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Nginx Helper

By rtCamp

Performance & Optimization / Caching Solutions

Nginx Helper Review - In-Depth Analysis

Nginx Helper manages cache purging for nginx, redis, and permalinks. It enhances WordPress performance by cleaning caches upon post edits.

Performance Overview

WPS Score

6.73/10

User Rating

4.4/5 (based on 31+ reviews)

Active Installations

200,000+

Update Frequency

Average It is calculated using the weighted average of same category plugins.

Security Score

1 / 10 (Very Low Risk) It is calculated using the weighted average of all versions.

What It Does

Nginx Helper is a powerful plugin designed to enhance the performance of your WordPress site by managing cache purging effectively. It cleans nginx's fastcgi or proxy cache whenever a post is edited or published, ensuring that your visitors always see the most up-to-date content.

The plugin removes index.php from permalinks when using WordPress with nginx. It also adds support for purging redis-cache when used as a full-page cache created with the nginx-srcache-module. This feature allows for efficient cache management.

Additionally, Nginx Helper supports the nginx fastcgi_cache_purge and proxy_cache_purge directives, providing customizable purging rules. For WordPress multisite installations, it adds support for nginx map, enabling the serving of PHP file uploads even if PHP or MySQL crashes. Follow the provided tutorials for optimal configuration.

Comparing to Alternatives

Nginx Helper is a straightforward plugin designed to manage Nginx cache purging, with a focus on simplicity and essential features. Compared to alternatives like Nginx Cache, it offers a more minimalistic approach.

Top alternatives

Nginx Cache ( WPS: 6.66)

Strengths

Simple and easy to set up following instructions.
Effectively clears cache when updating pages and posts.
Includes logging functionality for debugging purposes.
Lightweight with minimal configuration required.

Weaknesses

Documentation and setup guides may be outdated or hard to follow.
Limited advanced features compared to some alternatives.
No official pro version or premium support.
Some users report issues with repository setup and cache module integration.

User Sentiment Analysis

User feedback on Nginx Helper is mixed, with some praising its simplicity and effectiveness, while others express frustration over setup difficulties and outdated documentation.

Positive highlights

"Nice plugin to manage your cache. The setup is quite simple!" - Rian Adelio
"Clears cache when updating pages & posts as expected." - druut
"Simple setup and everything works as it should!" - Pavel Richter
"Very Good" - shahinsafari

Common complaints

Outdated repository links causing installation errors.
Setup guides are old and not always reliable.
Plugin may not work as expected without additional configuration.
Some users find it unusable due to lack of updated support.

Weaknesses

Dependency on outdated external repositories.
Limited troubleshooting resources.
No active development updates noted recently.

Who Should Use This?

Best for

Users looking for a lightweight and straightforward plugin to manage Nginx cache purging without needing advanced features.

Not ideal for

Those who require comprehensive support, frequent updates, or advanced caching options might find this plugin lacking and should consider alternatives.

Pricing & Value

Free version includes

The free version provides essential cache purging capabilities and logging features sufficient for basic Nginx cache management.

Final Verdict

Nginx Helper is a simple and effective tool for users who need basic cache purging functionality with minimal setup. It excels in ease of use when following the provided instructions.

However, outdated documentation and repository issues may hinder some users, and the lack of a pro version limits advanced features and support. Consider your needs carefully before choosing this plugin.

Other Notable Features

Here are a few other notable features of this free Nginx Helper plugin.

Cache Purge

Fastcgi

Nginx

Permalinks

Redis-cache

Screenshots

FAQ

Q. Will this work out of the box?

No. You need to make some changes at the Nginx end. Please check our tutorial list.

Q. There’s a ‘purge all’ button? Does it purge the whole site?

Yes, it does. It physically empties the cache directory. It is set by default to /var/run/nginx-cache/.

If your cache directory is different, you can override this in your wp-config.php by adding
define(‘RT_WP_NGINX_HELPER_CACHE_PATH’,’/var/run/nginx-cache/’);

Replace the path with your own.

Q. Does it work for custom posts and taxonomies?

Yes. It handles all post-types the same way.

Q. How do I know my Nginx config is correct for fastcgi purging?

Manually purging any page from the cache, by following instructions in the previous answer.

Version 1.3.4 onwards, Nginx Helper adds a comment at the end of the HTML source (‘view source’ in your favourite browser):
<!–Cached using Nginx-Helper on 2012-10-08 07:01:45. It took 42 queries executed in 0.280 seconds.–>. This shows the time when the page was last cached. This date/time will be reset whenever this page is purged and refreshed in the cache. Just check this comment before and after a manual purge.

As long as you don’t purge the page (or make changes that purge it from the cache), the timestamp will remain as is, even if you keep refreshing the page. This means the page was served from the cache and it’s working!

The rest shows you the database queries and time saved on loading this page. (This would have been the additional resource load, if you weren’t using fast-cgi-cache.)

Q. I need to flush a cached page immediately! How do I do that?

Nginx helper plugin handles usual scenarios, when a page in the cache will need purging. For example, when a post is edited or a comment is approved on a post.

To purge a page immediately, follow these instructions:

Let’s say we have a page at the following domain: http://yoursite.com/about.
Between the domain name and the rest of the URL, insert ‘/purge/’.
So, in the above example, the purge URL will be http://yoursite.com/purge/about.
Just open this in a browser and the page will be purged instantly.
Needless to say, this won’t work, if you have a page or taxonomy called ‘purge’.

Q. Does it need any kind of URL structure?

Yes. When setting the URL structure in Nginx configuration file a trailing slash should always be added.

Q. Can I override the redis hostname, port and prefix?

Yes, you can force override the redis hostname, port or prefix by defining constant in wp-config.php. For example:

define(‘RT_WP_NGINX_HELPER_REDIS_HOSTNAME’, ‘10.0.0.1’);

define(‘RT_WP_NGINX_HELPER_REDIS_PORT’, ‘6000’);

define(‘RT_WP_NGINX_HELPER_REDIS_PREFIX’, ‘page-cache:’);
`

Q. Can I override the redis socket path, username, password?

Yes, you can force override the redis socket path, username, password by defining constant in wp-config.php. For example: