Definition

What Is a CDN (Content Delivery Network)?

A geographically distributed network of servers that delivers website content (images, scripts, HTML) from the location closest to the user, reducing latency and improving load speed.

Related Terms

Hosting

Page Speed

DNS

Example

Webflow uses a global CDN so a user in Singapore loads the same page as a user in London at similarly fast speeds.

A CDN reduces page load time by 50% or more for users geographically distant from the origin server — with research by Cloudflare showing average TTFB improvements of 150–300ms for global audiences when CDN caching is active.

Synonyms:

Content Delivery Network, Edge network

Acronyms:

CDN

What it applies to

Every website with a global or distributed audience. Even for primarily local audiences, a CDN provides performance, security, and reliability benefits that justify its use.

How a CDN works

  • The CDN provider operates a network of Points of Presence (PoPs) — server nodes distributed globally in major cities and regions.
  • When a website is first requested, the CDN fetches the assets from the origin server and caches them at the nearest PoP.
  • All subsequent requests from users near that PoP are served from cache — without touching the origin server. This reduces latency dramatically.
  • When content is updated, the origin server sends cache invalidation instructions to clear outdated cached versions from CDN nodes.

How to set up CDN delivery

  • Managed hosting (Webflow, Netlify, Vercel): CDN is included and configured automatically — no action required.
  • Cloudflare (free tier): Change your domain's nameservers to Cloudflare. Cloudflare sits in front of your origin server, caching static assets and routing traffic through its global network. Takes 5–30 minutes to set up.
  • AWS CloudFront / Google Cloud CDN: For custom server setups — configure origin settings pointing to your server, set cache behaviours for different file types.

CDN: Common Questions Answered

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