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Website explainer · 1:47

What Is a CDN? Website Content Delivery Explained

What does a CDN do for a website? It can bring saved files closer to your visitors.

Jersey Web video: What does a CDN do?

1:47 · No narration: the video shows each step as text on screen, and every step is written out below, with buttons that jump the video to it.

Download the on-screen text track (VTT)

The six points in the video

This is a silent video. The headings, explanations and labels below reproduce the information on screen.

  1. Step 1: Start at the origin

    Your website has a main source for pages and files.

    On-screen labels: Website hosting; Original files; Origin server.

  2. Step 2: Add a network of servers

    A CDN distributes delivery across different locations.

    On-screen labels: Multiple locations; Visitor requests; Nearby delivery.

  3. Step 3: Reuse suitable content

    Images and other public files can be cached for reuse.

    On-screen labels: Public images; Styles and scripts; Cached copies.

  4. Step 4: Keep hosting in the plan

    A CDN still needs access to the original content.

    On-screen labels: Origin connection; Hosting service; Delivery network.

  5. Step 5: Plan how updates appear

    Cache settings affect when visitors receive new files.

    On-screen labels: Expiry rules; Cache refresh; Updated content.

  6. Step 6: Measure the actual result

    Check important pages before and after enabling it.

    On-screen labels: Loading experience; Correct content; Working forms.

A practical check for your business

Keep a note of the origin host, delivery provider and person responsible for each. When troubleshooting, compare the delivered file with the intended origin version. A delivery network still needs suitable caching rules and a working origin.

Sources and further detail

See it in a diagram

Content delivery diagram showing an origin server feeding a CDN with several delivery locations, which then serve visitors.
Content delivery networks, explained. A CDN can cache suitable content near visitors while keeping an origin connection.
Read the diagram as text
  1. Origin server: Original website content
  2. Delivery network: Copies across locations
  3. Your visitors: Content delivered nearby

Keep the origin in the plan. Hosting, cache rules and updates still matter.

Measure the result on your actual pages.

Diagram by Jersey Web. Open full size · Source and further detail (opens in a new tab)

Common questions

What does a CDN do for a website?

It can bring saved files closer to your visitors. Choose delivery settings that fit your site.

Go further

Guide Read the practical guide More context for planning and maintaining your business website. 5 min read → Jargon Buster CDN explained Read the related Jargon Buster explanation. Read the explanation →

Choose delivery settings that fit your site.

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