CDN for APIs
Not every API response needs to hit the application.
Public product, content and configuration APIs are often identical for large audiences. Serving them from one region turns cacheable JSON into origin load.
Cache safe GET responses at Cloud CDN with explicit TTLs. Bypass authenticated, mutation and user-specific APIs. Use Origin Shield and TLS at the edge.
Why teams use Aptranet
What CDN for APIs looks like on this network.
Cloud CDN caches and accelerates eligible content on 210+ points of presence, with Origin Shield when the origin must stay out of the way.
Public GET from 210+ PoPs
Identical JSON or JSON:API responses are served with 30 ms average latency.
Origin Shield for thundering herds
When TTLs expire, edges do not all hit the API origin at once.
Mutations stay on the API
POST, PATCH, PUT and DELETE bypass cache. Tokens can protect private GETs.
How to set it up
A cutover you can validate before DNS moves.
Create the Cloud CDN configuration, prove it on an Aptranet hostname, then point production DNS when the path looks correct.
- 1Put Cloud CDN in front of the API hostname
Pull the existing API origin over HTTPS.
- 2Mark cacheable GET paths
Set TTLs for public catalogue, config or content endpoints.
- 3Bypass private and mutation routes
Authenticated JSON and writes must reach the application.
- 4Purge when data changes
Invalidate API paths from the publish or deploy pipeline.
Outcomes
What changes once the hostname is on Aptranet.
- Public API GETs can be cached globally
- Writes remain origin-dynamic
- Origin Shield protects API clusters
- Private GETs can require a token
Keep reading
Related pages
More CDN use cases on the same Cloud CDN footprint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only when the query is public and identical. Most GraphQL POSTs should bypass cache or use persisted GET queries you control.
Responses that vary on Authorization should not be cached as public. Bypass or use a carefully designed cache key.
No. Cloud CDN is a delivery and cache layer. AuthZ, rate limits and routing at the gateway remain in place.
Yes. WebSocket upgrades bypass cache. See CDN for WebSockets.