What are Cache-Control directives in HTTP?

What are Cache-Control directives in HTTP?

Cache-Control directives are HTTP headers used to specify caching policies for web resources. They control how, when, and for how long a resource can be cached.

Can you explain some common Cache-Control directives?

Sure! Some common directives include 'no-cache', which forces revalidation with the server, 'max-age', which specifies the maximum time a resource is considered fresh, and 'public', which indicates that the response can be cached by any cache.

What does 'max-age=3600' mean?

'max-age=3600' means that the resource can be cached and considered fresh for 3600 seconds (or 1 hour) before it needs to be revalidated.

How do these directives affect website performance?

Proper use of Cache-Control directives can significantly improve website performance by reducing load times and server requests, leading to a better user experience.