Understand the cache challenge

GraphQL's flexibility can lead to queries that fetch lists of items usingitems. While useful in many scenarios, this approach can reduce caching efficiency. Even if a query returns only a single item, usingitems requires refreshing the entire list's cache when any item changes. This broad cache invalidation lowers performance compared to more targeted caching.

Benefit ofitem

Theitem query lets you implement precision caching by focusing on a single item using its unique identifier. When an item changes, only its cache entry updates instead of refreshing the entire list's cache. This improves caching efficiency and boosts performance.

Example of anitem query

The following code sample demonstrates anitem query that retrieves a single item based on itsRelativePath:

query GetItem($relativePath: String) {    Content(where: { RelativePath: { eq: $relativePath } }) {      item { Name RelativePath }    }  }

Optimize cache withitem

• Improve cache hit ratio withitem – Usingitem queries improves cache efficiency by enabling more precise caching. Instead of refreshing the entire list, the cache updates only the specific item. This increases the likelihood of receiving up-to-date data for frequently accessed items.
• Unique identifier-driven queries – Useitem only when retrieving a single item based on unique identifiers such as the following:
  • Relative paths
  • URLs
  • Segments
  • Code
  • Any other uniquely identifiable field for the desired item.
• ID-based caching and purging – The GraphQL server caches the result of youritem query using the returnedid of the fetched item. This approach ensures the system only purges the cached result when that specific item is republished with changes. As a result, if other items are updated, your cacheditem result remains valid, maximizing cache hits.

Updated 2 months ago