Edge computing moves computation from centralized datacenters to locations near users. Cloudflare Workers execute JavaScript at over 300 edge locations worldwide, enabling sub-50ms response times globally. This paradigm shift enables new application architectures and use cases.
Edge Use Cases
Edge functions excel at request transformation, authentication, and personalization. A/B testing at the edge requires no origin round-trips. Geolocation-based routing happens instantly. API response caching with edge-side logic enables smart invalidation without origin calls.
- Implement authentication and authorization at the edge reducing origin load
- Cache API responses with intelligent invalidation logic
- Perform A/B testing and feature flagging without latency penalty
- Transform requests and responses for legacy API compatibility
- Serve static assets with dynamic edge-side includes
Limitations and Tradeoffs
Edge environments have constraints—limited execution time, restricted APIs, and stateless execution. Durable Objects and KV storage provide persistence but with different consistency models. Understanding these constraints shapes effective edge architectures.