CDN and web performance learning path
Learn Cloudflare CDN from domain onboarding through caching, HTTP/3, origin protection, and performance diagnostics.
Edited and verified by Orange Book Editorial Team ·
What this path solves
You will place domains, TLS, modern protocols, caching, and dynamic acceleration on one request path. You will know what each switch solves, how to verify it, and when not to enable it.
Detailed description
Five-phase route
| Phase | Goal | Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Safely move traffic through Cloudflare | Domain onboarding, DNS and proxying, end-to-end TLS |
| Phase 2 | Establish modern HTTPS and cache fundamentals | TLS 1.3, HTTP/3 and 0-RTT, default cache behavior |
| Phase 3 | Design caching for real applications | Cache Rules, TTL and headers, CMS/SaaS/AI-built applications |
| Phase 4 | Raise hit ratio and shield the origin | Cache Key, precise purge, Tiered Cache and Cache Reserve |
| Phase 5 | Improve paths that caching alone cannot fix | Content optimization, Argo, measurement and diagnosis |
Complete Phase 1 first
01 · Onboard a domain
Review DNS, change nameservers, and retain verification and rollback evidence.
02 · DNS and proxy status
Decide which records should be Proxied and which must remain DNS only.
03 · End-to-end TLS
Secure both visitor-to-edge and edge-to-origin connections.
Establish the Phase 2 baseline
04 · HTTPS and TLS 1.3
Configure redirects, minimum TLS, TLS 1.3, and HSTS in a reversible order.
05 · HTTP/3 and 0-RTT
Separate visitor and origin protocols, then audit early-data replay risk.
06 · Default cache behavior
Explain outcomes from eligibility, headers, TTL, and CF-Cache-Status.
Phase 3 sets policies for real applications
07 · Cache Rules allowlist
Bypass identity and writes before admitting known public resources.
08 · TTLs and response headers
Separate freshness in browsers, the Cloudflare edge, and the origin.
09 · Application cache patterns
Cover CMS, SaaS, and AI-built image, PDF, and business tools.
Phase 4 improves reuse and shields the origin
10 · Cache key security
Consolidate only identical output and prevent fragmentation, cross-reads, and poisoning.
11 · Targeted invalidation
Put versioned URLs, URL/Tag purge, and rollback in the release transaction.
12 · Tiered cache
Consolidate misses with Smart Tiered before modeling Cache Reserve cost.
Phase 5 closes the optimization and diagnosis loop
13 · Frontend content optimization
Optimize compression, Early Hints, images, and the browser waterfall.
14 · Dynamic content and Argo
Separate origin processing from network paths and evaluate paid routing from evidence.
15 · Performance diagnosis
Build evidence across DNS, protocol, cache, origin, application, and CWV.
How to use the path
Verify each change on a test hostname before expanding it to production. Do not change several settings merely to obtain a green toggle, TLS 1.3, or a HIT response.
Official starting points
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