencart-3/">plugin page</a> or <a href="/contact-us/">contact us</a>.</em></p>2019-05-10T13:00:00+10:002023-11-02T13:00:00+11:00Dantag:www.peakhour.io,2019-05-10:/blog/magento-1-plugin/

<p>Our Magento 1 plugin is now available in the Magento Store. Discover how it improves website performance and capability.</p>

<p><a href="/blog/opencart/opencart-3-caching-plugin/">Full page</a> caching is not a cosmetic optimisation. Users expect quick load times, and search engines reward fast websites with higher rankings. Full page caching supports both by storing fully rendered HTML pages, so the server does not have to rebuild the page from scratch for each visitor.</p> <h2>How Full Page Caching Enhances Performance and Capability</h2> <p>By caching full HTML pages, you create a snapshot of a page at a particular moment. When a user requests that page, the server can deliver the snapshot instead of generating the page again. This saves compute and database resources, allowing your server to handle more users simultaneously. The result is straightforward: faster load times for users and less strain on the server.</p> <h3>Real-World Impact</h3> <p>Our early adopters have reported clear improvements in <a href="/blog/wordpress-plugin/">website speed</a> and server performance. One client saw a 40% reduction in server load and a 20% increase in page load speed. Those results point to a better user experience and potentially higher conversion rates.</p> <h2>Challenges with Magento 1 and How We Solved Them</h2> <p>Magento 1 presents specific challenges for full <a href="/blog/opencart-3-plugin/">page caching</a>, and our plugin handles them directly.</p> <h3>Mini Cart Issue</h3> <p>The mini cart needs to show real-time data, which makes it a barrier to full page caching. Our plugin uses targeted AJAX calls to fetch this data only when required, reducing unnecessary load on the server.</p> <h3>Form Key Problem</h3> <p>Magento 1 uses form keys to prevent CSRF attacks, but those keys make caching difficult. Our plugin replaces form keys with a strict referrer check, which is secure and cache-friendly.</p> <h3>Additional Features</h3> <ol> <li><strong>Automatic Expires Headers</strong>: You do not need to manually set expiration times for your cache; our plugin does it for you.</li> <li><strong>Cache Tagging</strong>: This allows for precise cache management. When you update a product, only the relevant cached pages are flushed, keeping the process efficient.</li> </ol> <p>The plugin is available for download, with the aim of improving performance and increasing server capability on Magento 1 stores.</p>2019-04-02T13:00:00+11:002019-04-02T13:00:00+11:00Dantag:www.peakhour.io,2019-04-02:/blog/wordpress-plugin/

<p>Experience a significant boost in website speed and performance with Peakhour's Full Page Caching feature, now easily accessible through our Wordpress plugin.</p>

<h2>Why Full Page Caching Matters</h2> <p>Site speed affects user experience, conversion, and server load. Slow pages can increase bounce rates and cost revenue. <a href="/blog/opencart/opencart-3-caching-plugin/">Full Page</a> Caching improves response times by storing and serving static versions of dynamic pages. This reduces load on your server and gives visitors quicker page loads.</p> <h2>How Peakhour Optimises Your Site</h2> <p>Peakhour helps speed up and secure your website with a DNS change. Unlike basic caching solutions, Peakhour serves these static pages from its global ANYCast network. Your site's visitors download content from a server close to them, reducing latency and speeding up downloads.</p> <h2>Peakhour's Transparent Caching and Delivery</h2> <p>In addition to Full Page Caching, Peakhour can act as a transparent delivery and cache layer. It caches and optimises static assets like CSS, JavaScript, and images. You don't need to make any other changes to your site; a DNS change is all it takes.</p> <h2>Wordpress Plugin for Easy Integration</h2> <p>During our beta phase, many clients used early versions of our WordPress plugin. The plugin integrates with Peakhour's API to automate content flushing when you make edits in the WordPress admin panel. This simplifies publishing and allows you to set longer lifetimes for your dynamic content in our global cache.</p> <h2>Improved Performance Metrics</h2> <p>With Peakhour, sites can see faster download times, a higher cache hit rate, and reduced load on the origin server. Site owners get lower origin demand; visitors get faster pages.</p>