T
The Daily Insight

What does Varnish cache do

Author

Mia Kelly

Published Mar 15, 2026

Varnish Cache is a web application accelerator also known as a caching HTTP reverse proxy. You install it in front of any server that speaks HTTP and configure it to cache the contents. Varnish Cache is really, really fast. It typically speeds up delivery with a factor of 300 – 1000x, depending on your architecture.

Should I use varnish cache?

You can use Varnish to cache both dynamic and static content: this is an efficient solution to increase not only your website speed but also your server performance. According to its developers: “It can speed up delivery with a factor of 300 – 1000x, depending on your architecture.

Is Varnish caching free?

The fact that it’s open source means the code is also available online and the use of Varnish is free of charge. Varnish Cache is maintained by an active community, led by Poul-Henning Kamp. Although Varnish Cache is “free as in beer,” there’s still a company backing the project and funding most of its development.

How long does Varnish cache for?

If TTLs are not set by the origin server or defined via VCL, Varnish will apply the default values: a TTL of 2 minutes and a Grace of 10 seconds.

Does Varnish cache files?

Varnish Cache Default VCL and Varnish Cache BuiltIn VCL When a user gets the open-source Varnish Cache they will get two files – default. … This is the file you will edit to configure the VCL for your specific application. If the default VCL is not edited, Varnish Cache will go to the builtin VCL.

How do I flush Varnish Cache?

Well, I suggest just restart varnish. It will purge all of the files because varnish keeps cache into memory. Assuming no change of URL or internal cache key, for a full flush the simplest approach would be to restart Varnish, as it maintains its cache in memory.

How do you use varnish cache?

  1. Before You Begin.
  2. Install and Configure Varnish Cache. Install Varnish with the package manager: sudo apt install varnish. …
  3. Take Varnish Live: Configure Web Traffic to Serve Cached Content. …
  4. Advanced Varnish Configuration. …
  5. Test Varnish with varnishlog. …
  6. Firewall Rules. …
  7. More Information.

Where does Varnish store cache?

Varnish Cache stores content in pluggable modules called storage backends. It does this via its internal stevedore interface.

Does Varnish cache headers?

By default, Varnish does not care about the Cache-Control request header.

What is Varnish Cache Magento 2?

Varnish Cache is a web application accelerator, which is also known as a caching HTTP reverse proxy. Unlike web servers like Apache and Nginx, Varnish was designed for using it exclusively with the HTTP protocol. It is an HTTP accelerator designed for content-heavy dynamic websites, like your Magento 2 store.

Article first time published on

What is varnish load balancer?

Varnish is a powerful HTTP load balancer (reverse proxy), which is also very good at caching. When running multiple TSDs, Varnish comes in handy to distribute the HTTP traffic across the TSDs. … Using Varnish will help you easily scale the amount of read capacity of your TSD cluster.

What is the difference between Redis and varnish?

Redis: An in-memory database that persists on disk. Varnish Cache is a web application accelerator also known as a caching HTTP reverse proxy. … You install it in front of any server that speaks HTTP and configure it to cache the contents.

Which is better varnish or polyurethane?

While polyurethane is water- or oil-based plastic resin, varnish is older and made from resins, oils, and solvents. Because of the higher ratio of solids, varnish is less susceptible to ultraviolet light damage. This protection makes varnish an excellent choice for projects such as outside decks and exterior furniture.

Does Varnish cache images?

In your code snippet above you’re seeing a very typical Varnish VCL snippet which forces images, css and javascript to be cached. By default, Varnish will not cache any request with a cookie in it.

How do I cache a static image?

  1. Use Cache-control HTTP directive to control who can cache the response, under which conditions, and for how long.
  2. Configure your server or application to send validation token Etag.
  3. Do not cache HTML in the browser.

What is cache static content?

What is Cache Static Content? While many forms of caching are available, static caching is a method for converting the page generated by a user’s request into an HTML document to serve any subsequent requests to that same page.

Does varnish make wood waterproof?

Varnish can prevent scratches and abrasions on table tops. As well as waterproofing the wood, varnish can also prevent wooden surfaces from getting scratched. Finishing wood with a product such as varnish, serves to protect wood from the little knocks and spills that are inevitable in a busy family home.

How long does it take varnish to dry?

The following are average CURE times based on recommended temperature and humidity: 21 days for water-based products. 30 days for oil-based products. You can use a piece lightly after about 7 days but be cautious – the finish will still be curing for another 2 or 3 weeks.

Does varnish protect wood from water?

METHOD 2: Use sealants for best protection Polyurethane, varnish, and lacquer are tried-and-true sealants with excellent waterproofing properties. They’re either brushed or sprayed onto clean, sanded wood and then allowed to dry completely, prior to the piece being lightly re-sanded and recoated.

What is Varnish purge?

A purge is what happens when you pick out an object from the cache and discard it along with its variants. Usually a purge is invoked through HTTP with the method PURGE .

How do I know if Varnish is working?

To verify that Varnish is proxying look for the existence of the X-Varnish header in the response. The Age header will be 0 on a cache miss and above zero on a hit. The first request to a page will always be a miss.

How do I restart varnish cache?

Use “systemctl start/restart/stop varnish“.

What is the Via header?

The Via general header is added by proxies, both forward and reverse, and can appear in the request or response headers. It is used for tracking message forwards, avoiding request loops, and identifying the protocol capabilities of senders along the request/response chain.

What is Varnish Cache Plus?

Varnish Cache Plus (VCP) is a supercharged version of the popular open source HTTP engine/reverse HTTP proxy, Varnish Cache (VC) Linux/Unix. Free Trial. Typical Total Price. $0.70/hr.

Is varnish in memory cache?

Varnish can be used for caching both the static and dynamic content on websites. In other words, it is a web application accelerator. Simply, Varnish cache is an intermediator between the client and the webserver. It serves the stored content in its memory.

Does varnish work with https?

Varnish, at least in the open source version, does not support HTTPS. Varnish Software released Hitch a while ago, which can be used to terminate HTTPS in front of a Varnish caching proxy.

What is Magento Varnish Cache?

Varnish Cache is an open source web application accelerator (also referred to as an HTTP accelerator or caching HTTP reverse proxy). Varnish stores (or caches) files or fragments of files in memory; this enables Varnish to reduce the response time and network bandwidth consumption on future, equivalent requests.

How do I use Varnish Cache in Magento 2?

  1. Log in to the Admin as an administrator.
  2. Click Stores > Settings > Configuration > Advanced > System > Full Page Cache.
  3. From the Caching Application list, click Varnish Caching.
  4. Enter a value in the TTL for public content field.

How do I enable Varnish in Cloudways?

Under Server Management, select Manage Services. 4. Next, click Enable in front of Varnish to activate the service.

Is Varnish Cache open source?

Varnish Cache is a popular – and powerful – open source HTTP engine/reverse HTTP proxy used by more than 3.4 million websites. The cache is often the most critical piece of software for a web-based business.

What is varnish in Devops?

Varnish is a caching http reverse proxy which means it works as an intermediatery between your client and web server, receives the requests from the client and tries to answer them from the cache , In case if varnish is not able to answer the request from the cache it will forward the request to the backend web server …