How to enable server caching on Cloudways

intermediate 8 min read Updated 2026-03-13

Quick Answer

Cloudways enables Varnish, Memcached, and Redis caching by default on new servers; verify and manage via the dashboard's Manage Services. Optionally enable Cloudflare Enterprise for edge caching and disable Varnish. Purge caches after changes to see updates.

Prerequisites

Active Cloudways account with launched server
Access to Cloudways dashboard
Optional: WordPress admin access for Breeze plugin
Optional: Cloudflare Enterprise add-on

Step-by-Step Instructions

Log in to Cloudways Dashboard

Access your Cloudways account dashboard, then select Servers from the top menu to view your server list. Click on the target server name to enter its Server Management overview page.[1][3]

Access Manage Services

In the server sidebar or main panel, click Manage Services. Scroll to caching sections for Varnish (page caching, enabled by default), Memcached (lightweight key-value caching), and Redis (object caching for complex data). Toggle on/off as needed; all auto-start post-launch.[3]

Memcached is memory-only with no disk writes; Redis pairs with pre-installed Object Cache Pro on ≥2GB RAM servers.

Purge Varnish Cache

In Manage Services, use the Purge Varnish button to clear cache manually if site changes are not visible. This forces rebuild from fresh data.[3]

Optimize Disk Cleanup

From server overview, go to Settings & Packages > Optimization tab. Enable Disk Cleanup Optimization: select folders/files (e.g., caches), set automatic cleanup at >80% disk usage, toggle Automatic on, and save. Run On-Demand Disk Cleanup for immediate purge.[1]

Customizes thresholds and intervals for cache-related cleanup.

Enable Breeze for WordPress (Optional)

For WordPress apps, install/activate Breeze plugin via WP dashboard. Go to Settings > Breeze: enable basic cache, Gzip compression, browser cache. Configure file optimization, preload, and advanced options like Heartbeat API and database optimization.[2]

Breeze auto-integrates with Varnish; enable 'Auto Purge Varnish' for updates.

Set Up Cloudflare Enterprise Edge Caching (Optional)

Navigate to your Application > Cloudflare tab. Click Enable ($5+/month), enter domain, and follow DNS setup. Post-activation, disable Varnish in Manage Services as edge caching supersedes it; keep Redis/Memcached for dynamic content.[3]

Includes CDN, image optimization; ideal for high traffic.

Verify Caching

Test site frontend after changes. If issues persist, purge caches again via Manage Services or Breeze. Use Never Cache URLs in Breeze to exclude specific pages from all layers.[2][3]

Advanced: Terminal Cache Management (Optional)

Access server via Servers > Master Credentials > SSH. Run as root/sudo:

varnishadm ban "req.url ~ .*"

to purge Varnish (complete command may vary).[3]

For advanced users only; dashboard preferred for most.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Stale or outdated content after updates

Purge Varnish via Manage Services or Breeze 'Purge Varnish Cache'; enable auto-purge in Breeze. Run disk cleanup.[1][2]

Cache conflicts with plugins

Disable conflicting plugins; use Breeze 'Never Cache URLs' for exclusions, which applies to Varnish/Cloudflare.[2]

Changes not visible on frontend

Manually purge all caches in Manage Services and Breeze; test incognito.[3]

High disk usage slowing performance

Enable automatic disk cleanup in Settings & Packages > Optimization at >80% threshold.[1]

Dynamic content not caching properly

Keep Redis/Memcached enabled; use Cloudflare Enterprise for edge while retaining object caching.[3]

Visit Cloudways View Cloudways Pricing