What Does Flush Magento Cache Do?

Short Answer

Flushing the Magento cache clears all cached data, including page output, and other system-related cache data, ensuring that users see the most recent version of the site.

Understanding Caching in Magento

Caching in Magento is an essential performance feature that temporarily stores data such as web pages, images, CSS, and JavaScript files to reduce the load on the server and make page loading faster for the end-user. However, when changes are made to the website, the cache may hold outdated information.

The Role of Cache Flushing

Immediate Reflection of Changes

Flushing the cache ensures that any updates you’ve made to the website, such as price changes, new product introductions, or design adjustments, are immediately seen by visitors.

Clearing Various Types of Cache

Magento maintains several types of cache, each serving a different purpose. Flushing the cache typically refers to clearing all of these at once.

Step-by-Step Guide to Flush Magento Cache

Step 1: Access the Admin Panel

1. Log in to the Magento admin panel using your administrator credentials.

Step 2: Navigate to Cache Management

2. From the dashboard, navigate to the ‘System’ menu.
3. Click on ‘Cache Management’ under the ‘Tools’ or ‘System Operations’ section.

Step 3: Perform the Flush

4. Click on the ‘Flush Magento Cache’ button to clear the cache stored by the Magento system.
5. Optionally, you can also click on ‘Flush Cache Storage’ which is a broader option, clearing all caches that Magento uses, not just the cache Magento has created.

Step 4: Verify the Action

6. After flushing, you will receive a system message confirming the action.
7. Verify by checking the frontend of the store to ensure changes are reflected.

Types of Cache in Magento

Page Cache

This is the most commonly accessed cache, storing full page content for faster delivery to the customer’s browser.

Block Cache

Magento caches blocks of content that are part of page layouts to avoid rendering them from scratch on each request.

Configuration Cache

This includes caching of system and module configuration settings.

Other Caches

Magento also uses several other caches for layouts, collections, reflection data, etc.

When to Flush the Cache

• After Making Changes: Whenever you update product information, CMS content, or configuration settings.
• Extensions Installation: After installing or upgrading Magento extensions.
• System Debugging: If you’re troubleshooting an issue and need to ensure the cache isn’t affecting your diagnosis.
• Performance: If you notice the site is not performing optimally, and you suspect stale cache might be an issue.

Considerations

Performance Impact

Flushing the cache can temporarily impact the performance of your site since pages must be regenerated on the next request.

Cache Warming

After flushing the cache, consider using a cache warming process to pre-generate pages before customers request them.

Use with Discretion

Only flush the cache when necessary to avoid unnecessary performance dips.

Best Practices

• Selective Flushing: Flush only the specific cache types related to the changes you’ve made if possible.
• Off-Peak Hours: Perform cache flushing during off-peak hours to minimize the impact on your customers.
• Monitoring: Keep an eye on system performance and user experience following a cache flush.

Conclusion

Flushing Magento cache is a powerful feature that should be used judiciously. It ensures that updates and changes are reflected to the end-user by clearing stored data that can make the site appear outdated. However, it should be managed carefully to maintain the balance between site performance and content freshness. Regularly flushing the cache, especially after updates or during debugging, keeps your Magento store running smoothly and ensures your customers have the best experience possible.