Varnish 4 Configuration to Optimize WordPress

by asep on January 18, 2015

Varnish is a cache, which means its role is to store and remember what a web application serves to the user the first time the content is accessed. Then it can serve the same content again for subsequent requests without asking the web application again.

It can be used to serve static content, such as images, scripts, or stylesheets, because Varnish is blazingly fast and copes with traffic much better than Apache does. It can also be used to cache quasi-static content; that is, content that is generated dynamically by the application (using the database and taking a considerable amount of time to prepare), but that stays unchanged for a period of time, making the content suitable for caching.

Put the following code at default.vcl

#
# This is an example VCL file for Varnish.
#
# It does not do anything by default, delegating control to the
# builtin VCL. The builtin VCL is called when there is no explicit
# return statement.
#
# See the VCL chapters in the Users Guide at https://www.varnish-cache.org/docs/
# and http://varnish-cache.org/trac/wiki/VCLExamples for more examples.

# Update for work with Varnish 4


# Marker to tell the VCL compiler that this VCL has been adapted to the
# new 4.0 format.
vcl 4.0;

# Default backend definition. Set this to point to your content server.
backend default {
    .host = "127.0.0.1";
    .port = "8080";
    .connect_timeout = 600s;
    .first_byte_timeout = 600s;
    .between_bytes_timeout = 600s;
    .max_connections = 800;
}

# Only allow purging from specific IPs
acl purge {
    "localhost";
    "127.0.0.1";
}

# This function is used when a request is send by a HTTP client (Browser) 
sub vcl_recv {
	# Normalize the header, remove the port (in case you're testing this on various TCP ports)
	set req.http.Host = regsub(req.http.Host, ":[0-9]+", "");

	# Allow purging from ACL
	if (req.method == "PURGE") {
		# If not allowed then a error 405 is returned
		if (!client.ip ~ purge) {
			return(synth(405, "This IP is not allowed to send PURGE requests."));
		}	
		# If allowed, do a cache_lookup -> vlc_hit() or vlc_miss()
		return (purge);
	}

	# Post requests will not be cached
	if (req.http.Authorization || req.method == "POST") {
		return (pass);
	}

	# --- Wordpress specific configuration
	
	# Did not cache the RSS feed
	if (req.url ~ "/feed") {
		return (pass);
	}

	# Blitz hack
        if (req.url ~ "/mu-.*") {
                return (pass);
        }

	
	# Did not cache the admin and login pages
	if (req.url ~ "/wp-(login|admin)") {
		return (pass);
	}
	
	 # Do not cache the WooCommerce pages
	 ### REMOVE IT IF YOU DO NOT USE WOOCOMMERCE ###
	if (req.url ~ "/(cart|my-account|checkout|addons|/?add-to-cart=)") {
        	return (pass);
    	}

	# Remove the "has_js" cookie
	set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "has_js=[^;]+(; )?", "");

	# Remove any Google Analytics based cookies
	set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "__utm.=[^;]+(; )?", "");

	# Remove the Quant Capital cookies (added by some plugin, all __qca)
	set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "__qc.=[^;]+(; )?", "");

	# Remove the wp-settings-1 cookie
	set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "wp-settings-1=[^;]+(; )?", "");

	# Remove the wp-settings-time-1 cookie
	set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "wp-settings-time-1=[^;]+(; )?", "");

	# Remove the wp test cookie
	set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "wordpress_test_cookie=[^;]+(; )?", "");

	# Are there cookies left with only spaces or that are empty?
	if (req.http.cookie ~ "^ *$") {
		    unset req.http.cookie;
	}
	
	# Cache the following files extensions 
	if (req.url ~ "\.(css|js|png|gif|jp(e)?g|swf|ico)") {
		unset req.http.cookie;
	}

	# Normalize Accept-Encoding header and compression
	# https://www.varnish-cache.org/docs/3.0/tutorial/vary.html
	if (req.http.Accept-Encoding) {
		# Do no compress compressed files...
		if (req.url ~ "\.(jpg|png|gif|gz|tgz|bz2|tbz|mp3|ogg)$") {
			   	unset req.http.Accept-Encoding;
		} elsif (req.http.Accept-Encoding ~ "gzip") {
		    	set req.http.Accept-Encoding = "gzip";
		} elsif (req.http.Accept-Encoding ~ "deflate") {
		    	set req.http.Accept-Encoding = "deflate";
		} else {
			unset req.http.Accept-Encoding;
		}
	}

	# Check the cookies for wordpress-specific items
	if (req.http.Cookie ~ "wordpress_" || req.http.Cookie ~ "comment_") {
		return (pass);
	}
	if (!req.http.cookie) {
		unset req.http.cookie;
	}
	
