advanced-cache.php is not loaded

POM Cache's early HTML and JSON reads depend on WordPress loading the expected cache drop-in. The settings screen reports the three pieces of this contract without modifying them.

Read the status panel

Open Settings → POM Cache → Advanced → WordPress configuration.

The panel checks:

• Drop-in path and the detected type;
• whether the installed drop-in matches the POM Cache source;
• the expected and detected POM_CACHE_HOME;
• whether WP_CACHE is true, false, or not defined.

Each item is marked OK or Needs manual change. A detected drop-in may be identified as POM Cache, a legacy WP Super Cache drop-in, another file, or none.

Important boundary

POM Cache does not create, overwrite, or remove:

• wp-content/advanced-cache.php;
• the POM_CACHE_HOME definition;
• the WP_CACHE definition.

General → Cache tools → Configuration → Fix Configuration saves the plugin's generated settings files only. Its success message explicitly says that the drop-in and wp-config.php were not modified.

Repair the drop-in

If the panel reports no drop-in or a mismatch:

1. Back up the existing wp-content/advanced-cache.php if present.
2. Identify which plugin owns it and whether replacing it will disable another cache system.
3. Use the exact POM Cache source path shown in the status panel.
4. Copy that source to the displayed drop-in destination using your hosting or deployment process.
5. Preserve appropriate file ownership and permissions.
6. Reload the status panel and confirm the normalized contents match.

Do not merge unrelated drop-ins by hand. WordPress supports one advanced-cache.php file, so competing full-page cache plugins need an explicit migration.

Repair wp-config.php

Back up wp-config.php, then define the exact values shown by the status panel early enough for WordPress cache bootstrap:

define( 'WP_CACHE', true );
define( 'POM_CACHE_HOME', '/exact/path/shown/by-the-settings-screen/' );

Use the displayed absolute path, including the expected trailing slash. Do not copy an example path from another installation.

Avoid duplicate definitions. If a constant already exists with the wrong value, update that definition rather than adding a second one.

Verify the repair

1. Reload WordPress configuration status and require OK for all rows.
2. Run General → Cache tools → Configuration → Fix Configuration if the generated settings files also need repair.
3. Clear the current site's HTML and JSON cache as appropriate.
4. Request one eligible page while signed out.
5. Reload the same URL and inspect the POM Cache hit header.
6. Repeat for progressive JSON when enabled.

If status is correct but files are not generated, continue with Pages are not cached. If PHP hits work but direct server delivery does not, continue with Apache rules do not match.