HTTP caching is a technique used by web browsers and servers to store frequently accessed resources locally, reducing the need for repeated network requests. By leveraging the caching headers in HTTP responses, clients can intelligently decide when to use a cached copy of a resource or fetch an updated version from the server, improving performance and reducing latency for users while also decreasing load on the server infrastructure.

How to use it in a sentence

• "We should really fix our HTTP caching headers - I hear Google is starting to factor Core Web Vitals into search rankings, and stale content could tank our SEO."

• "Who was the genius who decided to cache API responses with private user data for 24 hours? I thought we learned our lesson after that HTTP caching fiasco took down half our stack last year!"

If you actually want to learn more...

• Caching best practices & max-age gotchas - Jake Archibald dives into the details of max-age, no-cache, no-store and more in this detailed guide to HTTP caching headers.

• Prevent unnecessary network requests with the HTTP Cache - web.dev covers the basics of HTTP caching, including how to use the Cache-Control header, ETags, and cache validation.

• RFC 7234 - HTTP/1.1 Caching - The IETF's official spec for HTTP caching is a thrilling read for those long nights when you're struggling to fall asleep. Or if you're a masochist.

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