	# --- End of Wordpress specific configuration

	# Did not cache HTTP authentication and HTTP Cookie
	if (req.http.Authorization || req.http.Cookie) {
		# Not cacheable by default
		return (pass);
	}

	# Cache all others requests
	return (hash);
}
 
sub vcl_pipe {
	return (pipe);
}
 
sub vcl_pass {
	return (fetch);
}
 
# The data on which the hashing will take place
sub vcl_hash {
 	hash_data(req.url);
 	if (req.http.host) {
     	hash_data(req.http.host);
 	} else {
     	hash_data(server.ip);
 	}

	# If the client supports compression, keep that in a different cache
    	if (req.http.Accept-Encoding) {
        	hash_data(req.http.Accept-Encoding);
	}
     
	return (lookup);
}
 
# This function is used when a request is sent by our backend (Nginx server)
sub vcl_backend_response {
	# Remove some headers we never want to see
	unset beresp.http.Server;
	unset beresp.http.X-Powered-By;

	# For static content strip all backend cookies
	if (bereq.url ~ "\.(css|js|png|gif|jp(e?)g)|swf|ico") {
		unset beresp.http.cookie;
	}

	# Only allow cookies to be set if we're in admin area
	if (beresp.http.Set-Cookie && bereq.url !~ "^/wp-(login|admin)") {
        	unset beresp.http.Set-Cookie;
    	}

	# don't cache response to posted requests or those with basic auth
	if ( bereq.method == "POST" || bereq.http.Authorization ) {
        	set beresp.uncacheable = true;
		set beresp.ttl = 120s;
		return (deliver);
    	}
 
    	# don't cache search results
	if ( bereq.url ~ "\?s=" ){
		set beresp.uncacheable = true;
                set beresp.ttl = 120s;
                return (deliver);
	}
    
	# only cache status ok
	if ( beresp.status != 200 ) {
		set beresp.uncacheable = true;
                set beresp.ttl = 120s;
                return (deliver);
	}

	# A TTL of 24h
	set beresp.ttl = 24h;
	# Define the default grace period to serve cached content
	set beresp.grace = 30s;
	
	return (deliver);
}
 
# The routine when we deliver the HTTP request to the user
# Last chance to modify headers that are sent to the client
sub vcl_deliver {
	if (obj.hits > 0) { 
		set resp.http.X-Cache = "cached";
	} else {
		set resp.http.x-Cache = "uncached";
	}

	# Remove some headers: PHP version
	unset resp.http.X-Powered-By;

	# Remove some headers: Apache version & OS
	unset resp.http.Server;

	# Remove some heanders: Varnish
	unset resp.http.Via;
	unset resp.http.X-Varnish;

	return (deliver);
}
 
sub vcl_init {
 	return (ok);
}
 
sub vcl_fini {
 	return (ok);
}

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# This is an example VCL file for Varnish.

# It does not do anything by default, delegating control to the

# builtin VCL. The builtin VCL is called when there is no explicit

# return statement.

# See the VCL chapters in the Users Guide at https://www.varnish-cache.org/docs/

# and http://varnish-cache.org/trac/wiki/VCLExamples for more examples.

# Update for work with Varnish 4

# Marker to tell the VCL compiler that this VCL has been adapted to the

# new 4.0 format.

vcl 4.0;

# Default backend definition. Set this to point to your content server.

backend default {

.host = "127.0.0.1";

.port = "8080";

.connect_timeout = 600s;

.first_byte_timeout = 600s;

.between_bytes_timeout = 600s;

.max_connections = 800;

}

# Only allow purging from specific IPs

acl purge {

"localhost";

"127.0.0.1";

}

# This function is used when a request is send by a HTTP client (Browser)

sub vcl_recv {

# Normalize the header, remove the port (in case you're testing this on various TCP ports)

set req.http.Host = regsub(req.http.Host, ":[0-9]+", "");

# Allow purging from ACL

if (req.method == "PURGE") {

# If not allowed then a error 405 is returned

if (!client.ip ~ purge) {

return(synth(405, "This IP is not allowed to send PURGE requests."));

}

# If allowed, do a cache_lookup -> vlc_hit() or vlc_miss()

return (purge);

}

# Post requests will not be cached

if (req.http.Authorization || req.method == "POST") {

return (pass);

}

# --- Wordpress specific configuration

# Did not cache the RSS feed

if (req.url ~ "/feed") {

return (pass);

}

# Blitz hack

if (req.url ~ "/mu-.*") {

return (pass);

}

# Did not cache the admin and login pages

if (req.url ~ "/wp-(login|admin)") {

return (pass);

