Usage

Learn how to use the Cloudflare Smart Cache plugin to manage caching and optimize your WordPress site.

Admin Interface

Access plugin settings via Settings > CF Smart Cache. The interface has four tabs, all using AJAX with zero page reloads.

Dashboard Tab

View cache performance at a glance:

• Cache Statistics — Total requests, cache hits, cache misses, and hit rate (color-coded: green >= 70%, yellow >= 40%, red < 40%)
• Bypass Reasons — Breakdown of why requests bypassed the edge cache (logged-in, admin, AJAX, REST, preview, password, WooCommerce)
• Recent Cached URLs — Up to 10 most recent URLs served from cache with timestamps
• Purge Buttons — Purge All Cache and Purge Homepage buttons with confirmation dialog and inline success/error feedback

Settings Tab

Configure plugin settings:

• API Token — Enter your Cloudflare Profile API Token with show/hide toggle
• Zone — Select your Cloudflare zone from an AJAX-loaded dropdown; click Refresh Zone List to reload
• Rate Limiting — Configure max requests, retries, adaptive mode, plan, and batch size
• Purge on Post Types — Checkboxes to select which post types trigger automatic cache purge
• Scheduled Full Purge — Select Disabled, Daily, or Weekly for automatic full cache clearance
• Save Settings button updates all settings via AJAX without page reload

Tools Tab

Auto-Configuration and configuration management:

• Configuration Status — View current status of:
  • Zone — Name and plan (FREE/PRO/BUSINESS/ENTERPRISE)
  • Page Rule — Status (OK/Not set/Incorrect) with pattern and error details
  • Origin Cache Control — Current setting value
  • DNS Proxy — Shows unproxied DNS records requiring orange cloud
  • Backup — Number of saved backups and latest backup timestamp
• Auto-Configuration Wizard:
  • Set Page Rule — Apply Cache Everything page rule checkbox
  • Enable DNS Proxy — Enable orange cloud for root domain or all proxiable records
  • Origin Cache Control — Enforced as part of Page Rule (always applied)
  • Backup Now — Save current configuration (up to 3 slots)
  • Apply Selected — Run the selected configuration changes
  • Rollback — Select a backup index and restore previous configuration

Logs Tab

Real-time activity monitoring:

• Displays the last 50 log entries from all plugin operations
• Auto-refreshes every 5 seconds via AJAX — no manual page reload needed
• Color-coded rows:
  • Normal: default styling
  • Warning: yellow background
  • Error: red background
• Logged actions include: cache purges, settings saves, zone refreshes, auto-config operations (backup/apply/rollback), hit rate alert dismissals, scheduled purges, and API errors

Automatic Cache Purging

The plugin automatically purges Cloudflare cache on the following events:

• Post status changes — When a post transitions to or from "publish" status
• Post deletion — When a published post is deleted
• Term changes — When categories or tags are edited or deleted
• Menu changes — When navigation menus are updated
• Profile changes — When user profiles are updated
• Theme switch — When the active theme is changed

Selective Purge by Post Type

In Settings > Cache Purge Settings, you can select which post types trigger automatic cache purge. Unchecked post types are completely skipped — no URLs are generated and no API calls are made for those post types.

Scheduled Full-Site Purge

Enable Scheduled Full Purge in Settings to automatically purge all Cloudflare cache on a daily or weekly schedule via WP-Cron.

Admin Toolbar Integration

The WordPress admin toolbar displays cache status and provides quick access:

• Status indicator — Shows "Edge Cache: Public", "Edge Cache: Admin (Bypass)", etc.
• Quick link to plugin settings page

Cache Hit Rate Alert

When the cache hit rate stays below 30% for 3 or more consecutive checks (minimum 50 total requests), an admin warning notice is displayed. Click "View Tools" to troubleshoot your configuration. The alert can be dismissed via AJAX.

Developer Hooks

The plugin provides the following hooks for custom integration:

Hook	Type	Description
cf_smart_cache_ttl	Filter	Modify TTL values for cached pages
cf_smart_cache_purge_urls	Filter	Filter URLs to purge on content changes
cf_smart_cache_post_purge_urls	Filter	Filter related URLs based on post relationships
cf_smart_cache_bypass_cookies	Filter	Filter cookies that trigger cache bypass
cf_smart_cache_supported_post_types	Filter	Filter which post types support cache purge
cf_smart_cache_after_settings_save	Action	After settings are saved
cf_smart_cache_after_purge_all	Action	After full cache purge

See docs/developer-hooks.md for complete reference with parameters and examples.

Running Tests

composer install
vendor/bin/phpunit