A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a globally distributed network of servers that caches and delivers your website's static content (images, CSS, JavaScript, fonts) from the server closest to each visitor. This reduces latency and speeds up page load times significantly.
How a CDN Works
Without a CDN, every visitor connects to your origin server, which might be in Germany. A visitor from Australia experiences high latency. With a CDN:
- Your content is cached on edge servers worldwide (called PoPs — Points of Presence).
- When a visitor requests your page, the CDN routes them to the nearest edge server.
- Static assets are served from the edge; dynamic content still comes from your origin.
Benefits for WordPress
- Faster page loads — Assets served from nearby servers reduce round-trip time.
- Lower server load — Your origin server handles fewer requests.
- DDoS protection — Many CDNs absorb malicious traffic before it reaches your server.
- Better SEO — Page speed is a Google ranking factor.
- Global reach — Consistent performance for visitors worldwide.
Popular CDN Providers
- Cloudflare — Free tier available, includes DNS, WAF, and DDoS protection.
- BunnyCDN — Affordable, fast, easy to set up.
- KeyCDN — Pay-as-you-go pricing, good European coverage.
- Amazon CloudFront — Integrated with AWS ecosystem.
What InspectWP Checks
InspectWP can detect CDN usage through response headers and DNS records. It identifies whether your site uses a CDN provider like Cloudflare, Sucuri, or others.