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LumenCache

LumenCache

By Celsius Anderson
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Description

LumenCache implements a RAM-first full-page cache with a WordPress
advanced-cache.php drop-in. On a cache HIT, the drop-in serves complete HTML
before the normal WordPress bootstrap and database queries. This early-response
path reduces application-layer work and keeps repeat page requests fast across
Nginx, Apache, and LiteSpeed.

The cache is designed to fail open when its storage layer is unavailable, so a
cache connection problem does not take the WordPress site offline.

Research Foundation

Academic Reference:
“Dynamic Resource Mapping in Zero-Reload Server Architectures: Eliminating
Application-Layer Latency and Extension Dependency in High-Concurrency CMS
personalised requests continue through the full WordPress stack.

This architecture is intended to reduce repeated bootstrap work, database
queries, and extension overhead while preserving WordPress compatibility. It
also provides a practical bridge between academic performance research and
everyday publishing workloads, including content-heavy sites, WooCommerce
catalogues, and membership-driven pages.

Research author: Dean Nasrul Eam — Light & Composition University.

Eight-Subsystem Architecture

  1. RAM-First Full-Page Cache Engine — PHP stores complete HTML at
    shutdown and resolves repeat requests from the in-memory cache layer.
  2. Nginx / Apache Proxy Bridge — Static or dynamic server config bypasses
    PHP entirely for cache hits.
  3. Selective Bypass Cookie Router — sys_active_state cookie routes
    logged-in users and cart-active visitors to live PHP.
  4. Application Driver Profile Engine — Auto-detects WooCommerce,
    LearnDash, LifterLMS, MemberPress, BuddyBoss and registers tailored bypass
    rules and invalidation hooks.
  5. Surgical Cache Invalidation — Post save / nav menu / widget / theme
    switch events trigger precise per-URL or full purges.
  6. REST API State Endpoint — /wp-json/lumencache/v1/user-state serves
    personalised fragments for skeleton-hydration clients.
  7. Skeleton Hydration DOM Worker — skeleton-hydration.js replaces cached
    placeholders with live content on load.
  8. WP-CLI Management Interface — flush, flush-url, status commands.

Configuration (optional)

All settings are configurable from LumenCache Settings in the WordPress
admin. Optionally override any setting via wp-config.php — constants always win:

define( 'LUMENCACHE_REDIS_HOST',          '127.0.0.1' );
define( 'LUMENCACHE_REDIS_PORT',          6379 );
define( 'LUMENCACHE_REDIS_SOCKET',        '' );
define( 'LUMENCACHE_REDIS_PASSWORD',      '' );
define( 'LUMENCACHE_REDIS_DATABASE',      0 );
define( 'LUMENCACHE_REDIS_TIMEOUT',       1.0 );
define( 'LUMENCACHE_REDIS_PREFIX',        'cache:' );
define( 'LUMENCACHE_CACHE_TTL',           86400 );
define( 'LUMENCACHE_CACHE_SALT',          '' );
define( 'LUMENCACHE_CACHE_QUERY_STRINGS', false );
define( 'LUMENCACHE_PROXY_PASSWORD',      '' );

WP-CLI

wp lumencache flush
wp lumencache flush-url https://example.com/page/
wp lumencache status<h3>Privacy</h3>

LumenCache stores rendered page HTML and cache metadata in the in-memory cache
service configured by the site administrator. It does not send cache contents,
visitor data, or analytics data to a third-party LumenCache service. The
optional user-state endpoint returns only the requested dynamic values to the
requesting browser; sites should review those values and their own privacy
policy before enabling personalized hydration.

FAQ

Why are 0 pages cached?

Two common causes:
1. Nginx config not applied — visit Server Setup and paste the config blocks.
2. WooCommerce session cookie — fixed in v1.1.0. Previous versions bypassed
the cache for all visitors on WooCommerce sites due to the always-present
wp_woocommerce_session_* cookie.

Why can key salting affect server-level caching?

When LUMENCACHE_CACHE_SALT is set, PHP stores keys as SHA-256 hashes. A
server-level configuration must use the same key strategy or it will produce
cache misses. Disable the salt for a plain-key configuration, or use the
compatible hashed-key server template.

Does LumenCache work with LiteSpeed?

Yes. LiteSpeed supports Apache-compatible .htaccess rewrites. LumenCache uses
the Apache proxy mode on LiteSpeed. For better performance, ask your host
which in-memory cache acceleration options are available.

Can I still use wp-config.php constants?

Yes — constants always take precedence over admin settings. If you define a
constant, the corresponding field in the Settings tab is shown locked (read-only).

Reviews

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Contributors & Developers

“LumenCache” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Translate “LumenCache” into your language.

Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

1.6.23 (August 15, 2026)

  • SECURITY: Added explicit ABSPATH direct access guard to server/lumen-cache-proxy.php.
  • IMPROVEMENT: Updated Htaccess::deploy_proxy() to automatically configure localized ABSPATH definitions upon file deployment.

1.6.22 (August 15, 2026)

  • COMPLIANCE: Full compliance with WordPress.org Guideline 5; streamlined UI with clean external Pro link.
  • DROP-IN: advanced-cache.php is now completely self-contained with compiled configuration snapshot data.
  • SANITIZATION: Strict input and header sanitization against CRLF injection across all pre-bootstrap request paths.

1.6.21 (August 14, 2026)

  • HOUSEKEEPING: Updated Plugin URI to point to the official Dev Lab page.

