Cache handling for queries

[NatanielMarmucki]

I’m working on implementing cache handling for queries. The cache itself works fine and gets created properly, but I’m having issues with cache invalidation.
I have these queries:

"Returns the address."
address(
    "The address ID."
    id: ID! @eq
): Address 
@guard 
@whereAuth(relation: "user")
@find  
@cache(maxAge: 300)

"Returns the list of addresses."
addresses(
    "The number of items in the page."
    first: Int!
    "The offset from which items are returned."
    page: Int
): [Address!]! 
@guard 
@whereAuth(relation: "user")
@paginate(type: PAGINATOR)
@cache(maxAge: 300)

When deleting a record, I want to clear the cache for both addresses and address:

"Deletes the address."
deleteAddress(
    "The address ID."
    id: ID! @whereKey
): Address 
@guard 
@whereAuth(relation: "user")
@delete
@clearCache(type: "Query", field: "addresses")
@clearCache(type: "Query", field: "address", idSource: { argument: "id" })

The cache gets cleared for addresses, but not for address. What could be causing this?

I can see that it generates a cache tag like lighthouse:Query::address:id:01k1dmfx78w412pwdh4hcj3pzk, but on the Lighthouse side, it generates lighthouse:Query:01k1dmfx78w412pwdh4hcj3pzk:address for the @clearCache(type: "Query", field: "address", idSource: { argument: "id" }) directive.

[NatanielMarmucki]

Looking at query caching, do I need to clear all records from the “address” cache instead of selecting a specific record?

@clearCache(type: "Query", field: "address")

I’m wondering if there’s a way to clear just individual cache entries rather than wiping the entire cache for the address field.

[spawnia]

Pretty sure that is the output for two instances of @clearCache. Please also log $type and $field to make it more clear what is going on.

[NatanielMarmucki]

Yes, there were two instances of @clearCache.

Now only for @clearCache(type: "Query", field: "address", idSource: { argument: "id" })

[2025-07-30 17:43:27] local.INFO: ClearCacheDirective type ["Query"] 
[2025-07-30 17:43:27] local.INFO: ClearCacheDirective field ["address"] 
[2025-07-30 17:43:27] local.INFO: ClearCacheDirective args {"id":"01k1e6wfhrshmcbjvkk25br5tm"} 
[2025-07-30 17:43:27] local.INFO: ClearCacheDirective result [{"App\\Models\\Address":{"id":"01k1e6wfhrshmcbjvkk25br5tm","user_id":"01jmskz21ctcqgam7d4ejf6277","parking_id":"01hqdxghk6p140pdk7gke428gw","type":"basic","google_place_id":"ChIJN1t_tDeuEmsRUsoyG83frY4","country":"Poland","region":"Mazowieckie","city":"Warsaw","street":"Marszałkowska","number":"4","postcode":"00-001","coordinates":{"latitude":52.2297,"longitude":21.0122},"created_at":"2025-07-30T17:43:05.000000Z","updated_at":"2025-07-30T17:43:27.000000Z","deleted_at":"2025-07-30T17:43:27.000000Z"}}] 
[2025-07-30 17:43:27] local.INFO: ClearCacheDirective idSource [{"argument":"id"}] 
[2025-07-30 17:43:27] local.INFO: ClearCacheDirective idOrIds ["01k1e6wfhrshmcbjvkk25br5tm"] 
[2025-07-30 17:43:27] local.INFO: ClearCacheDirective tag ["lighthouse:Query:01k1e6wfhrshmcbjvkk25br5tm:address"] 

[NatanielMarmucki]

Why can't I use @clearcache(type: “Address”)?

Lighthouse does not generate cache tags based on object type, but rather on root type (Query).
In practice, Lighthouse always generates cache for fields in the root type (Query, Mutation), because these fields are called in queries.

In my opinion, there is something wrong with the cache handling, or I am completely missing something.

[NatanielMarmucki]

Lighthouse generuje takie tagi dla cache:

1)"app_local_database_parkapp_local_cache_db3fa599e676c7707751239a43c94dabe1e8176e:lighthouse:Query::addresses:first:10"
2) "app_local_database_parkapp_local_cache_tag:lighthouse:Query::addresses:entries"
3) "app_local_database_parkapp_local_cache_tag:lighthouse:Query::entries"
4)"app_local_database_parkapp_local_cache_lighthouse:query:aa971d88b102de745347e3cc3dacd6225d35f97500ab66982cde8f3b4c5fba47"
5)"app_local_database_parkapp_local_cache_lighthouse:query:9867c8c064f40f59eee0cff11782e7058e5facb0e753a678e536ed067473de29"

If we use @clearcache(type: “Address”), it will attempt to clear the cache but from the lighthouse:Address tag:

[2025-08-01 10:10:25] local.DEBUG: [ClearCache] idSource default {"idOrIds":[null]} 
[2025-08-01 10:10:25] local.INFO: [ClearCache] Flushing cache {"type":"Address","field":null,"id":null,"tag":"lighthouse:Address:"} 
[2025-08-01 10:10:25] local.INFO: [ClearCache] Flushed cache {"tag":"lighthouse:Address:"}

@clearcache(type: “Address”) does not work because cache tags are not associated with the object type, but with the root type and field.

[spawnia]

To be honest, @cache and @clearCache are features I never really use myself. There might be a lot of potential for improvement, I can't really speak to the best practices for using it in its current form.