How do Spring's cache annotations work, and what does proxying change?

Explains cache interception, keys, conditions, eviction, proxy self-invocation, and the provider boundary.

1Say itAnswer out loud first

2CompareCompare with Core answer

3RefineRefine with Stronger and Advanced

TL;DR

@Cacheable checks a cache before invoking the method and stores the result on a miss. @CachePut always invokes the method and updates the cache, while @CacheEvict removes entries. Keys can come from method arguments or an explicit expression. In the default proxy mode, self-invocation does not pass through the interceptor, so an annotated method called from the same bean may not cache at all.

Full answer below

Practice focus

@Cacheable, @CachePut, @CacheEvict, key evaluation, proxy semantics, nulls, and cache-provider responsibilities.

Answer first

Answer path

Core answer first, then checkpoints toward a stronger answer.

Start
Core answer
Start here. This is the direct spoken answer to practice first.
Overview
Spring's cache abstraction intercepts method calls; the annotation describes cache behavior while the provider owns storage and eviction capabilities.
@Cacheable checks a cache before invoking the method and stores the result on a miss. @CachePut always invokes the method and updates the cache, while @CacheEvict removes entries. Keys can come from method arguments or an explicit expression. In the default proxy mode, self-invocation does not pass through the interceptor, so an annotated method called from the same bean may not cache at all.
Checkpoint
Stronger answer
Optional upgrade with examples, trade-offs, and sharper phrasing.
The cache name and key must include every dimension that changes the result, such as tenant, locale, permissions, or version. Conditions can decide whether to cache before invocation, and can reject a result afterward. Caching , exceptions, mutable entities, or security-sensitive results needs an explicit policy. The abstraction does not define TTL, maximum size, serialization, or distributed consistency; those belong to the selected provider and its configuration.

Review signals

Use these to catch weak phrasing, shallow reasoning, and risky claims.

Common mistakesCandidateCommon mistakesMistakes that weaken the answer or signal shallow understanding.Open details

Details

Expecting self-invocation to trigger caching.
Omitting tenant or permission scope from the key.
Assuming Spring defines the provider's TTL.

How do Spring's cache annotations work, and what does proxying change?

Practice focus

Answer path

Overview

Review signals

Follow-up prompts

Continue the section

Tech stacks

Skill areas

Suggest an improvement

Found this answer useful?