plugin-icon

Cache Autopilot

By ekesto·
Keeps WordPress cache fresh by purging affected pages, then preloading them safely in the background.
Version
1.1.13
Last updated
Aug 31, 2026
Cache Autopilot

Stop clearing the entire cache just because one thing changed.

Update content, and Cache Autopilot determines which frontend pages should refresh — then purges and preloads them in the background while keeping unaffected pages cached where possible.

That means:

  • Fewer stale-page surprises — shared content refreshes where it actually appears.
  • Fewer manual cache clears — no chasing individual URLs or flushing the entire cache just to be safe.
  • Less cold-cache traffic — unaffected pages can stay cached while purged pages are preloaded automatically.
  • Less client guesswork — set the rules once; future publishing is handled without extra steps.

Where this matters

Cache plugins are excellent at storing and serving pages fast. What they can’t always see is where else your content shows up — so a single change can leave related pages stale.

Common examples:

  • A post appears in a Query Loop on a non-archive page.
  • A synced pattern is reused across multiple pages.
  • A shortcode outputs shared content across several pages.
  • A custom block pulls in content from another source.
  • A form is embedded on multiple pages.
  • A widget or WordPress option changes output across pages WordPress does not explicitly connect.

Cache Autopilot resolves those affected frontend pages and asks your cache plugin to purge the corresponding URLs. If it cannot safely determine every affected page, it can fall back more broadly rather than risk stale content.

Built for handover

Configure it once, then hand the site off. Your client publishes normally, and Cache Autopilot handles the resolution in the background — no chasing URLs, no manual cache clearing as a routine step.

What you get with the free version

  • Zero-config Gutenberg & block theme support — synced patterns, template parts, templates, Navigation and global styles.
  • Classic theme support — standard content works normally; custom layouts can be mapped through targeting and developer filters.
  • Zero-config form plugin support — refresh pages using a changed form from a supported plugin.
  • Manual targeting — explicitly choose which pages should refresh for selected content changes.
  • Developer filters — map post, option, widget/sidebar and meta changes to the right pages.
  • Paced background preload — automatically preload purged pages without hammering the server.

The documentation includes ready-to-use filter examples for mapping custom changes to specific pages, post types or the whole site — without building your own cache-purge logic.

Supported cache plugins

Cache Autopilot currently works with:

Support depends on reliable URL-level purging. Some widely used cache plugins are not listed because they do not expose a suitable URL-level purge API.

Read the full cache adapter explanation.

How it works

  1. Something changes — a post update, synced pattern edit, option or widget change, form update, or structural site edit.
  2. Cache Autopilot resolves which frontend pages are affected.
  3. Your supported cache plugin purges those URLs.
  4. Cache Autopilot queues them for safe, paced background preload.

Resolution happens automatically for standard content and block themes. Custom layouts, classic themes, and advanced setups can be extended through settings and developer filters.

Free features in detail

Block theme / Site Editor support — zero configuration

Block themes reuse templates, template parts, synced patterns, Navigation, and Styles across the site. Cache Autopilot follows those relationships through the WordPress template hierarchy. If WordPress cannot resolve every affected page, it falls back to a full purge and site-wide preload.

Cache Autopilot understands Gutenberg’s structural model:

  • Template parts — follows references through synced patterns and Site Editor templates, with a full-site fallback when WordPress cannot determine every page that inherits the shared part.
  • Site Editor templates — supports archive templates, single templates, post-type-specific templates, and slug-specific templates.
  • Synced patterns — finds pages embedding the pattern and refreshes those pages.
  • Navigation blocks — refreshes affected pages after navigation changes.
  • Global styles — treated as a site-level design change.

Learn more about Block Theme / Site Editor support.

Manual targeting and developer filters

Some pages show dynamic lists or shared content outside a normal archive — a shortcode, Query Loop block, custom block, widget area, theme option output.

Settings and developer filters let you define which pages refresh when that content or setting changes.

  • Post changes — refresh selected pages when a specific post type changes.
  • Option changes — refresh selected pages when specific WordPress options change.
  • Widget/sidebar changes — map widget areas or Classic theme templates to the pages that use them.
  • Meta changes — catch selected custom field updates from imports or integrations.

View developer reference.

Targeted cache clearing for standard content

  • Posts and custom post types — configured per post type.
  • Archive and taxonomy pages — post type archives, paginated archives, categories, tags, and custom taxonomy archives.
  • Comments — refresh affected content when comments change.

Form plugin support

When a supported form is updated, Cache Autopilot finds pages embedding the changed form via shortcodes or Gutenberg blocks, then refreshes only those pages.

View Supported form plugins.

Background cache preload

Pages cleared by Cache Autopilot are queued for background preload:

  • Auto-paced batch execution based on past server response times.
  • Priority ordering so important pages warm first.
  • New URLs added during a run join at the current position.
  • Safe to deactivate — no leftover jobs or database clutter.

Debug and support logging

  • Debug log available from the WordPress admin.
  • Support Debug Mode creates a downloadable log file for troubleshooting.

Cache Autopilot PRO

Watch the full 100-second overview, or jump straight to the integration demos.

The video includes examples from both Cache Autopilot Free and PRO.

Cache Autopilot PRO adds automatic handling for builders, ecommerce, content relationships, multilingual sites, and scheduled refreshes:

  • Elementor (PRO) — templates, global widgets, reusable components, display conditions, Theme Builder archive and single templates, and full nesting chain handling. Zero configuration for standard setups.

  • WooCommerce (PRO) — product pages, shop page, product archives, variations, grouped products, upsells, and cross-sells.

  • ACF relationship propagation (PRO) — follows configured ACF relationship and post object fields across multi-level content chains such as Country Venue Event Pages.

  • Advanced content relationships (PRO) — general relationship propagation beyond ACF, configurable per post type.

  • Multilingual (PRO) — WPML, Polylang, and TranslatePress support for refreshing translated target URLs.

  • Timed cache refresh (PRO) — scheduled rules for refreshing specific pages at set times, plus automatic handling of WordPress scheduled posts.

  • Access control (PRO) — grant plugin access by role or user without giving full WordPress admin rights.

  • Pro developer filters — additional extension points for relationship, multilingual, and resolver customization.

Compare free and PRO.

What Cache Autopilot does *not* do

  • It does not replace your cache plugin — it works alongside it.
  • It does not handle cache storage or page delivery.
  • It cannot function without a supported cache plugin.
  • It does not guarantee instant background preload on every host — preload timing depends on WP-Cron and available server resources.
  • It does not flush the entire cache on every content change – full purges happen only as a fallback or when triggered manually.

Documentation

Developer extension

Cache Autopilot exposes filters at every major resolution decision, so developers can extend which pages refresh without touching plugin code.

View developer reference.

Freeon paid plans
Tested up to
WordPress 7.1
This plugin is available for download for your site.