How cache expiration works in Prerender.io

TL;DR

Cache expiration is the amount of time a rendered page stays in the Prerender.io cache before it is automatically refreshed. A shorter expiration keeps AI crawlers and search engines on more up-to-date content but uses more renders, while a longer expiration saves renders but risks serving stale snapshots. Each plan has its own allowed range (Starter 24 hours to 7 days, Growth 12 hours to 14 days, Pro and Enterprise Plus 6 hours to 30 days). You set it in Cache Manager > Cache expiration in your Prerender.io dashboard.

Overview

Cache expiration defines how long a cached version of a URL stays active before Prerender.io automatically recaches it. If your content changes often but the cache expiration is set too long, AI crawlers and search engines may see outdated versions of your site, which hurts SEO and the visitor experience. If the cache expiration is set too short, you can burn through your monthly render quota faster than expected. The right setting depends on how often your pages actually change.

When cache expiration causes problems

Cached pages not updating frequently enough

If your pages are updated often but the cached version remains outdated, your cache expiration is set too high. Crawlers will keep seeing the stale snapshot until the cache expires or you trigger a manual recache.

Hitting your render quota too quickly

If automatic recaching is consuming your Prerender.io render quota faster than expected, the cause is usually a cache expiration that is set too low. Every recache cycle counts against your monthly renders.

Confusion around plan limits

Each Prerender.io plan has a different allowable cache expiration range, and values outside your plan's range cannot be selected from the dashboard.

Cache expiration ranges by plan

Your plan determines the available range for cache expiration:

Starter: 24 hours to 7 days
Growth: 12 hours to 14 days
Pro: 6 hours to 30 days
Enterprise Plus: 6 hours to 30 days

⚠️ You cannot select a value outside your plan's range. If you need a shorter or longer expiration than your plan allows, you will need to upgrade.

How to adjust cache expiration

Step 1: log in to your Prerender.io dashboard.

Open the Prerender.io dashboard and sign in. You will need account owner or admin access to change cache settings.

Step 2: open the Cache Manager.

From the main menu, go to Cache Manager.

Step 3: open Cache expiration.

Click Cache expiration on the right side of the interface.

Step 4: select your cache interval and apply.

Use the slider to pick a value within your plan's range, then click Apply. Shorter durations (6 hours, 12 hours, 1 day) suit pages with frequent updates. Longer durations (7, 14, or 30 days) work well for static content.

Your new setting applies after the next recache of each URL, not retroactively to pages already in the cache.

💡 Pick the expiration based on how often your content actually changes. For news sites or frequently updated e-commerce pages, a shorter expiration is usually worth the extra renders.

Alternative: pair a longer expiration with manual recaching

To get more control and reduce automatic render usage, you can pair a long cache expiration with manual recaches via the /recache API. The Recache API is available on every Prerender.io plan.

When a page is updated on your site, trigger an API call to the /recache endpoint with the updated page's URL.
This refreshes only the pages that actually changed, instead of running a full recache cycle on a fixed schedule.
You can keep cache expiration at a high value globally and rely on the API for the pages that change often, which keeps render usage lower while keeping your fast-moving pages fresh.

For full endpoint reference, see the Prerender.io REST API documentation.

Alternative: domain and pattern-based cache expiration

Instead of one global cache expiration, you can set expiration policies per domain or per URL pattern. A domain-level policy applies to every page under a domain and acts as the default rule. Pattern-based rules override the domain default for specific URL paths that change more frequently, such as blogs, product pages, or search results.

📝 Domain and pattern-based cache expiration is available on the Pro and Enterprise / Enterprise Plus plans only. Pro accounts can define up to 5 rules per domain; Enterprise accounts up to 10.

For setup details and use cases, see Domain and pattern-based cache expiration.

Best practices

Balance SEO and usage. Frequent recaching boosts SEO responsiveness but consumes more renders. Pick the longest expiration that still keeps your content fresh enough.
Automate where it matters. Integrate the /recache API into your CMS or deployment pipeline to refresh specific pages the moment they change, instead of waiting for the next cache cycle.
Audit usage regularly. Monitor your render usage in the Prerender.io dashboard and adjust expiration if you are consistently over or under your monthly quota.
Avoid unnecessary recaching. Static content that rarely changes can use higher expiration settings without SEO drawbacks.

💬 Still need help?
If you have questions about cache expiration, plan ranges, or pairing the Recache API with a longer cache, our support team can help.
→ Contact us at support@prerender.io