> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://payload-plugin-openapi.seshuk.im/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Caching

> The built document is cached for the life of the process; disable the cache in development to see config edits without a restart.

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

## 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.

## Disable it in development

In development your config changes often. Turn the cache off so edits show up without a restart:

```ts payload.config.ts theme={null}
openapi({
  metadata: { title: 'My API', version: '1.0.0' },
  cache: process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production',
})
```

<Tip>
  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](/guides/static-spec).
</Tip>