Content Delivery Network
Distributed server network that delivers content based on geographic location.
Definition
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a geographically distributed network of servers that cache and deliver website content from locations closest to users. CDNs reduce latency, improve load times, and handle traffic spikes by serving content from edge servers rather than the origin server.
CDNs cache static assets like images, CSS, JavaScript, and video, while some also cache dynamic content. They also provide DDoS protection and SSL/TLS encryption.
Why It Matters
CDNs dramatically improve user experience by reducing page load times, especially for international audiences. Faster load times increase engagement, conversion rates, and SEO rankings.
For businesses, CDNs reduce origin server load and bandwidth costs while improving reliability. During traffic spikes, CDNs prevent server overload by distributing requests across their network.
Examples in Practice
A London user visiting a US-based website served via Cloudflare CDN receives cached content from a London edge server instead of waiting for data to travel from America. Video streaming platforms use CDNs to deliver 4K content without buffering.
E-commerce sites use CDNs to ensure product images load quickly globally, while news sites rely on CDNs to handle traffic surges during breaking news.