Is vanish installed on my LearnDash?

Sometimes, your course site might not work as expected, such as lessons not updating, student progress not saving, or pages loading outdated content. These issues can be confusing and difficult to trace.

One hidden reason behind this could be server-side caching. Without knowing it, your hosting setup might be using Varnish Cache, which can interfere with how course pages load.

If your site acts unusually or doesn’t show the latest updates, it’s worth checking if Varnish is installed. The solution is simple: identify if Varnish is active, then adjust its settings or bypass it for smoother course performance.

Need help checking or fixing this issue? Book our free consultation today and get expert support.

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How to Know If Varnish Is Installed on Your LearnDash Site

Varnish Cache is a web application accelerator that can speed up your site, but it may also cause issues with dynamic content like LearnDash course progress, quizzes, or login sessions.

If you’re facing unexpected issues on your site, such as updates not appearing or user actions not saving, it’s important to verify whether Varnish is active in your hosting setup.

Read this: Can I Hide a Course in LearnDash?

Check With Your Hosting Provider

The easiest and most reliable way to know if Varnish is installed is by contacting your hosting provider.
Many managed WordPress hosting services like WP Engine, SiteGround, and Cloudways use Varnish by default.
Ask your support team:
“Is Varnish enabled on my website? If so, can it be disabled or bypassed for specific pages?”

Use Response Headers to Detect Varnish

You can also check your site headers to see if Varnish is being used:

Open your site in Google Chrome.
Right-click anywhere and select Inspect > Go to the Network tab.
Refresh the page and click on the first request (usually your domain).
Look for headers like:
Via: 1.1 varnish
X-Cache: HIT or MISS from varnish
If these appear, Varnish is likely active.

This method gives you a quick way to confirm Varnish without needing technical access to the server.

Use Plugins to Bypass or Manage Cache

If Varnish is installed and you notice issues with LearnDash, you don’t always need to remove it. Instead, you can:

Use caching plugins like WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, or SG Optimizer (for SiteGround) to manage how caching works.
Exclude specific URLs from caching, such as:
/courses/
/lessons/
/quizzes/
/my-account/

This allows course pages to stay dynamic while still benefiting from speed improvements on static parts of your site.

Read this: Can I implement LearnDash into an already established WordPress website?

Ask for Varnish Rules or Exceptions

If your host confirms that Varnish is active, request them to:

Add cache exceptions for dynamic LearnDash pages.
Disable Varnish on logged-in sessions or the entire site if needed.

Most good hosting providers will help configure these rules without affecting your site’s performance.

5. Monitor Course Behavior After Changes

Once you’ve confirmed and adjusted your caching setup:

Test your course pages as a logged-in student.
Make changes to lessons or quizzes and see if they reflect instantly.
Ensure student progress, quiz results, and certificates are updated correctly.

If the issues go away, your caching conflict was the problem, and now it’s resolved.

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Is vanish installed on my LearnDash?