Caching Strategies for FileMaker API Integrations

Beginner

Implement response caching, stale-while-revalidate patterns, and cache invalidation to reduce FileMaker Server load and improve client-perceived performance.

What you'll learn

How to implement in-memory and Redis-based caching for FM responses
How to use cache keys that capture all query parameters
How to implement stale-while-revalidate for zero-latency reads
When and how to invalidate caches on record mutations

The FileMaker Data API is not built for high-frequency read traffic -- each request opens a DB connection and runs a find. Caching reduces server load dramatically for data that does not change on every request. The key is choosing the right cache lifetime and invalidation strategy for each data type.

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In-memory cache with TTL

A simple Map-based cache with per-entry TTL works well for single-process deployments. Key the cache on a hash of the request (layout + query JSON).

FileMaker Script

const cache = new Map<string, { value: unknown; expiresAt: number }>();

function getCached<T>(key: string): T | null {
  const entry = cache.get(key);
  if (!entry || entry.expiresAt < Date.now()) {
    cache.delete(key);
    return null;
  }
  return entry.value as T;
}

function setCached(key: string, value: unknown, ttlMs: number) {
  cache.set(key, { value, expiresAt: Date.now() + ttlMs });
}

function cacheKey(layout: string, query: object): string {
  return layout + ':' + JSON.stringify(query);
}

Building API Middleware for FileMaker Async and Long-Running Operations via the Data API