Clearing the cache

When to purge#

You might need to purge cached content when:

• You’ve updated content at the origin and need to push changes immediately
• You’ve deployed a new version of your site and need to clear old assets
• You’ve found an error in cached content that needs to be corrected
• You’ve removed content that should no longer be accessible

Cache size#

Before purging, you can view the current cache size for your deployment. The Cache Size section shows real-time statistics about what’s currently cached:

These statistics are aggregated across all domains in your deployment and update in real time. After a purge, you’ll see these numbers decrease as cached content is removed.

Purge methods#

Purge by URL#

Clear a specific file from the cache. Use this when you’ve updated individual files.

https://cdn.yoursite.com/images/hero.jpg

Purge by path prefix#

Clear all files under a specific path. Useful for clearing an entire directory.

/images/*
/assets/css/*

Purge everything#

Clear the entire cache for a domain. Use sparingly, as this temporarily increases origin load.

Purging via the console#

1. Navigate to your CDN deployment.
2. Click the Purge Cache button.
3. Select a purge method (URL, Path or Everything).
4. Enter the URL or path pattern (if applicable).
5. Click Purge.

Purging via the API#

Integrate cache purging into your CI/CD pipeline using the Edge API.

# Purge specific URLs
curl -X POST https://api.edge.network/v1/cdn/deployments/:id/purge \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "urls": [
      "https://cdn.yoursite.com/images/hero.jpg",
      "https://cdn.yoursite.com/css/main.css"
    ]
  }'

# Purge by path prefix
curl -X POST https://api.edge.network/v1/cdn/deployments/:id/purge \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "paths": ["/images/*"]
  }'

# Purge everything
curl -X POST https://api.edge.network/v1/cdn/deployments/:id/purge \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "all": true
  }'

Purge speed#

• <200ms: global propagation
• 100%: edge node coverage
• Instant: effect on new requests

Best practices#

• Use versioned URLs: instead of purging, use versioned filenames (e.g. app.v1.2.3.js) and update references. This is more reliable and allows for instant rollback.
• Be specific when purging: purge specific URLs or paths rather than everything. This maintains cache efficiency and reduces origin load.
• Integrate with your deployment: add cache purging to your CI/CD pipeline so it happens automatically after deployments.