Geo-location caching is the process of caching content based on the user’s geographic location. This can be really useful if you’re serving server-side content such as for displaying local content, ads, prices, and more. It helps by significantly improving page speed and ensuring that users get relevant content quickly.
Geo-location caching can be extremely useful for businesses that want to offer personalized experiences to their users based on their location. By detecting a user’s location, businesses can provide targeted content and offers that are relevant to the user’s region.
The type of caching you need depends on if your geo-location functionality is either client-side or server-side. Let’s explain that in more detail.
Caching can be a problem when using server-side geo-location functionality. For example, services like Cloudflare can cache a page and serve the incorrect version in another location. To address this, create separate cache buckets using a host like kinsta, or implement client-side caching instead.
Note: Cloudflare Edge caching is not a perfect solution for geo-location caching because their edge servers might be near country borders and therefore serve the wrong pages to users in other countries or cities.
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How to Implement Geo-Location Caching in WordPress
Caching services and plugins such as Cloudflare, WP Rocket or W3 Total Cache generally don’t work with server-side geo-location. These plugins and services usually do not have the capability to cache content based on a user’s location. Cloudflare’s Edge caching is not a reliable option for geo-location caching either.
The process can be greatly simplified using Kinsta’s cache buckets. I needed this functionality for a past project of mine and Kinsta was the only host that offered high-performance hosting with this functionality as a simple one-click option.
If using client-side geo-location is not an option for you then it’s definitely worth considering this option. I’ve used Kinsta’s geo-location caching on numerous websites and I’ve never had problems with it.
Kinsta can automatically create “cache buckets” at the click of a button. Cache buckets involve creating separate caches for different locations, which means your caching plugins will work without any complex configurations.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to implement geo-location in Kinsta hosting:
- To get started, log in to your MyKinsta account.
- Navigate to Sites > sitename > Tools.
- From there, look for the Geolocation option and click Enable.
- Once you do so, you will see two options in a popup which are “Enabled for country level” (only for the country) and “Enabled for country and city level” (for both country and city).
- Choose the preferred option and click “Enable“.
- Note: If you’re using this then you should leave the “Edge Caching” option in MyKinsta disabled as this could cause conflicts.
After completing the above steps successfully, you will be returned to the “tools” page with a success message.
Once you’ve enabled IP Geolocation for your site, you can now control your inbound traffic by adding redirect rules in MyKinsta.
You can now add third-party geo-location plugins such as Geolocation IP Detection for wordpress without any caching issues. Once you have the plugin installed, you can use shortcodes within your posts like this. Check the documentation, as you can add more parameters to control this with a lot more granularity!
[geoip_detect2_show_if country=”US”]Country is US[/geoip_detect2_show_if]
Client-side vs Server-side Geo Location Caching
Client-side geo-location involves using JavaScript to retrieve a user’s location and store it in a cookie or local storage. This method is usually easier for geo-location, as it doesn’t require extra server-side processing.
However, it’s not always an option, particularly in cases such as e-commerce, membership sites, or when using plugins that only work server-side. Besides, Client-side geo-location can have messy code, cumulative layout shift (CLS) shifts, and require JavaScript to render.
The Geolocation IP Detection plugin for wordpress has the option to render client-side code which would then work with any standard cache plugins or services such as Cloudflare. Though it may cause CLS issues or messy code.
On the other hand, server-side geo-location involves detecting a user’s location when rendering the page. This method requires server-side processing, which can slow down the website’s performance.
Server-side geo-location code is cleaner and it’s rendered statically. Moreover, it can handle more complex logic and calculations.
Cloudflare APO and Geo-Location Caching
Service-side geo-location does not work with Cloudflare APO. Client-side geo-location caching will work just fine.
Cloudflare Automatic Platform Optimization (APO) is a caching solution designed to improve the performance of WordPress websites by reducing the time it takes to load content.
APO is built on top of Cloudflare’s global content delivery network (CDN) and uses smart caching to cache and serve dynamic content, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files. This allows WordPress sites to load faster and handle more traffic without overloading the server.
However, one limitation of APO is that it does not support server-side geo-location caching, as the caching occurs before the user’s location can be detected. This means that websites using Cloudflare APO won’t be able to benefit from the performance gains of server-side geo-location caching.
Client-side geo-location, on the other hand, would be compatible with Cloudflare APO. By using the built-in geolocation API, cached content can be served based on the user’s location. This makes Cloudflare APO and client-side geo-location the perfect combination for optimizing WordPress websites for performance and scalability.
Cloudflare APO and Geo-Location Caching
Server-side geo-location does not work with Cloudflare Edge caching. Client-side geo-location caching will work just fine.
Cloudflare Edge caching, though effective for improving website performance, does not inherently support geolocation. This limitation arises when resources are served from a server in a neighboring country or city, as it can lead to the delivery of the wrong version of the page to users. Since Cloudflare optimizes content delivery by caching resources close to the user’s location, it may inadvertently bypass the intended geolocation settings, resulting in a less personalized browsing experience and potential inaccuracies in content presentation.
Conclusion
When optimizing your WordPress website’s performance, caching is an essential tool to have in your arsenal. By storing frequently accessed content and data, geo-location caching reduces server load and improves website speed. However, it’s important to choose the suitable method that meets your website’s specific needs when implementing geo-location caching.
Client-side geo-location is an easier solution if your geo-location plugin has the option, or if you’re able to custom code it into your application, because it doesn’t require any additional server configuration. However, if it’s not feasible, you can consider the server-side option.
When it comes to server-side geo-location caching, I’d recommend choosing a hosting provider that lets you easily set up cache buckets to the correct level of granularity. Kinsta was the only quality provider that I came across that offered a one-click solution for server-side geo-location caching, allowing you to cache content and data based on IP addresses, geolocation, or other criteria.
I hope this article has given you a better understanding of geo-location caching and how to implement it in WordPress. If you have any further questions, feel free to reach out!