Edge Caching and Static Generation
Static generation builds your pages in advance as ready-made files, and edge caching stores those files on servers spread around the world. Together they deliver some of the fastest experiences possible, because there is little for the server to do when a visitor arrives.
This combination has become a popular foundation for fast, resilient marketing and content sites.
Doing the Work in Advance
The speed of edge caching and static generation comes from preparing pages ahead of time and storing them close to visitors. Because almost nothing is left to calculate when someone arrives, even sudden surges of traffic are handled calmly and quickly.
Why It Is So Fast
The speed of this approach comes from doing the hard work ahead of time. Because pages are already built and stored close to visitors, there is almost nothing left to compute when someone arrives.
- Pages are built once, not on every request.
- Files are served from near the visitor.
- The origin server does very little work.
- It copes calmly with sudden traffic spikes.
Is It Right for You?
This approach shines for sites whose content does not change on every request, such as marketing sites, blogs and documentation. For highly dynamic, personalised applications, other strategies may suit better.
- Ideal for content that is the same for every visitor.
- Excellent for sites with a global audience.
- Less suited to heavily personalised dashboards.
- Often combined with dynamic areas where needed.
How It Works
Instead of building each page on every request, the page is built once and cached at the edge — close to visitors. Requests are answered almost instantly from the nearest location.
Benefits
- Extremely fast load times worldwide.
- Excellent resilience to traffic spikes.
- Lower running costs because the origin server does less.
Keeping Content Fresh
- Rebuild pages automatically when content is published.
- Use incremental updates so only changed pages regenerate.
- Clear edge caches promptly when something updates.
If you need a hand with any of this, your Progressive Robot delivery team is ready to help. Raise a ticket from the Support area of your client portal or speak to your account manager and we will guide you through the next steps.