How to fix: Issues with uncached JavaScript and CSS files

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Issue: Uncached JavaScript and CSS files force browsers to download these resources every time a user visits your page, slowing down page load times and frustrating visitors.

Fix: Enable browser caching for JavaScript and CSS files to allow browsers to store and reuse these resources, speeding up load times.

How to Fix for Beginners

  1. Enable Caching on Your Server: Configure your server to specify caching in the response header for your JavaScript and CSS files.
    • Example: Add the following to your .htaccess file (for Apache servers): 
      <IfModule mod_expires.c>
  ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 1 month"
  ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 1 month"
</IfModule>
  2. Set an Appropriate Cache Duration: Assign a reasonable caching duration for your files, such as one month or longer, for static resources.
    • Example: Cache-Control: max-age=2592000 (30 days).
  3. Check Third-Party Resources: If the JavaScript and CSS files are hosted externally, contact the resource owner and request they enable caching.
    • Example: If a library like example.com/script.js is slow, ask the host to add caching headers.
  4. Test Page Performance: Use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to confirm caching is working and load times are reduced.
  5. Monitor Regularly: Ensure new files added to your site also have proper caching settings.

Tip: Browser caching improves load times, enhances user experience, and boosts your page’s SEO performance.

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