This guide explains how to monitor performance after traffic passes through Pressidium EDGE.

It covers cache behavior, traffic patterns, response timing, page audits, common performance signals, and the dashboard screens to use when investigating slow pages, cache misses, traffic spikes, or origin-related issues.

When to use this guide

Use this guide when you want to:

  • Review delivery performance after EDGE is active
  • Review cache efficiency
  • Understand response time patterns
  • Investigate slow pages or performance degradation
  • Compare cached and uncached traffic
  • Find the right dashboard screen for deeper analysis
  • Decide whether to run a performance audit

What to monitor

Performance monitoring usually starts with four areas:

  • Cache behavior: how often requests are served from cache instead of origin
  • Traffic patterns: request volume, bandwidth, and spikes
  • Response timing: how quickly requests are served
  • Page experience: Core Web Vitals and audit results for key URLs

These areas help you understand whether slow performance comes from cache misses, high traffic, origin response time, large assets, or front-end page issues.

Use the dashboard screens below depending on what you need to investigate.

Performance overview

Use the Performance Overview page for a high-level view of site performance.

Open this page when you want to check the general performance state of a site before looking at more detailed reports.

Go to: Performance Overview

Performance Analytics

Use Performance Analytics to review response timing and performance trends in more detail.

This helps you investigate:

  • Response time changes
  • Slow uncached requests
  • Performance differences over time
  • Whether cache, traffic, or origin behavior may be affecting delivery

Go to: Performance Analytics

Cache Analytics

Use Cache Analytics to review cache behavior and understand how much traffic is served from cache.

This helps you investigate:

  • Cache HIT, MISS, and BYPASS patterns
  • Cache efficiency
  • Public pages that are not being cached as expected
  • Traffic that still reaches the origin
  • Changes in cache behavior after configuration updates

Go to: Cache Analytics

Cache Management

Use Cache Management when you need to take action on cache behavior.

This is where you manage cache controls, purge cached content, and review cache exclusions.

Go to: Cache Management

Traffic Analytics

Use Traffic Analytics to review request and traffic patterns.

This helps you investigate:

  • Traffic spikes
  • Request volume changes
  • Bandwidth usage
  • Traffic sources or patterns that may affect performance
  • Whether performance issues align with increased traffic

Go to: Traffic Analytics

Site Audit

Use Site Audit to run or review performance audits for specific URLs.

This helps you evaluate page-level performance, Core Web Vitals, and front-end issues that may not be solved by caching alone.

Go to: Site Audit

Site Audit Details

Use Site Audit Details to review the results of a specific audit in more detail.

This helps you understand which metrics or recommendations need attention after an audit is complete.

Go to: Site Audit Details

How to investigate a slow site

Start with the broadest view, then move into detail.

  1. Open Performance Overview to check the general performance state.
  2. Open Performance Analytics to review response timing patterns.
  3. Open Cache Analytics to check whether requests are being served from cache.
  4. Open Traffic Analytics to check whether the issue matches a traffic spike.
  5. Run or review a Site Audit for the affected URL.
  6. Open Site Audit Details to review the audit findings.
  7. Use Cache Management if you need to purge cache or adjust exclusions.

This flow helps you separate EDGE cache behavior from origin performance, traffic spikes, and front-end page issues.

Common performance signals

High cache HIT rate

A high cache HIT rate usually means EDGE is serving many eligible requests from cache.

This is generally a good sign for public content because fewer requests need to reach the origin.

High cache MISS rate

A high MISS rate may mean content is being requested for the first time, cache was recently purged, or cache duration is too short.

It can also indicate that important public pages are not being reused from cache often enough.

High BYPASS rate

A high BYPASS rate means many requests are intentionally not cached.

This may be expected for logged-in traffic, checkout flows, account pages, admin pages, or requests excluded by URL or cookie.

If public pages show unexpected BYPASS behavior, review cache rules and exclusions.

Slow uncached responses

If uncached responses are slow, the origin may be spending more time generating pages.

Check whether the affected URLs can be cached, whether unnecessary exclusions exist, and whether WordPress or database performance needs attention.

Good cache behavior but poor audit results

If cache behavior looks healthy but audit results are still poor, the issue may be front-end related.

Review image weight, CSS and JavaScript size, render-blocking resources, font loading, and other page-level issues.

Common questions

Is performance monitoring only about Core Web Vitals?

No. Core Web Vitals are important, but performance monitoring also includes cache behavior, traffic patterns, response times, and origin load.

Should I start with audits or cache analytics?

Start with cache analytics if the issue looks server-side, inconsistent, or traffic-related.

Start with a site audit if the issue is page-specific, visual, or related to Core Web Vitals.

Can good caching fix all performance issues?

No. Caching can reduce origin load and improve response times, but front-end issues can still affect user experience.

Large images, heavy JavaScript, render-blocking CSS, and third-party scripts may still need optimization.

Why is a logged-in user slower than a logged-out visitor?

Logged-in sessions often bypass cache because they may include private or user-specific content.

This is expected behavior for many WordPress sites.

Common issues and solutions

The site is slow during a traffic spike

Check Traffic Analytics to confirm the spike.

Then review Cache Analytics to see whether the traffic is being served from cache or reaching the origin.

Cache HIT rate is lower than expected

Review Cache Analytics and check whether requests are showing as MISS or BYPASS.

Then review Cache Management and cache exclusions.

A page performs poorly even when cached

Run a Site Audit and review Site Audit Details.

The issue may be related to images, CSS, JavaScript, fonts, third-party scripts, or layout behavior.

A performance issue affects only one URL

Check the affected URL in Cache Analytics if available.

Then run a Site Audit for that URL and review the detailed results.

Best practices

  • Start with Performance Overview before checking detailed reports.
  • Use Cache Analytics to understand HIT, MISS, and BYPASS patterns.
  • Use Traffic Analytics when performance changes may be related to spikes.
  • Run Site Audits for important URLs, landing pages, and conversion pages.
  • Compare cached and uncached behavior before changing cache settings.
  • Avoid broad cache exclusions unless they are necessary.
  • Review image, CSS, JavaScript, and font optimization when audits show front-end issues.
  • Keep notes of configuration changes so you can compare before and after results.

Need help?

If you cannot identify the cause of a performance issue, contact Support and include:

  • Site domain
  • Affected URL or page type
  • Time the issue occurred
  • Whether the issue affects all visitors or specific users
  • Whether the visitor was logged in or logged out
  • Recent plugin, theme, content, or cache changes
  • Relevant screenshots from Performance Overview, Cache Analytics, Traffic Analytics, or Site Audit Details
  • Any relevant cache response header values, such as X-Cache, if available

Where to go next

  • Start with Performance Overview when you need a high-level view of site performance before opening detailed reports.
  • Use Performance Analytics to review response timing patterns and performance trends.
  • Use Cache Analytics to check HIT, MISS, and BYPASS behavior.
  • Use Traffic Analytics when performance changes may be related to request volume, bandwidth, or traffic spikes.
  • Run a Site Audit when you need to test a specific URL for page-level performance issues.
  • Review Site Audit Details to understand audit metrics and recommendations.
  • If a site remains slow after reviewing performance, cache, traffic, and audit data, continue with Troubleshoot site loading slowly.