# Cloudflare Enhances Cache Management Cache Response Rules bring performance gains and cost savings. - **Source:** [Cloudflare Blog](https://blog.cloudflare.com) - **Published:** 2026-07-23 - **Topic:** [Software & Engineering](https://brifing.si/c/engineering) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/390a5999-9e4f-4900-9c75-6ca7a9ec802e ## Solution to Cache Problems Cloudflare announced a new feature called Cache Response Rules. This feature allows editing responses from the origin server before they are cached. Issues like incorrect Cache-Control headers or unnecessary Set-Cookie were degrading performance. Now, these problems can be easily resolved. ## CDN and Origin Server Collaboration A CDN cache and origin server work together to deliver the fastest response to users. Cache hit ratio indicates how efficient this collaboration is. However, incorrect directives from the origin server can reduce cache efficiency. ## Impact of Wrong Headers A Set-Cookie header from the origin server can unnecessarily exclude a cacheable file. This small mistake, when repeated across all users and sites, increases bandwidth costs and degrades performance. ## Cache-Control Issues Origin servers sometimes send Cache-Control directives unsuitable for CDNs. For example, using no-cache blocks cacheable files. Such issues can be hard to fix in large teams. ## ETag and Revalidation Overly aggressive ETag values cause revalidation on every conditional request, creating unnecessary load. Cache Response Rules can edit such headers to improve performance. ## Team Coordination Challenges If the team managing the origin server is different from the CDN team, even a simple header change can take weeks. Cache Response Rules eliminate this coordination need. ## Limitations of Existing Solutions Until now, there were three options to solve cache issues: modify origin code, rewrite responses with a Worker, or accept a low cache hit ratio. Each adds cost or latency. ## Advantages of Cache Response Rules The new feature allows editing origin responses before caching. Headers like Cache-Control, Set-Cookie, and ETag can be modified. No origin code changes are required. ## Two-Phase Cache Decision Cache Rules run during the request phase, answering 'should we check cache?' Cache Response Rules operate in the response phase, addressing 'should this response be cached?' They complement each other. ## From Page Rules to Modern Solutions Cloudflare has evolved cache management over time. Initially limited to Page Rules, it now offers flexible control with features like Cache Rules and CDN-Cache-Control. Cache Response Rules are the latest step. ## Saving Engineering Time Cache Response Rules don’t require changes to the origin server, saving teams time and resources. They also introduce no additional latency. ## Performance and Cost Benefits Cache Response Rules improve cache hit ratio, reducing origin server load. This enhances performance while lowering infrastructure costs, offering significant advantages for Cloudflare users. ## Sources covering this story - https://blog.cloudflare.com/introducing-cache-response-rules/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._