Resolving Common LMS and Plugin Conflicts with LiteSpeed Cache

Many WordPress users rely on LiteSpeed Cache to boost their site's performance. However, this powerful caching plugin can sometimes conflict with other plugins, particularly Learning Management Systems (LMS) and those that handle dynamic, user-specific content. This guide explains why these conflicts happen and provides the most effective solutions to resolve them.

Why Do These Conflicts Occur?

At its core, a cache stores static copies of your web pages to serve them faster to visitors. This is fantastic for performance but can cause problems with dynamic elements. LMS plugins (like Tutor LMS, LearnDash, LearnPress, and Thrive Apprentice), membership areas, quizzes, and user progress trackers are highly dynamic. They need to display unique, real-time information for each logged-in user. When a cached page is served, it might show the wrong user's data, fail to update progress, or break interactive elements like videos and quizzes. Translation plugins and license checks can also fail because their API calls or dynamically generated content get cached.

Common Solutions to Try First

Before making complex configuration changes, start with these basic troubleshooting steps. They resolve a significant number of reported issues.

1. Clear All Caches: Always purge the LiteSpeed Cache, your server cache (if applicable), and your browser cache after changing any settings. This ensures you are seeing the most recent version of your site.
2. Disable Page Optimization Features: Temporarily turn off all options under the LiteSpeed Cache Page Optimization tab. This includes CSS/JS/HTML Minification, Combination, and Lazy Load. If the problem disappears, you can re-enable these features one by one to identify the specific culprit.
3. Disable ESI: Edge Side Includes (ESI) is a advanced method for caching parts of a page for logged-in users. If misconfigured, it can cause severe user data mixing. Navigate to LiteSpeed Cache -> Cache -> ESI and set it to Off. Purge all caches and test.

Advanced Configuration: Excluding Content from Cache

If the basic steps don't work, you likely need to exclude specific dynamic content from being cached. This is the most reliable method for resolving LMS and membership conflicts.

• Exclude URIs: The most common solution is to prevent certain pages from being cached at all. In your LiteSpeed Cache settings, go to Cache -> Exclude -> Exclude URI. Add the paths to your sensitive pages. For an LMS, common exclusions are:
  • /courses/*
  • /lesson/*
  • /quiz/*
  • /dashboard/*
  • /members/*
  Note: Wildcard patterns like the asterisk (*) are often supported to exclude entire directories.
• Exclude JS/CSS: For conflicts with sliders, video players, or other elements that break visually, you may need to exclude specific files from Page Optimization. In Page Optimization -> Tuning -> JS Excludes or CSS Excludes, add the full paths to the plugin's files (e.g., /wp-content/plugins/plugin-name/*).
• Disable Cache for Logged-In Users: A broader approach is to disable caching entirely for all logged-in users. This can impact performance but guarantees no user data is mixed. This setting is typically found under Cache -> Cache -> Cache Logged-In Users.

When to Suspect a Different Issue

Some problems, like third-party license validation checks failing, are not due to page caching. These are often server-level API calls. If you suspect LiteSpeed Cache is interfering with a license check or other backend process, check the Object Cache settings (if you use it). A misconfigured object cache can store transients that should be unique. Try disabling the object cache to see if it resolves the issue.

Conclusion

Conflicts between LiteSpeed Cache and dynamic plugins are common but almost always solvable through careful configuration. The key is to identify the dynamic parts of your site—user accounts, courses, quizzes, progress tracking—and ensure they are excluded from the cache. Start with the basic troubleshooting steps before moving on to URI and resource exclusion. For persistent issues, the support communities for both plugins can be valuable resources for finding specific configuration tips.