Argo Smart Routing and Tiered Cache solve different tasks, but they are often turned on together. Argo looks for a faster path for each request across Cloudflare's internal network instead of a direct route over the public internet. Tiered Cache builds a hierarchy of edge servers so that content requests to the origin come not from every single data center but only from the nearest upper-tier node.
Neither service changes the content of a response or requires server-side changes — both are turned on with a switch in the dashboard and work transparently for visitors.
How to enable Argo Smart Routing
Argo is a paid, traffic-billed option available starting from the Pro plan.
- Open the Traffic → Argo section in the domain dashboard.
- Turn on the Smart Routing switch.
- Wait 5-10 minutes while routes are calculated for active regions.
- Check the response header for a sign that Argo is used.
- Compare origin response time before and after with synthetic monitoring.
How to enable Tiered Cache and choose a topology
Tiered Cache is configured under Caching → Tiered Cache and is not billed separately from the plan.
| Mode | Topology | When it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Smart Tiered Cache | Automatic upper-node selection | Fits most sites |
| Generic Global | One upper tier for all regions | Origin in a single data center |
| Custom Topology | Manual node selection by region | Enterprise with several origins |
When there is an effect, and when there is not
Neither mechanism gives a noticeable result on every kind of traffic.
- Argo works well for dynamic content and API requests that cannot be cached — the gain comes from the route, not from caching.
- Tiered Cache lowers origin load for static assets and frequently requested pages with many unique visitors from different regions.
- If a site is already served almost entirely from the nearest edge node's cache, the gain from either service will be minimal.
Argo, Tiered Cache, and regular caching rules
Tiered Cache decides the route of a request to the origin on a cache miss, while rules from Cache Rules decide what exactly gets cached and for how long. Setting up one does not remove the need for the other — check TTL and cache rules first, then enable Tiered Cache and Argo.
It is worth comparing the overall page delivery speed after enabling this against the recommendations from the article on speed optimization — minification and Tiered Cache work at different stages and complement each other.
How to check the effect through headers and logs
The response header shows whether a request takes part in the Tiered Cache and Argo chain.
curl -sI https://example.com/ | grep -i "cf-cache-status\|cf-ray"A cf-cache-status value of HIT at the upper tier confirms the request never reached the origin. For Argo, the response time dynamics are easy to see in Traffic → Argo Analytics, which compares time with and without Argo over the same period.
Checklist before enabling
- Current cache rules and TTL were checked — Tiered Cache gives less benefit without them.
- Argo is enabled on a plan where traffic billing is available and the budget accounts for it.
- The Tiered Cache topology matches the number of origins and their location.
- The effect was verified with cf-cache-status headers and synthetic monitoring.
- The result was compared against pre-enable numbers, not judged by eye.
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Argo Smart Routing is a paid feature while Tiered Cache is free?
Yes, the two use different billing models: Argo Smart Routing is a paid add-on billed for the traffic passing through it, available from a certain plan, while Tiered Cache is part of the standard caching functionality and is not billed on its own. It is worth budgeting for traffic cost before enabling Argo, instead of expecting a free speed boost.
Is it worth enabling Argo and Tiered Cache for a site with low traffic?
Not necessarily — both features help most where requests come from many regions or where content is dynamic and cannot be cached. For a small site with a mostly local audience whose content is already served from the nearest edge cache, the speed gain can be negligible, so test with real measurements instead of enabling it just in case.
How quickly does the effect become noticeable after turning these features on?
Argo routes are calculated for active regions soon after enabling it, and a noticeable change in response time is easier to judge by comparing before-and-after numbers than from a single request. Tiered Cache starts working from the first requests, but a real drop in origin load shows up gradually as the cache at the upper node warms up with traffic.
Can Tiered Cache be enabled without Argo, or only together with it?
Yes, Tiered Cache can be enabled independently of Argo — they are two separate features solving different problems, and neither requires the other to be turned on first. They are often combined simply because both speed up content delivery at different stages of the request path, but any combination, including just one of them, works technically fine.