A forward cache is a cache outside the [['''web server]]'''<nowiki/>'s network, e.g. in the client's [[web browser]], in an [[ISP]], or within a corporate network.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.isaserver.org/tutorials/Understanding-Web-Caching-Concepts-ISA-Firewall.html |title=Understanding Web Caching Concepts for the ISA Firewall |first=Thomas |last=Shinder |access-date=27 February 2011 |date=2 September 2008 |work=[[ISA Server]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723104247/http://www.isaserver.org/tutorials/Understanding-Web-Caching-Concepts-ISA-Firewall.html |archive-date=23 July 2011 |publisher=TechGenix Ltd.}}</ref> A network-aware forward cache only caches heavily accessed items.<ref name=":0">{{cite journal |url=http://www.research.att.com/export/sites/att_labs/techdocs/TD_7LAUDD.pdf |citeseerx=10.1.1.159.1786 |title=Network-Aware Forward Caching |first1=Jeffrey |last1=Erman |first2=Alexandre |last2=Gerber |first3=Mohammad T. |last3=Hajiaghayi |first4=Dan |last4=Pei |first5=Oliver |last5=Spatscheck |journal=[[AT&T Labs]] |year=2008 |access-date=11 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110401145549/http://www.research.att.com/export/sites/att_labs/techdocs/TD_7LAUDD.pdf |archive-date=1 April 2011 |pages=291–300}}</ref> A [[proxy server]] sitting between the client and web server can evaluate [[HTTP]] headers and choose whether to store web content.
A reverse cache sits in front of one or more web servers, accelerating requests from the Internet and reducing peak server load. This is usually a [[content delivery network]] (CDN) that retains copies of web content at various points throughout a network.
