WordPress CDN Integration with W3 Total Cache Plugin

Follow the below easy steps to accelerate your WordPress website via CDN by configuring W3 Total Cache plugin. Before starting your W3 Total Cache plugin setup please backup your WordPress site and database.

The first step you have to take is to install W3 Total Cache plugin to your WordPress. There are two ways to install the plugin as following;

Download from W3 Total Cache website

  1. Go to W3 Total Cache website and download the plugin. (You do not need to unzip this file)
  2. Login to your “WordPress Admin” section.
  3. Go to “Plugins” and click on “Add New”.
  4. Click on the “Upload Plugin” from the top right.
  5. Click on “Choose File” button and select the downloaded “W3 Total Cache” plugin.
  6. Click on “Install Now” button to install W3 Total Cache plugin to your WordPress.
  7. Click on “Installed Plugins”, find W3 Total Cache plugin from the list and then click on “Activate”.

Install from WordPress

  1. Login to your “WordPress Admin” section.
  2. Go to “Plugins” and click on “Add New”.
  3. Search for “W3 Total Cache”
  4. Click on “Install Now” button to install W3 Total Cache plugin to your WordPress.
  5. Click on “Installed Plugins”, find W3 Total Cache plugin from the list and then click on “Activate”.

Configure W3 Total Cache Plugin

  1. From the left hand side menu of your WP Admin find the “Performance” tab (Should be the last at the bottom) and click on “General Settings”
  2. Scroll down to the “CDN” section.
  3. Check Enable CDN and select Generic Mirror from CDN type drop down if the Selected CDN Provider is not listed.
  4. Click Save all settings.
  5. From the left hand side menu of your WP Admin find the “Performance” tab and click on “CDN”
  6. Scroll down to the “Configuration” section and enter in “Replace site’s hostname with:” your CDN CNAME URL or CDN Hostname.
  7. Click Save all settings.
  8. Go back to “General Settings” enable “Preview Mode”first to test first and then if all works as desired click on “Save all settings”. If you click on “Enable” button you will get redirected to a page showing you your website being accelerated by selected CDN as per your W3 Total Cache settings. If you notices any unusual behaviour do not click on “Save all settings”.

To confirm that the plugin is working correctly view the page source of your website. If your URL paths are showing either the configured CDN CNAME URL or CDN Hostname “Host” then you’ve successfully integrated your website with a CDN.