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cache is true by default: the plugin builds the document once and reuses it for every request until the process restarts.

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Why this is safe

The Payload config is static after boot — collections, globals, fields, and endpoints cannot change while the server runs. So the document is identical on every request, with one exception: the server URL, which is always filled in fresh from the request’s Host header, cached or not.

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Disable it in development

In development your config changes often. Turn the cache off so edits show up without a restart:
payload.config.ts
If you never want a live spec endpoint at all, cache is not the option you’re looking for — set serve: false and generate the file with the CLI instead. See Static spec.