How to Set Up MaxCDN for W3 Total Cache

Most WordPress webmasters understand the importance of using a reliable CDN service to offer better performance to their visitors. There are plenty of CDN providers around. We have had a lot of success with MaxCDN. It is not too expensive and quite reliable. Once you sign up for MaxCDN, you are going to have to set it up properly to get it working fine with W3 Total Cache (or other compatible plugins).

The first step is to create a new Pull Zone and add the relevant information. Keep in mind that you can add additional zones (beyond what your plan offers) for only a few dollars a year. That’s one of the main reasons MaxCDN is a great service for most WordPress bloggers. Once your zone is set up, don’t forget to go to the Settings page to control Cache, Edge, and Custom domain options.

See the custom domain names in the previous image? You need to add the appropriate CNAME records for them to make sure everything works properly. Things are very simple if you have access to cPanel. Just go to Domains > Simple DNS Zone Editor and add the names and record information. You should add a record for each sub-domain you have added to your MaxCDN zone. Confused about this step? Go back to MaxCDN > Settings > Custom Domain Settings and copy the information on that page to enter into cPanel.

In order to get MaxCDN working with W3 Total Cache, you need an authorization key once you enable the feature. Just click the Authorize button, and you will be able to get your key. If you need to make changes to your CNAME entries, W3 Total Cache lets you easily do so (you need to have the sub-domains you add set up for things to work properly). Once you save your settings, you should be able to see images loading from a CDN sub-domain.

We are going to cover MaxCDN optimization tips in a future post. The first step is to get it working. I do encourage you to search for MaxCDN coupons online as there are usually plenty of good deals around for this service. Using a CDN service is not the only thing you can do to make your website faster, but it does make a difference.