What is cache? When and how to clear website cache

Website cache is the copies of a website's files, such as images and scripts, that your browser saves on your device. On your next visit, the browser loads those saved files instead of downloading them again, so the page opens faster. A site's logo is a good example: like other images, it's saved on your first visit and loaded from your device after that.

When people tell you to clear your cache, they mean deleting those saved copies, so your browser downloads fresh ones on your next visit.

What does website cache do?

Website cache makes the sites you visit often open faster, and it works without you doing anything. Your browser keeps reusing the files it saved until they expire or you clear them.

A saved copy can fall behind the real site, though. If the website owner changes a page, your browser may keep showing the version it saved. That's usually when clearing the cache helps.

Browser cache, server cache and CDN cache

Your browser isn't the only web cache. Websites keep copies of their pages too, and you can't clear those yourself. A server cache sits at the website's host. A content delivery network (CDN) keeps copies of a site in several locations and serves each visitor from the one closest to them.

	Browser cache	Server cache	CDN cache
Where the copy is kept	On your own device	On a server at the website's host	On servers in several locations
Who it serves	Only you	Later visitors to the site	Each visitor, from the server closest to them
Who clears it	You, in your browser	The website owner	The website owner

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Should you clear your cache?

Usually not. Clearing it makes sites load more slowly for a while, because images and other files have to download again. It's worth clearing when a site won't load properly, looks broken or keeps showing an old version of a page.

If only one page looks wrong, try a hard refresh first. It reloads the page you're on without using the cached copies. In Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + R on Windows or Command + Shift + R on a Mac.

What happens when you clear your cache?

Clearing the cache removes the saved copies of website files. Your sign-ins and history are kept in cookies and the history list, so they stay unless you delete those too. Safari is the exception. It removes cookies along with the rest of its website data, so you may need to sign in to websites again.

Browsers list the cache beside cookies and browsing history, which do different jobs:

	Cache	Cookies	Browsing history
What it stores	Copies of images, scripts and other files from sites you visit	Small files that remember your sign-ins, preferences and basket	A list of the pages you've visited
What clearing it changes for you	Sites load their files again, so they may feel slower at first	You're signed out of websites and your site settings reset	The list is gone, and websites work as before

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In most cases, clearing the cache alone is enough. Clear cookies as well when a sign-in keeps failing, and restart your browser afterwards.

How to clear your browser cache

Each browser takes you to a similar menu, where you choose what to delete and often for which period. For Firefox, Mozilla's help page on clearing the Firefox cache has the current steps.

Google Chrome

Decide first what to keep: cookies hold your sign-ins, so deleting them can sign you out of websites.
On your computer, open Chrome.
At the top right, select More, then Delete browsing data.
Choose a time range, such as Last hour or All time.
Tick the items you want to delete. Leave cookies unticked if you want to stay signed in.
To confirm, select Delete data.

To clear just one site's cookies and stored data, delete them in Chrome's privacy settings, under See all site data and permissions.

Microsoft Edge

Select Settings and more, then Settings, then Privacy, search, and services.
Under Clear browsing data, select Choose what to clear.
Pick a period from the Time range menu.
Tick Cached images and files and leave the other boxes unticked. If you're signed in with sync turned on, the data you clear can also disappear from your other synced devices.
Select Clear now.

If you still use Internet Explorer, it's time to switch. Microsoft ended support for the Internet Explorer 11 desktop app on Windows 10's semi-annual channel on 15 June 2022. It encourages users to move to Edge.

Safari on a Mac

Have your passwords to hand before you start, as removing website data can sign you out of websites.
Open the Safari app on your Mac.
Choose Safari, then Settings, and click Privacy.
Click Manage Website Data.
Select one or more websites, then click Remove, or click Remove All to clear every site.

This is also how you clear the cache of a single site: select only that site in the list.

Safari on an iPhone

Make sure you know your passwords first, as removing website data can sign you out of websites.
Go to Settings, tap Apps and select Safari. Tap Advanced, then choose Website Data.
Tap Remove All Website Data.
Tap Remove Now.

Your browsing history in Safari stays as it was.

Opera

Check first that you know your passwords: deleting cookies as well can sign you out of websites.
Go to Settings.
Open Privacy & security on the left and click Delete browsing data.
Pick the period and the data you want to remove, then click Clear data.

Why visitors may still see an old version of your website

Visitors may see an old version because a server cache at your host keeps a copy of your pages and serves it to them. Serving that copy is quicker than getting each page from the storage server, where your site's files are kept. Until the cache updates, visitors get the saved copy, even if they clear their own browser cache.

If your WordPress site is on our web hosting and the Performance Cache is turned on, it saves this copy on a caching server called Varnish. It clears itself when you add or update a page or post, or change the theme. If visitors need to see a change straight away, clear the Performance Cache and then the CDN cache. You clear both in our WordPress plugin.

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Advantages and disadvantages of caching

The main advantage is speed. Pages you've visited before open faster, and a server cache answers a site's visitors faster than the storage servers behind it.

The downsides are small. Apart from old copies of a page, there are two.

Storage space: cached files take up space on your device. Clearing the cache frees it up again.
Traces on a shared device: the cache sits beside your browsing history and your cookies, which can keep you signed in. On a shared or public computer, it's worth clearing all three when you finish.

Choosing hosting for your own website

For your own website, a server cache helps make your pages quick for visitors, and a good host looks after it for you. If you're setting up a site, choose a hosting plan with performance caching built in, so your visitors get your pages quickly.

What is website cache?