Spring's caching abstraction (`@EnableCaching` plus a configured CacheManager) lets you add caching declaratively via annotations rather than writing manual cache-check logic. `@Cacheable` on a method checks the configured cache for an entry matching a computed key (by default, derived from the method's arguments) before running the method — on a hit, it returns the cached value directly, skipping the method body entirely; on a miss, it runs the method and stores the result under that key for next time.

Intermediate5 min

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#@Cacheable#Spring Cache Abstraction

How does Spring's caching abstraction work, and what does @Cacheable do?

@Cacheable Is AOP-Based, With All the Same Caveats

Like @Transactional and @PreAuthorize, @Cacheable is implemented via a proxy — calling a @Cacheable method from another method on the same bean via `this` bypasses the proxy and always runs the real method, skipping the cache entirely. Recognizing this as the same underlying proxy-based-AOP limitation, rather than a separate quirk, makes it much easier to predict and debug.

@Cacheable("users") — cache hit skips the method entirely; cache miss runs it once and stores the result for next time

Basic @Cacheable Usage

java

@Cacheable("users")
User findById(Long id) {
    return userRepository.findById(id).orElseThrow(); // only runs on a cache miss
}