The CDN identifies a cached object by its full URL, query string included, so /style.css?v=1 and /style.css?v=2 are two separate objects, each fetched from the origin once. Ignore query switches a resource to caching by path only: every query variant of a URL shares one cached copy. This tutorial enables it and explains which content it suits.
Prerequisites
- A CDN resource whose origin returns the same content whatever the query string (Add Your First CDN Resource).
Step 1: Open the Connection Settings
Open the resource’s settings (the gear icon on its row) and click Advanced settings. In the Connection group of the General page, find Ignore query, directly under Origin Shield. It is off on a new resource:
Step 2: Enable It and Save
Click the toggle to switch it on:
Click Save at the bottom of the page. Nothing changes until you do. From the next request on, the CDN strips the query string before looking up the cache and before it fetches from the origin, so the first variant requested fills the cache for all of them.
When to Use It
| Query strings | Setting |
|---|---|
Never change the response: tracking parameters such as utm_source, campaign or session tags, cache-busting values some clients append |
On. Each variant otherwise costs its own origin fetch and cache slot for identical content; ignoring the query raises the hit ratio and cuts origin traffic. |
| Change the response: search results, paginated lists, filtered API responses, image resizing parameters | Off. With the setting on, the first variant fetched would be served for all of them. |
The setting applies to the whole resource, every location included. Give content that needs the opposite behaviour its own resource.
What You Have
A resource where URL variants of the same file no longer dilute the cache: one origin fetch per path, a higher hit ratio, and less origin traffic for exactly the same content. To see the effect, compare the cache hit ratio in Monitor CDN Traffic and Cache Performance before and after the change.