}

# Do not cache the WooCommerce pages

### REMOVE IT IF YOU DO NOT USE WOOCOMMERCE ###

if (req.url ~ "/(cart|my-account|checkout|addons|/?add-to-cart=)") {

return (pass);

}

# Remove the "has_js" cookie

set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "has_js=[^;]+(; )?", "");

# Remove any Google Analytics based cookies

set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "__utm.=[^;]+(; )?", "");

# Remove the Quant Capital cookies (added by some plugin, all __qca)

set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "__qc.=[^;]+(; )?", "");

# Remove the wp-settings-1 cookie

set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "wp-settings-1=[^;]+(; )?", "");

# Remove the wp-settings-time-1 cookie

set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "wp-settings-time-1=[^;]+(; )?", "");

# Remove the wp test cookie

set req.http.Cookie = regsuball(req.http.Cookie, "wordpress_test_cookie=[^;]+(; )?", "");

# Are there cookies left with only spaces or that are empty?

if (req.http.cookie ~ "^ *$") {

unset req.http.cookie;

}

# Cache the following files extensions

if (req.url ~ "\.(css|js|png|gif|jp(e)?g|swf|ico)") {

unset req.http.cookie;

}

# Normalize Accept-Encoding header and compression

# https://www.varnish-cache.org/docs/3.0/tutorial/vary.html

if (req.http.Accept-Encoding) {

# Do no compress compressed files...

if (req.url ~ "\.(jpg|png|gif|gz|tgz|bz2|tbz|mp3|ogg)$") {

unset req.http.Accept-Encoding;

} elsif (req.http.Accept-Encoding ~ "gzip") {

set req.http.Accept-Encoding = "gzip";

} elsif (req.http.Accept-Encoding ~ "deflate") {

set req.http.Accept-Encoding = "deflate";

} else {

unset req.http.Accept-Encoding;

}

# Check the cookies for wordpress-specific items

if (req.http.Cookie ~ "wordpress_" || req.http.Cookie ~ "comment_") {

return (pass);

}

if (!req.http.cookie) {

unset req.http.cookie;

}

# --- End of Wordpress specific configuration

# Did not cache HTTP authentication and HTTP Cookie

if (req.http.Authorization || req.http.Cookie) {

# Not cacheable by default

return (pass);

}

# Cache all others requests

return (hash);

}

sub vcl_pipe {

return (pipe);

}

sub vcl_pass {

return (fetch);

}

# The data on which the hashing will take place

sub vcl_hash {

hash_data(req.url);

if (req.http.host) {

hash_data(req.http.host);

} else {

hash_data(server.ip);

}

# If the client supports compression, keep that in a different cache

if (req.http.Accept-Encoding) {

hash_data(req.http.Accept-Encoding);

}

return (lookup);

}

# This function is used when a request is sent by our backend (Nginx server)

sub vcl_backend_response {

# Remove some headers we never want to see

unset beresp.http.Server;

unset beresp.http.X-Powered-By;

# For static content strip all backend cookies

if (bereq.url ~ "\.(css|js|png|gif|jp(e?)g)|swf|ico") {

unset beresp.http.cookie;

}

# Only allow cookies to be set if we're in admin area

if (beresp.http.Set-Cookie && bereq.url !~ "^/wp-(login|admin)") {

unset beresp.http.Set-Cookie;

}

# don't cache response to posted requests or those with basic auth

if ( bereq.method == "POST" || bereq.http.Authorization ) {

set beresp.uncacheable = true;

set beresp.ttl = 120s;

return (deliver);

}

# don't cache search results

if ( bereq.url ~ "\?s=" ){

set beresp.uncacheable = true;

set beresp.ttl = 120s;

return (deliver);

}

# only cache status ok

if ( beresp.status != 200 ) {

set beresp.uncacheable = true;

set beresp.ttl = 120s;

return (deliver);

}

# A TTL of 24h

set beresp.ttl = 24h;

# Define the default grace period to serve cached content

set beresp.grace = 30s;

return (deliver);

}

# The routine when we deliver the HTTP request to the user

# Last chance to modify headers that are sent to the client

sub vcl_deliver {

if (obj.hits > 0) {

set resp.http.X-Cache = "cached";

} else {

set resp.http.x-Cache = "uncached";

}

# Remove some headers: PHP version

unset resp.http.X-Powered-By;

# Remove some headers: Apache version & OS

unset resp.http.Server;

# Remove some heanders: Varnish

unset resp.http.Via;

unset resp.http.X-Varnish;

return (deliver);

}

sub vcl_init {

return (ok);

}

sub vcl_fini {

return (ok);

}

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