1.6.20 (August 11, 2026)

  • FIX: Adjusted Quick Setup step flex rules in assets/css/admin.css to prevent connector lines from overlapping labels.

1.6.19 (August 11, 2026)

  • FIX: Replaced WordPress functions in lumen-cache-proxy.php with native PHP casts since the proxy runs pre-bootstrap.
  • FIX: Corrected root path calculation (LUMENCACHE_PROXY_ABSPATH) for WordPress index.php and wp-config.php inclusion.

1.6.18 (August 11, 2026)

  • FIX: Added return value check on $redis->auth() and $redis->select() in connect_phpredis().

1.6.17 (August 11, 2026)

  • PERF: Guarded debug string concatenation behind an explicit LUMENCACHE_DEBUG check for zero production overhead.

1.6.16 (August 11, 2026)

  • FIX: Replaced non-existent WordPress helper calls in advanced-cache.php with native PHP casts and isset checks.
  • FIX: Corrected enable_wp_cache() string replacement logic for reliable WP_CACHE insertion into wp-config.php.

1.6.15 (August 11, 2026)

  • FIX: Lifecycle::uninstall() now flushes all Redis keys before removing plugin files.
  • FIX: Corrected connection source label in Settings for manually-entered host/port settings.

1.6.14 (August 11, 2026)

  • SECURITY: Added direct file access protection via ABSPATH check to all server drop-ins.
  • SANITIZATION: Sanitized all $_SERVER inputs across pre-bootstrap request paths.

1.6.13 (August 11, 2026)

  • FIX: Prevented RSS/Atom feeds from caching to avoid incorrect Content-Type: text/html response headers.
  • FIX: Hardened URL sanitization in manual cache purge handler using esc_url_raw().

1.6.12 (August 10, 2026)

  • NEW: Built-in WooCommerce cart-fragments guard against crawler-triggered fragment storms.

1.6.11 (August 9, 2026)

  • COMPLIANCE: Standardized update delivery on the official WordPress.org channel.
  • DOCS: Added direct SSH installation instructions for Plesk in the Hosting Guide.

1.6.10 (August 9, 2026)

  • NEW: Added RAM Cache Engine connectivity check to Quick Setup and introduced the Hosting Guide tab.

1.6.9 (August 9, 2026)

  • IMPROVED: Quick Setup tracker review drawer for active, fully-configured sites.

1.6.8 (August 9, 2026)

  • NEW: Added interactive 4-step Quick Setup progress tracker on the Overview tab.

1.6.7 (August 9, 2026)

  • FIX: Aligned admin card headers and status badges across dashboard screens.

1.6.6 (August 8, 2026)

  • SECURITY: Synchronized MemberPress session cookie matching across Nginx, Apache, and PHP drivers.

1.6.5 (August 8, 2026)

  • FIX: Updated navigation references and doc comments for modular settings architecture.

1.6.4 (August 8, 2026)

  • UX: Refined dashboard sidebar layout with dedicated feature navigation panels.

1.6.3 (August 8, 2026)

  • CRITICAL: Added foreign drop-in protection to prevent overwriting existing third-party cache drop-ins.
  • FIX: Aligned Redis timeout defaults and safety bypasses for dynamic/personal routes across all readers.
  • FIX: Added non-HTML response rejection to prevent caching API/JSON payloads as HTML.

1.6.2

  • IMPROVED: Refined update channel integration for WordPress.org directory hosting.

1.6.1

  • UX: Instant click-to-show tabs across dashboard navigation.
  • FIX: Fixed Admin Bar quick link URL routing.

1.6.0

  • ARCHITECTURE: Split into clean Standard core with modular action/filter extensibility.
  • UX: Single-page admin navigation shell with collapsible sidebar.

1.5.1

  • FIX: Corrected LiteSpeed / OpenLiteSpeed server detection order.
  • FIX: Added safe commented placeholders for salted Nginx configurations.

1.5.0

  • NEW: Added Cloudflare edge cache purge integration support.

1.4.0

  • NEW: Added cache telemetry diagnostics, bypass-reason counters, and connection test tooling.

1.3.0

  • NEW: Automatic detection and bypass integration for XML sitemaps.

1.2.9

  • NEW: Automatic application driver integration for educational courses and custom post types.

1.2.8

  • COMPATIBILITY: Verified compatibility with WordPress 7.0 and PHP 8.5.

1.2.7

  • FIX: Intelligent handling of all three WP_CACHE states in wp-config.php and automated cleanup on deactivation.

1.2.6

  • UX: Added context-aware validation for Nginx key salting configurations.

1.2.5

  • UX: Context-aware badges in Security Hardening Matrix and direct key salt generator.

1.2.4

  • FIX: Added tracking-parameter stripping to Apache proxy to maintain parity with PHP cache keys.

1.2.3

  • CRITICAL: Fixed phpredis SCAN cursor handling in key_count() and delete_pattern().

1.2.2

  • FIX: Automated stripping of 14 marketing tracking query parameters (Google Shopping, Meta Ads, etc.).

1.2.1

  • FIX: Added connection return validation in connect_phpredis() and refined Unix socket handling.

1.2.0

  • FIX: Output buffering rebuild for PHP-FPM and Nginx FastCGI environments.

1.1.1

  • NEW: Standalone advanced-cache.php drop-in deployment with zero server configuration requirements.

1.1.0

  • NEW: Admin settings interface, Admin Bar menu, and WP Dashboard widget.
  • FIX: Resolved WooCommerce session cookie over-bypass for dramatic cache hit rate improvements.

1.0.3

  • Initial public release.

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