Simple Way to Install a CDN on WordPress CMS
There is a simple and quick way to install a CDN on your WordPress site that does not require you to install a large complex Cache plugin but can still provide you with a speed boost. In this article, we will show you how to set up Bunny CDN using just a small 60Kb plugin and a free Bunny.net account.
What is a CDN?
A CDN, or Content Delivery Network, is a network of distributed servers strategically placed in multiple data centers around the world. The primary purpose of a CDN is to deliver digital content—such as web pages, images, videos, scripts, and other resources—to users more efficiently and quickly.
The way a CDN works is by minimizing the physical distance between the user's device and the server delivering the content. When a user requests a specific piece of content, the request is routed to the nearest or most optimal server in the CDN network. This server then delivers the content to the user, reducing latency and ensuring faster loading times.
CDNs offer many benefits:
- Improved Performance: By distributing content to servers closer to end users, CDNs can reduce the time it takes for content to load, resulting in faster and smoother user experiences.
- Load Distribution: CDNs help distribute the traffic load across multiple servers, preventing any single server from becoming overwhelmed during periods of high demand (e.g., during major online events or traffic spikes).
- Reduced Latency: The reduced distance between end users and servers leads to lower latency, which is particularly important for real-time applications and interactive content.
- Caching: CDNs often cache content at various points in their network. This means that frequently accessed content is stored closer to end users, reducing the need to retrieve it from the original server each time it is requested.
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Protection: CDNs can mitigate DDoS attacks by distributing traffic across multiple servers and filtering out malicious traffic before it reaches the origin server.
- Global Reach: CDNs often have a wide network of servers across different regions and countries, allowing for efficient content delivery to users around the world.
- Bandwidth Savings: CDNs help reduce the bandwidth usage of the origin server because much of the content is delivered from the CDN's servers, rather than directly from the origin server.
- Analytics and Reporting: CDNs often provide insights into user behavior, content performance, and traffic patterns, which can be useful for optimizing content delivery strategies.
CDNs are commonly used by websites, streaming services, e-commerce platforms, and other online applications to enhance user experiences, ensure high availability, and manage the challenges of serving content to a global audience.
With all that being said let’s begin the business of using a CDN with WordPress.
First Steps - Create a CDN Pull Zone
The first step to take is to head over to bunny.net and create an account. This account will give you free access to Bunny CDN for 14 days, which is enough time for you to decide if your website benefits from using their services.
Once the account is created and you are logged into your Bunny CDN account you should create your first Pull Zone. This is a zone that will host your files as required by the CDN plugin you will install in WordPress later.
Click the Add Pull Zone button at the top of your account screen.
The next thing you need to do is give your pull zone a name. This is the name used by your website to access the CDN. If you have access to your DNS settings, then you will be able to create a more user-friendly name at a later date.
Next, fill out the Origin URL. This is usually the URL of the website that will use the CDN. For now, make sure the Standard Tier is selected. This can be changed to High Volume Tier when your website requires it.
In the Pricing Zones only select the zones where your website will benefit most from the CDN. This will give you the best overall price per Gb rate for your CDN.
Press the orange Add Pull Zone button and the zone will be created.
Now you have created your Pull Zone we can move to your WordPress website and the next steps in the process.
Install a CDN in WordPress
Login to the admin account on your WordPress-powered site and head over to the plugins page. There you should select the Add New button at the top left of the page.
Over on the right of the page that appears click in the Search Plugins form.
Type the phrase bunny.net and wait for the page to populate with plugins.
Click on Install Now in the entry for bunny.net – WordPress CDN Plugin and let WordPress do its work. Once installed you should activate the plugin and head over to its settings page which should be found in a new entry in your WordPress sidebar called bunny.net.
In the form labeled Pull Zone Name enter the name you previously created for your Pull Zone while setting up your account over on bunny.net. Click the Enable bunny.net button and you should now have a basic CDN working with your WordPress website.
In a future article, we will delve deeper into the advanced settings for the Bunny CDN WordPress plugin.
Any links to Bunny CDN in this article are affiliate links and may earn us a small credit towards Bunny CDN services. Feel free to bypass these links if you wish and type bunny.net directly into your browser.