How to set up browser caching with mod_expires

What is mod_expires?

Caching means a browser keeps a saved copy of a file, such as a picture. The next visit is faster because the browser does not download it again.

mod_expires is a part of the Apache web server. It adds a note to each file that says how long the browser may keep it. It is like a "use by" date on food.

Before you start

• Your site must run on Apache. Ask Hostvento support if you are unsure.
• mod_expires must be turned on. On most hosting it is.
• You will edit a file called .htaccess. It is a settings file in your site folder. Dot files are hidden, so turn on "show hidden files" in your File Manager.

Warning: a mistake in .htaccess can break your site. Download a backup copy first.

Steps

1. Log in to your hosting control panel.
2. Open File Manager and go to your website folder, often public_html.
3. Find .htaccess. If it does not exist, create it.
4. Download a copy as a backup.
5. Open the file for editing.
6. Add the block below at the end of the file.
7. Save the file.
8. Reload your site and check it works.

<IfModule mod_expires.c>
  ExpiresActive On
  ExpiresByType image/jpeg "access plus 1 year"
  ExpiresByType image/png "access plus 1 year"
  ExpiresByType image/gif "access plus 1 year"
  ExpiresByType image/webp "access plus 1 year"
  ExpiresByType text/css "access plus 1 month"
  ExpiresByType application/javascript "access plus 1 month"
  ExpiresByType text/html "access plus 0 seconds"
</IfModule>

These lines turn on expiry and set a time for each file type. The IfModule wrapper keeps your site safe if the module is missing.

Choosing times

• Pictures and fonts rarely change. A long time such as one year is fine.
• CSS and JavaScript change more often. One month is a safe choice.
• Web pages should have a very short time or none.

Check that it works

1. Open your site in a browser.
2. Press F12 to open developer tools and click the Network tab.
3. Reload the page and click an image.
4. Look for an Expires or Cache-Control header in the details.

You can also run a speed test tool like GTmetrix. It warns you when caching is missing.

Quick recap

• mod_expires tells browsers how long to keep files.
• Add rules to .htaccess after taking a backup.
• Use long times for images and short times for pages.
• Check the headers in your browser tools.