TNC Toolbox: Web Performance

Description

TNC Toolbox aims to enhance your WordPress experience with NGINX-on-cPanel (ea-nginx).

Built for our Managed Server clients, we’ve open-sourced it so others can enjoy it too!

With a heavy focus on the Apache + NGINX as Reverse Caching Proxy web stack, the plugin aims to help with Website Management, Performance and Security.

FOSS by The Network Crew Pty Ltd (TNC) for Merlot Digital & the world. ❤️

Functionality

At the moment, TNC Toolbox:

  • Allows you to enable, disable and purge the NGINX User Cache
  • Purges the NGINX Cache magically on post/page publish/update!
  • Also purges the Cache when the WP Core is successfully updated
  • Lets you know if the plugin is activated but not yet configured
  • Only allows Admins to enable/disable caching & edit configs
  • Shows you the status of cP UAPI via disk usage info
  • Purge when any ACF config options are saved

Eager for even more capabilities?

We plan to add further features as clients & the community request it.

Please let us know your ideas on GitHub – we’d love to hear from you!

Updating from v1 to v2.x.x

On every website running the plugin, check that:

  1. Website is reporting v2.x.x plugin version.
  2. Plugin has been activated post-update. *
  3. Config exists in the plugin settings.
  4. API status checker reports OK.
  5. /wp-content/tnc-toolbox-config/ folder is gone.

(* Change to main plugin file name results in deactivation)

Caching Deployments

Caching ideals:
– Don’t forget, ea-NGINX (reverse proxy caching) is meant to be 2nd-level
– ie. Make sure your WP site also has on-site caching, like WP Super Cache
– You can go further with caching, and should: like browser-caching assets!

3-layer Cache:
1. NGINX Caching Proxy (ahead of Apache)
2. WP Super Cache, WP Rocket, etc on-site
3. htaccess/etc rules for Browser Caching

This way, you can ensure maximum efficiency!

The key is to purge when stale, so properly configuring your WP Plugin Cache is critical to ensuring that you don’t end up with cache misses due to stale data that could’ve/should’ve been purged by garbage collection, preloading, etc, rule-sets.

Screenshots

  • Top Menu Bar options for NGINX Caching.
  • Configuration in the WP Admin GUI.

Installation

Pre-requisites:
1. To use ea-NGINX features, your Hosting needs to be on cPanel
2. Acquire a cPanel API Token (cPanel > Manage API Tokens)
3. Configure the TNC Toolbox plugin inside WordPress

How to install:
1. Go to Plugins in WP-Admin
2. Click on the button Add New
3. Search for TNC Toolbox then click Install Now
4. Click on Activate plugin then Settings
5. Enter your API Token, User & Hostname
6. Save the config & use WP as-normal!

FAQ

Does the plugin allow me to purge the NGINX User Cache?

Yes, it does! All Users can do this easily via the button in the Admin top menu bar.

Does it allow me to disable or enable NGINX User Caching?

Yes! Admins can disable or enable the cache from the Admin top menu bar.

This is only visible if you are logged in as a WP Administrator.

Can I request functionality to be added into the module?

Yes! Simply raise an Issue/PR on the GitHub repository and we’ll take a look.

Is there a way for us to deploy the plugin server-wide?

Yes! You can use WP-CLI to install tnc-toolbox for all users!

Reviews

August 23, 2024
This is a fantastic tool that works as it should and gets out of the way – always keeping the cache clean when needed. Thank you!!!
June 4, 2023 3 replies
cPanel dropped the ball not having a good tried and true away to clear the NGINX cache via WordPress. Many cPanel accounts primary run a wordpress site or more. Thanks for this developer stepping up and getting an in WordPress NGINX clear cache option enabled in WordPress dashboard. Would be great to get some intellegnet cache control to clear the cache for when pages/posts or products are updated. Not sure the nginx cache allows for the fine grain purging though.
Read all 3 reviews

Contributors & Developers

“TNC Toolbox: Web Performance” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

Changelog

2.0.3: Nov 6, 2025

  • Auto-purge (ACF): When you save ACF config, purge! (#24)

2.0.2: Nov 6, 2025

  • Fix: Settings save no longer errors (relocated func.) (#32)

2.0.1: Nov 6, 2025

  • Fix: Auto-purge now calls directly (re: nonce failure) (#31)

2.0.0: Nov 6, 2025

  • NOTE: MAJOR REBUILD, PLEASE TEST BEFORE DEPLOYING
  • Feature: Add direct quota info re: API connected OK (#5)
  • Security: Move config from files to WordPress database (#6)
  • Security: Secure deletion of old config after migration
  • License: Properly apply GPLv3 to all code in the repo
  • Improvement: Better API response handling and errors (#28)
  • Architecture: Complete codebase re-build for maintainability
  • Architecture: Move cPanel API functionality to vendor module
  • Architecture: Automatic config migration from old versions
  • Legacy: Requires WP 6.0 & PHP 8.0 to set easy baselines
  • Auto-update: Revert flag from v1.4.2 – was global (#29)

1.4.2: Nov 4, 2025

  • Config Checker: Add function to iterate over
  • On-update Check: When core updates, also check

1.4.1: Aug 16, 2025

  • Update WordPress supported version to 6.8.x (#26)
  • Add screenshots to the WP.org plugin listing (#27)
  • Slight improvements to the WP.org Plugin Readme (#27)

1.4.0: Feb 21, 2025

  • Truncate max-length of relayed API error to GUI (#22)
  • Auto-purge when WP Core is successfully upgraded (#23)