Abstract: Techniques have been developed whereby information objects referenced in a requested information object (e.g., image, audio, video, application, and/or text objects referenced in an HTML document) are embedded in a composite object and supplied in as literal data therein in response to an object identifier (e.g., an URL request). Referenced information objects may be retrieved from cache or obtained from authoritative information servers and dynamically embedded in a composite information object. In some realizations, composite objects with embedded references are retrieved from cache. In some realizations, individual information objects (including those referenced) are cached and a composite object is dynamically prepared. In some realizations, though not all realizations, the caching techniques are employed in a proxy server implementation.