How to clear your browser's cache

If you have made changes to your website but they are not appearing when you load the page, you may need to either force the page to reload from the server or clear your cache.

This article walks you through how to clear your browser's cache.

Before clearing your cache, you can first try forcing a page reload. To force a reload from the server, press:

Windows

Ctrl + F5

Mac

Cmd+ R

(Command key) – On some Apple keyboards, this key also has an Apple () logo (Source: OS X keyboard shortcuts).

Linux

F5

Sometimes, just refreshing your page does not show your new site content. In that case, you should bypass the cache. When you bypass your cache, you force your browser to re-download a web page's complete, up-to-date content. This should be enough for you to see the new changes.

View the following Wikipedia page for instructions on how to do this on different operating systems and browsers:

• Bypass your cache

Sometimes forcing a reload isn't enough, so you may need to clear your browser's supply of stored files. Select the browser you use and follow these instructions to clear the cache.

Using Firefox (v68)

1. Click the icon on the top right.

   

2. In the dropdown, select Options.

   

3. On the Options page, there are several menu items on the left. Click the Privacy & Security menu item.

   

4. In the center pane are several options. Under History click the Clear History... button.

   

5. A pop-up box displays. At the top, choose the time frame you'd like to clear.
6. Select the checkbox options for Cookies, Cache, and anything else you'd like to remove.
7. Click the Clear Now button.
8. Close and relaunch your browser.

Click the following link to view further instructions from Mozilla:

• Clear Firefox Cache

Using Chrome (v75)

Shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + Del

1. Click the icon on the top right.
2. In the dropdown, select More Tools.

   

3. Select Clear Browsing Data.

   

4. In the pop-up box that appears, choose the time frame you'd like to clear.
5. Select the checkbox options for Cookies, Cache, and anything else you'd like to remove.
6. Click the Clear data button to finish.
7. Close and relaunch your browser.

Click the following link to view further information:

• Clear cache in Chrome

Empty Cache Hard Reload (Chrome only)

Chrome also allows you to perform a hard reload. This can be used if you find clearing your cache isn't working as intended.

1. Open up dev tools. The shortcut in Windows is Ctrl + Shift + i.
2. Right click the refresh icon.

   

3. In the dropdown click Empty Cache and Hard Reload.

Using Internet Explorer (v11)

1. From the Menu bar, click the Tools tab and select Internet Options.
2. Click the General tab.

   

3. On the General tab, click the Delete... button under the Browsing history section.

   

4. In the pop-up, Un-check the box titled Preserve Favorites website data.
5. Check the boxes titled Temporary Internet files and website files, Cookies and website data, History and Download History.
6. Click the Delete button.
7. Close and relaunch your browser.

Using Safari (v12)

1. Click the Safari menu item on the top left of your screen.

   

2. In the dropdown box choose Preferences. You could also click Cmd + ,.

   

3. In the pop-up window click the Privacy tab.
4. Click the Manage Website Data... button.
5. Click the Remove All button.
6. On the pop-up box click the Remove Now button.
7. Close and relaunch your browser.

Autocomplete error in Safari

While using the Safari browser, you may occasionally encounter the following error:

var autocomplete_data = []

This error is most often related to the Safari Browser’s cache. Clearing that cache as mentioned above will resolve the error in most cases. If the error persists after clearing the cache, try accessing the DreamHost panel via another browser, such as Firefox or Chrome.

Using Firefox (v68)

1. Click the History menu item.

   

2. In the dropdown menu select Clear Recent History....

   

3. A pop-up box displays. In the dropdown box titled Time range to clear, select 'Everything'.
4. In the Details section below, check Cookies and Cache.
5. Click the Clear Now button to save.
6. Close and relaunch your browser.

Using Chrome (v76)

1. Click the Chrome menu item.

   

2. In the dropdown menu, select Clear Browsing Data....

   

3. In the pop-up box, check the options Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files.
4. Click the Clear Data button.
5. Close and relaunch your browser.

For detailed instructions on how to flush the DNS cache on your computer, please review the following article:

• Flush DNS