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Configuring and optimising LiteSpeed and LSCache

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Quick answer: LiteSpeed and LSCache are included with GINERNET Web Hosting. For WordPress, install the official LiteSpeed Cache plugin, enable caching and start with its default values. Then verify the cache and apply optimisations one at a time.

Guide reviewed on 4 September 2026 for the current LiteSpeed Cache 7.x interface. Keep a backup before changing caching, CSS, JavaScript or .htaccess.

1. What LiteSpeed and LSCache are

LiteSpeed Web Server is a web server compatible with standard Apache configuration. LSCache is its integrated page cache: it stores an already generated response and can serve it without running PHP and database queries again.

Caching reduces response time, but it does not replace proper website maintenance. A heavy image, a slow plugin or an inefficient query still needs to be fixed.

2. Enabling LiteSpeed Cache in WordPress

  1. In WordPress, open Plugins > Add New.
  2. Search for LiteSpeed Cache, check that the author is LiteSpeed Technologies and activate it.
  3. Under LiteSpeed Cache > Cache, leave Enable Cache set to ON.
  4. Open the website in a private window, reload once and inspect the response in the browser developer tools. The x-litespeed-cache: hit header confirms that the page was served from cache.
  5. To clear it after a change, use LiteSpeed Cache > Toolbox > Purge > Purge All. You can also purge one page from the admin bar.

The plugin works with a baseline configuration that suits most websites. You do not need to enable every option to benefit from page caching.

3. Recommended cache settings as a starting point

These values prioritise compatibility. A shop, community or website with personalised content may need additional exclusions.

Enable Cache             ON
Cache Logged-in Users    OFF
Cache Commenters         OFF
Cache REST API           ON
Cache Login Page         ON
Cache favicon.ico        ON
Cache PHP Resources      ON
Cache Mobile             OFF
  • Keep Cache Mobile set to OFF when your design is responsive. Enable it only if mobile visitors receive different HTML.
  • Exclude carts, checkout, customer accounts, private panels and every URL containing personalised data.
  • Do not cache authenticated users unless you have designed and tested a specific ESI configuration.

4. CSS, JavaScript and image optimisation

Optimisation depends on the theme and plugins. Apply one change, purge the cache and test the homepage, forms, menus, cart and checkout before continuing.

  • Minify CSS/JS: this may reduce file size, but disable it if it breaks layouts or scripts.
  • Combine CSS/JS: it is generally unnecessary with HTTP/2 and HTTP/3. Do not enable it by default.
  • Load JS Deferred/Delayed: test menus, cookie banners, analytics and payments carefully.
  • UCSS/CCSS: these features require QUIC.cloud and must be checked across several page types.
  • Image Optimization and WebP/AVIF: request optimisation from the plugin and verify delivery before deleting any originals.

Do not import an aggressive profile directly into production. Make a backup, change one option at a time and test the website while logged out.

5. LiteSpeed crawler

The crawler follows the sitemap and refills pages that have left the cache. It can consume CPU and PHP processes, so it is disabled by default and requires permission at server level.

If the crawler is enabled for your plan:

  1. Open LiteSpeed Cache > Crawler > General Settings.
  2. Enable Crawler.
  3. Add a valid sitemap under Sitemap Settings.
  4. Use conservative values and inspect Summary for blocks or restarts.

Do not download or schedule the old cachecrawler.sh script: the plugin's integrated crawler knows the real cache state and follows the limits set by the server. If the option is disabled, open a ticket and we will confirm whether enabling it makes sense for your website.

6. Other CMSs and applications

Use the official integration available for your platform:

For a custom application, cache only public and idempotent routes. Do not apply a global rule to sessions, APIs, panels, carts or personalised responses.

7. LiteSpeed CAPTCHA

LiteSpeed can display a CAPTCHA on specific URLs through rewrite rules, provided that protection has been enabled by the server administrator. This example protects a login path:

<IfModule LiteSpeed>
RewriteRule ^login/ - [E=verifycaptcha:deny,L]
</IfModule>

Do not apply it to the whole website before reviewing webhooks, APIs, payment gateways, cron jobs and legitimate bots. A Stripe, PayPal or logistics provider callback cannot solve a CAPTCHA.

8. PHP limits

For memory, upload size and execution time, use cPanel > MultiPHP INI Editor first. It is clearer than editing .htaccess and displays the values accepted for your PHP version.

Typical values you can adjust when your application needs them:

memory_limit = 512M
upload_max_filesize = 128M
post_max_size = 128M
max_execution_time = 300

Do not assign high limits as a routine measure: a blocked process will consume resources for longer. If a value does not change or the application still runs out of memory, open a ticket so we can check the account's effective limit.

9. Long-running scripts and timeouts

If a legitimate script must continue after the client closes the connection, limit the exception to its exact URL:

<IfModule LiteSpeed>
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^path/script\.php$ - [E=noabort:1,E=noconntimeout:1,L]
</IfModule>

noabort stops LiteSpeed from interrupting that process when the connection closes, while noconntimeout prevents a connection timeout. Do not use RewriteRule .* or SetEnv noabort 1 across the account: one stuck process could consume all available resources.

Do not run kill -9 -1. That command forcibly terminates every process your user can signal, including processes that may be serving other websites, jobs or sessions. If the account is saturated, check cPanel > Resource Usage and open a ticket so the specific process can be identified.

10. Final check

  • The homepage and an internal page return x-litespeed-cache: hit after the second load.
  • Cart, checkout, login and customer account pages never display another session's data.
  • Forms, menus and payments work on mobile and desktop.
  • PageSpeed Insights shows no regression after enabling deferred CSS or JavaScript.
  • CPU and process usage remains stable after enabling the crawler.

Want LiteSpeed ready to use without administering a server? Every GINERNET Web Hosting plan includes LiteSpeed, LSCache, cPanel, backups every 6 hours and free migration.