A CDN (content delivery network) is a network of servers around the world that keep copies of your site, so it loads from somewhere physically close to each visitor. The result: a faster site, everywhere.
Also known as: Content delivery network
In plain English
Without a CDN, every visitor's request travels all the way to your one hosting server - which might be on the other side of the country or the world. A CDN keeps copies of your static files (images, CSS, scripts) on servers everywhere, so each visitor loads them from the closest one.
Why it matters for your business
Distance is speed's enemy. A visitor in London loading from a server in Texas waits for every file to cross an ocean. A CDN can cut load times dramatically for international visitors and takes pressure off your main server during traffic spikes.
When you'll run into it
When your audience is spread out geographically, when pages feel slow despite good hosting, or as part of a speed optimization pass.
Run into this on your site?
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