MySQL client side caching allows caching of query results on the client side using the mysqlnd driver. It is transparent to applications using MySQL extensions like mysqli or PDO. Cached results are stored using pluggable storage handlers like APC, memcache, or local memory. Queries can be cached based on SQL hints or custom logic in a user-defined storage handler. Statistics are collected on cache usage and query performance to analyze effectiveness. This provides an alternative to server-side query caching with potential benefits like reducing network traffic and database load.