Amazon CloudFront is Amazon's own Content Delivery Network (CDN), designed to speed up content delivery to users by distributing it across a global network of edge locations. CloudFront caches content closer to users, thereby reducing latency.
You can explore the CloudFront full documentation here:
To make sure we’re aligned on the fundamentals, I’ve created an CloudFront Gateway summary below. It gives you a quick overview of the core capabilities this service offers.
When using Amazon CloudFront, it’s essential to enable complete visibility into what’s happening at that layer.
Leverage CloudFront Metrics for Performance and Latency Observability
Start with the default CloudFront metrics, which give valuable insights
Requests – Tracks the number of HTTP/HTTPS requests.
Total Error Rate – Monitors the overall error rate, including both 4xx and 5xx errors.
4xx and 5xx Error Rate – Separates client and server errors for more granular analysis.
Bytes Downloaded/Uploaded – Helps track data volume and monitor trends.
To get deeper visibility, enable additional CloudFront metrics
Cache Hit Rate – Shows the percentage of requests served from the cache.
Origin Latency – Measures how long CloudFront takes to start responding when content comes from the origin (not the cache).
Error Rate by Status Code – Breaks down errors further (e.g., 401, 403, 502) for precise troubleshooting.
These metrics give you a clear view of what’s happening inside your CloudFront distribution.
To enable CloudFront metrics, first complete the Datadog AWS integration via the Datadog Integrations page, and then enable CloudFront metrics
You will be able to see the CloudFront metrics via the Datadog Metrics Explorer.
Use CloudFront Logs to Accelerate Troubleshooting
In order to ship CloudFront logs to Datadog, you need to configure the Datadog Forwarder Lambda function, add a trigger, and set up CloudFront as a log source.
Datadog AWS Log Forwarder Configuration
Enable CloudFront access logs (delivered to Amazon S3) to analyze user behavior and troubleshoot issues.
Logs help you observe:
Cache Optimization – Improve cache hit/miss rates to maximize CDN benefits.
Traffic Patterns – Understand who is accessing your content, from where and when.
Performance Issues – Identify regions or requests experiencing high latency.
Error Analysis – Discover why certain requests fail or aren't cached.
Security – Detect suspicious activity or unauthorized access attempts.
Enable Tracing for Code-Level Visibility
Enable tracing tools such as AWS X-Ray or Datadog APM to trace requests across services. This allows you to:
- Pinpoint performance bottlenecks
- See what’s happening inside your code during a request
- Correlate CloudFront performance with backend services
- Tracing adds depth to your observability stack and helps you find issues faster.
Bringing It All Together
Combining CloudFront Metrics, Logs, and Traces gives you complete observability of your CDN layer.
What’s Next: Turn Observability into Action
Once you have visibility, use it to continuously improve:
✅ Optimize Cache Hit Rate
Analyze cache behavior (hit/miss ratio). The goal of CloudFront is to serve the majority of requests from the cache, which improves speed and reduces origin load. Monitor trends and assess how new deployments affect caching. Constant observation leads to measurable improvements.
✅ Fine-Tune Cache Configuration
Review and adjust cache TTLs, headers, cookies, and query string settings. Use cache policies and origin request policies for better control and efficiency.
✅ Identify and Resolve Latency Hotspots
Use Origin Latency metrics to detect slow origins or network bottlenecks. Continuously monitor and improve based on findings.
✅ Set Up Alerts
Configure alerts for high error rates (4xx/5xx), increasing latency, or dropping cache hit ratios. Early alerts help resolve issues before they impact users.
✅ Use Geo and Device Insights
Analyze where your traffic comes from and what devices are used. This helps optimize delivery strategies and detect anomalies or unauthorized access.
✅ Correlate Data Across Services
Link CloudFront data with backend services for end-to-end observability. Enabling tracing across services provides a full picture of request flows and system health.
With the right combination of metrics, logs, and traces, you can unlock powerful insights into your CloudFront performance, troubleshoot faster, and continuously improve user experience.
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