Use Case: Optimizing a Daily Word Game (Letter Boxed) Site with LiteSpeed Cache

[hellen-charless]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a small but interesting use case of running a daily word puzzle site (similar to Letter Boxed) on LiteSpeed and how I optimized it for performance and consistency.
Project Overview

The site publishes a new puzzle daily, with:

• Mostly static content (letters + UI)
• Some dynamic elements (user interactions, hints, tracking attempts)
• Traffic spikes during specific hours (morning & evening)

LiteSpeed Setup

Here’s what worked well for me:

1. Full Page Cache

• Enabled LSCache for anonymous users
• Set moderate TTL (since content updates daily)

2. Cache Purge Strategy

• Automatic purge scheduled when a new puzzle is published
• Ensures users always see the latest puzzle without manual clearing

3. Object & Browser Cache

• Reduced repeat requests for returning users
• Helpful for frequent daily players

4. Compression

• Enabled Brotli + GZIP (tested different levels for best balance)

5. Image Optimization

• Used WebP for puzzle UI assets
• Reduced initial load time significantly

Results

• Faster initial page load during traffic spikes
• Reduced server load compared to previous Apache setup
• Consistent performance even with repeated visits

Challenges Faced

• Aggressive CSS/JS minification broke some UI interactions (had to exclude specific files)
• Cache conflicts when testing dynamic hints (solved using vary rules / exclusions)
• Needed fine-tuning of TTL to match daily content updates

Questions for the Community

• What’s the best approach for handling semi-dynamic content like hints or user progress?
• Has anyone implemented separate cache versions for different user states (guest vs returning)?
• Any recommendations for further optimizing small but high-frequency traffic apps like this?