Cache Invalidation
smoxy caches content at the edge to reduce load on your origin server. When content changes, you need to invalidate the cached version so visitors see the update. smoxy provides several methods to do this — from clearing a single URL to flushing entire tag groups.
All invalidation requests use the HTTP BAN method and require the cache token configured in your site's Basic Configuration.
INFO
Cloudflare users: Cloudflare may block BAN/PURGE requests. See Cloudflare Setup for the recommended workaround.
Methods
Flush URL
Clears the cache for a specific URL.
curl -X BAN -H "secret: <token>" -H "url: /" https://www.example.com/You can also pass the URL as the request target:
curl -X BAN -H "secret: <token>" https://www.example.com/products/my-productFlush Tags
Clears all cached content tagged with one or more cache tags. Tags are set on your origin's responses using the x-cache-tags header (see Advanced Caching for tag configuration).
Flush a single tag:
curl -X BAN -H "secret: <token>" -H "tags: smartphones" https://www.example.com/Flush multiple tags at once (comma-separated):
curl -X BAN -H "secret: <token>" -H "tags: smartphones,accessories" https://www.example.com/When to use tags: Tags are the most efficient way to invalidate groups of related content. For example, if your shop tags product pages with their category name, you can flush all "Samsung" products with a single request instead of purging each URL individually.
Common tagging strategies:
| Strategy | Tag Example | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| By category | smartphones, laptops | New products added to a category |
| By brand | samsung, apple | Brand-wide price update |
| By product ID | product-123 | Single product changed |
| By page type | listing, detail, home | Template or layout change |
Flush File
Clears a specific cached file by its cache hash. This is useful when you know the exact cache entry to invalidate.
curl -X BAN -H "secret: <token>" -H "cache-file: 469640790ad5bda4d1cc6a19f6770214.html" https://www.example.com/INFO
Tip: The cache file hash is returned as a response header when Debug Headers are enabled.
Flush All
Clears the entire cache for the site. Use this as a last resort — it forces every request to be fetched fresh from your origin until the cache warms up again.
curl -X BAN -H "secret: <token>" -H "type: flushall" https://www.example.com/Choosing the Right Method
| Method | Scope | Speed | Origin Load |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flush URL | Single URL | Instant | Minimal |
| Flush Tags | Group of related pages | Instant | Moderate |
| Flush File | Single cache entry | Instant | Minimal |
| Flush All | Entire site cache | Instant | High (cache cold start) |
Start with the most targeted method. Use Flush URL for single pages, Flush Tags for groups, and Flush All only when necessary.
Quick Actions
You can also clear cache without writing code using the Dashboard quick actions:
- Clear Entire Cache — same as Flush All
- Clear Cache by URL — same as Flush URL
- Clear Cache by Tag — same as Flush Tags