Drop certain query string parameters based on rules to make request more efficient

This function is suit for users who's site bring junk query string, e.g. UTM code, and get too many different URLs which should store and serve with same cache but not.
Let's introduce a little about what is a UTM code? A UTM code is a simple code that you can attach to a custom URL in order to track a source, medium, and campaign name. This enables Google Analytics to tell you where searchers came from as well as what campaign directed them to you.

Starting with version 5.2.3, LSWS has a built-in Drop certain query string parameters based on rules system.

As long as LSWS version is 5.2.3 or above, the LSWS Drop certain query string feature is enabled by default and does not need any extra configuration in the LSWS WebAdmin GUI or in Apache configurations.

You may wish to override the default settings at the server level, virtual-host level or even the .htaccess level. Before making any changes.

The upper level configuration is inherit by lower level. if lower level add more configuration, it is in addition to the upper level.(the addition feature may not be fully implemented yet, will be fully implemented). If want to get rid of upper level config, need to do “clear”, then add new config.

Let's look at some examples for a WHM/cpanel EA4 environment:

After you run the following, the WordPressProtect feature will be automatically enabled globally:

/usr/local/lsws/admin/misc/lsup.sh -f -v 5.2.3 (or above version)

You may wish to set a rule. You will need to set it at the server level of the Apache configuration file:

vi /etc/apache2/conf.d/includes/pre_main_global.conf

and add:

<IfModule Litespeed>
CacheKeyModify -qs:utm*
</IfModule>

This will drop all query strings that the name part starts with “utm” for all virtual hosts.

You can also drop query string with name exact matches “utm”:

<IfModule Litespeed>
CacheKeyModify -qs:utm
</IfModule>

No matter how the server level is set, the end user has the ability to clear it through .htaccess by adding the following:

<IfModule Litespeed>
CacheKeyModify clear
</IfModule>

To verify the server and virtual host level settings, you may run the following command:

cd /etc/apache2/
grep -i -r CacheKeyModify

The design logic looks like the following: We use A,B,C instead of rules.

• The addition feature may not be fully implemented yet on v 5.2.3, but will be fully implemented on next release.

Assume we have a public WordPress site with domain testquerystring.com and LSCache enabled. And use Campaign URL Builder, e.g. Campaign URL Builder or other UTM plugin to generate URL, which will looks like this:
Now, I can access my site with both of URLs:

• https://testquerystring.com
• https://testquerystring.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=promo%20code

For testing purpose, we can simply add the following to .htaccess file

 CacheKeyModify -qs:utm_medium 

• Before setup rules:
  • All king of query strings with same domain will store with different cache key. Above URLs will store 2 cache files
• After setup rules:
  • All king of query strings with same domain will store with same cache key. Above URLs will store only one cache files
  • I can access these urls and check cache are hit at first time visit.
    1. https://testquerystring.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=email1&utm_campaign=promo%20code
    2. https://testquerystring.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=email12&utm_campaign=promo%20code
    3. https://testquerystring.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=email123&utm_campaign=promo%20code
    4. https://testquerystring.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=email1234&utm_campaign=promo%20code

We can only check keywords QS & KEY with CACHE tag from debug log:

tail -f /etc/apache2/logs/* | grep 'CACHE' | grep 'QS\|KEY'

Verify utm_medium has been removed from CacheKey data → QS

[CACHE] Remove exact matched QS key [utm_medium],
[CACHE] modified QS in cache key is [],
[CACHE] CacheKey data: URI [/testquerystring.com/?], QS [utm_source=google&utm_campaign=promo%20code], Vary Cookie [_lscache_vary=xxxxx], Private Cookie [wp_woocommerce_session_xxxxx], IP [x.x.x.x]

It also can be set via rewrite rule and it support multiple env combined.
For example, we are going to remove exactly matchutm_source and prefix match utm_medium

Rewritecond %{QUERY_STRING} 'utm_source=google&utm_medium=email1&utm_campaign=promo%20code'
RewriteRule  .* - [E=cache-key-mod:-qs:utm_source, E=cache-key-mod:-qs:utm_medium*]

Logs shows only utm_campaign left from query string

Remove exact matched QS key [utm_source],
Remove prefix matched QS key [utm_medium],
CacheKey data: URI [/wordpress/?], QS [utm_campaign=promo%20code],

UTM Codes article