CDN optimization for global audiences

A global audience means your site must reach users quickly, no matter where they are. A well-tuned CDN serves assets from edge locations near visitors, reducing latency and easing traffic spikes.

Cache strategy

Cache is the heartbeat of a fast site. Use long max-age for versioned static files and a clear rule for HTML. Fingerprinted filenames help avoid cache busting with query strings. Set Cache-Control: public, max-age=31536000, immutable for static assets; use s-maxage for shared caches. When assets update, bump the versioned name and purge the edge as needed. If supported, consider stale-while-revalidate to serve fresh content while updates load.

Asset optimization

Enable Brotli with gzip as a fallback. Optimize images with WebP or AVIF and use responsive sizes. Minify CSS and JavaScript, and remove unused rules. Keep asset sets small and prioritize critical CSS to reduce render time. An efficient asset pipeline helps browsers cache effectively and speeds up first paint.

Routing and availability

Leverage multiple edge locations and geolocation routing to shorten paths. Enable origin shield to reduce load on the origin during traffic spikes. Plan for fast failover with clear, lightweight fallback content and quick purge of stale assets.

Security and observability

Prefer HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 with TLS termination at the edge. Use TLS 1.3, HSTS, and automated certificate management. Monitor Real User Monitoring and synthetic tests across regions to track performance, cache hit rates, and purge times.

Quick start

• Move static assets to the CDN (images, fonts, scripts).
• Use versioned file names and sensible cache headers.
• Enable compression and modern image formats.
• Test from several regions and adjust routing rules.

Key Takeaways

• A well-configured CDN cuts global latency and boosts reliability.
• Proper caching and asset optimization are the fastest wins.
• Observability helps maintain performance across regions.