Caching

Endpoints is in beta

Endpoints is currently in early beta. While in beta, endpoints is free to use.

We're always looking for feedback to improve endpoints, please reach out to us directly in app.

Caching stores query results temporarily so repeated calls don't re-run the query. This is different from materialization, which pre-computes and stores results on a schedule.

How caching works

When you call an endpoint:

PostHog checks if there's a cached result that's still fresh
If yes, it returns the cached result immediately
If no, it runs the query and caches the result

Cache age

You can set a custom cache duration per endpoint in the Configuration tab. The allowed range is:

Minimum: 5 minutes (300 seconds)
Maximum: 24 hours (86,400 seconds)

If not set, PostHog uses default caching behavior.

The refresh parameter

Control caching behavior when calling an endpoint:

Value	Behavior
`blocking` (default)	Returns cached result if fresh, otherwise runs query
`force_blocking`	Always runs a fresh query, ignoring cache

Terminal
curl -X POST \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $POSTHOG_PERSONAL_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"refresh": "force_blocking"}' \
  "<ph_app_host>/api/projects/{project_id}/endpoints/{endpoint_name}/run"

Caching vs materialization

Feature	Caching	Materialization
Storage	Temporary	Persistent (S3)
Refresh	On demand	Scheduled
With parameters	Works	Falls back to direct execution
Best for	Moderate traffic, real-time needs	High traffic, expensive queries

Use caching when you need relatively fresh data. Use materialization when query speed matters more than freshness.

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