Overview
Volcano Engine is a cloud service platform under ByteDance. Its cdn product relies on ByteDance's global network resources and has extensive node coverage. Compared with Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud, Volcano Engine CDN has slightly lower brand awareness, but its pricing is competitive, and it offers more free traffic packages to new users.
This article introduces how to configure Volcano Engine CDN from scratch, suitable for individual webmasters and small and medium-sized enterprises.
I. Why Choose Volcano Engine CDN?
The advantages of Volcano Engine CDN include:
- High free quota: New users receive 20GB of traffic + 20GB of overseas traffic (subject to the specific promotion).
- Flexible pay-as-you-go billing: No mandatory packages; pay for what you use, with tiered pricing on par with mainstream vendors.
- Integrated scheduling: Intelligently selects the optimal node, supporting China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom, CERNET, etc.
- Simple and easy to use: The console interface is clean, and the configuration process is not complicated.
II. Register for Volcano Engine and Complete Real-Name Verification
Visit the Volcano Engine official website and click "Register." Registration via mobile phone number or email is supported. After registration, real-name verification is required (individual or enterprise). Upload a photo of your ID card and complete face recognition; it usually passes in a few minutes.
Real-name verification is required before you can use CDN products.
III. Activate CDN Service
Log in to the Volcano Engine console, search for "CDN," enter the CDN product page, and click "Activate Service." When activating for the first time, you will be prompted to agree to the service agreement. After confirmation, you can enter the console.
IV. Add an Accelerated Domain
In the CDN console, click "Add Domain."
Accelerated domain: Enter the domain you want to accelerate, such as static.baike300.com (it must be a filed domain).
Business type: Choose according to website content—Web Acceleration (mixed static and dynamic), Download Acceleration (large files), VOD Acceleration (video). For a personal blog, choose "Web Acceleration."
Origin configuration: Enter your server's IP or your own domain. If it is a Volcano Engine ECS, directly select the instance IP; you can also enter your own origin domain (such as origin.baike300.com).
Port: If the website supports HTTPS, check port 443.
After configuration, click "Next" to enter the acceleration region selection. It is recommended to choose "Mainland China" or "Global."
V. Configure CNAME
After adding the domain, Volcano Engine will generate a CNAME address (in the format xxx.cdn.volc.com). Log in to your domain DNS provider (Alibaba Cloud DNS, Tencent Cloud DNSPod, Cloudflare, etc.), add a CNAME record, and point the accelerated domain to this CNAME address.
It is recommended to set TTL to 600 seconds. After configuration, it usually takes effect in 10–30 minutes.
VI. Configure HTTPS Certificate
If your website has HTTPS enabled, you need to upload an SSL certificate in Volcano Engine CDN. Volcano Engine also provides free SSL certificates (one-year validity). Apply for one in "Certificate Management" and deploy it to CDN.
On the domain configuration details page, enable "HTTPS Acceleration," and it is recommended to check "Force Redirect" (automatically 301 redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS).
VII. Cache Rule Settings
Volcano Engine CDN supports custom cache rules. It is recommended to set longer cache times for common static files: images (jpg, png, gif, webp) cached for 30 days; CSS and JS cached for 7 days; HTML files cached for 1 hour or not cached. This reduces back-to-origin requests and improves hit rate.
In addition, you can enable "Smart Compression" (Gzip/Brotli) to automatically compress HTML, CSS, and JS files, reducing transmitted bytes and improving loading speed.
VIII. Pricing Explanation
Volcano Engine CDN uses tiered traffic billing, with prices similar to Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud:
- 0–10TB: 0.24 CNY/GB
- 10–50TB: 0.20 CNY/GB
- 50–100TB: 0.18 CNY/GB
- Above 100TB: 0.15 CNY/GB
HTTPS request fee: 0.05 CNY per 10,000 requests. Overseas traffic is slightly more expensive, but new users get a free overseas traffic package.
New users usually receive 20GB of traffic + 20GB of overseas traffic, valid for 3 months.
IX. Integrating with WordPress
If you use WordPress, you can use plugins (such as WP Super Cache or W3 Total Cache) to rewrite static file URLs to your CDN domain. A simpler method: point the accelerated domain to your origin domain in the CDN console, with no code changes needed in WordPress.
It is recommended to use the "Post Name" mode in WordPress backend "Settings" → "Permalinks," combined with CDN directory cache rules, which is beneficial for SEO.
X. Points to Note
- If the website has a lot of dynamic content (such as user login or shopping carts), it is recommended not to cache dynamic requests or to set an extremely short cache time (such as 1 minute) to avoid displaying old data.
- After updating articles or modifying styles on the website, it is recommended to manually refresh the cache or batch refresh directories in the CDN console to ensure users see the latest content.
- Volcano Engine CDN supports security features such as IP blacklists/whitelists, Referer anti-leeching, and URL authentication, which can be enabled as needed.
Volcano Engine CDN Official Link: https://www.volcengine.com/product/cdn
