How to Clear Your Browser Cache: A Step-by-Step Guide to Fix Website Display Issues

Ever made updates to your website only to find that they don’t show up? Maybe everything looks fine on your coworker’s screen, but it’s like the changes never happened on yours. Or perhaps a page isn’t loading quite right—images are missing, buttons aren’t working, or things just feel off. If this sounds familiar, your browser cache is probably to blame.

Your browser saves bits and pieces of websites you visit to help pages load faster. That’s great—until it starts serving up outdated content instead of the latest version. The fix? Clearing your cache can force your browser to grab fresh files and display everything correctly.

Let’s walk through it — below, you’ll learn more about what browser cache is, when it should be cleared, how to force your browser to open a new copy of your website, and how to clear the cache to solve the problem. We’ve also included answers to some of the frequently asked questions we receive about browser cache.

After updating a website, we often hear from clients that the updated content isn’t displaying. Although we clear a website’s cache after making updates, a user’s browser may still store an old copy of the website’s content, which means the local cache needs to be cleared to fetch a fresh version.

When a browser stores website data in its cache, it’s essentially keeping temporary copies of files like images, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript on the user’s device. This allows pages to load faster without redownloading everything from the server. While this improves performance, it can sometimes cause issues when website updates aren’t reflected immediately.

Clearing your cache can help in several situations:

• • After website updates that don’t appear immediately
  • When pages on a site are loading incorrectly (missing images, broken pages)
  • When login forms aren’t working properly
  • If your browser is running slower than usual
  • If an Incognito window displays different content than your regular browser

Quick Test: Try opening the webpage in an Incognito or Private window. If you see updated content there but not in your regular browser, it’s time to clear your cache.

To check if your browser cache is causing display issues, try viewing the page in an Incognito (Private) window. This forces the browser to load a fresh version of the site.

• • Google Chrome & Microsoft Edge: Click the three dots in the top right corner > Select New Incognito Window
  • Mozilla Firefox: Click the three lines in the top right corner > Select New Private Window
  • Safari (Mac): Click File > Select New Private Window

A hard refresh forces the browser to reload the page while bypassing cached content. The steps vary by browser:

Chrome, Edge, or Firefox

• • Windows: Press Ctrl + F5 or Ctrl + Shift + R
  • Mac: Press Command + Shift + R

Safari (Mac)

• • Hold down the Shift key and click the reload icon in the address bar.

• • Safari (iOS)
    • Open Settings App > Apps > Safari
    • Scroll to the bottom and select Advanced > Website Data
    • Click Remove All Website Data

No, your cached experience is not necessarily the same as what your customers see. Since the cache is stored locally, frequent visitors—like company representatives—are more likely to see outdated content, while customers may load a fresher version. Testing in an incognito window or clearing cache helps confirm real-time updates.

No, clearing your cache only removes stored website data like images and scripts. However, if you choose to clear cookies, you may need to log back into some websites.

It depends on your browsing habits. If you frequently visit sites that update often or experience loading issues, clearing your cache every few weeks can help.

Clearing the cache forces the browser to download the latest files from a website instead of using stored (potentially outdated) copies.

No, clearing your cache will not remove your saved bookmarks or autofill data. However, if you choose to clear cookies along with your cache, some saved login sessions may be lost.

Web developers often ask users to clear their cache because outdated files stored in the browser can cause display issues, broken functionality, or prevent updates from appearing correctly.

Yes! Most browsers have an option to clear cached data when you close them automatically. You can find this setting under the browser’s privacy or history options.

• Cache: Stores website files like images, styles, and scripts to load pages faster.
• Cookies: Store login sessions, preferences, and tracking information. Clearing cache helps update website content while clearing cookies can log you out of websites.

Clearing your cache is a simple yet effective way to fix loading issues and speed up your browser. If you or your team experience outdated content, slow performance, or broken pages, following the steps in this guide can help avoid unnecessary troubleshooting and support requests.

If you’re looking for a partner that can support your website needs more holistically, Stellaractive is here to help. We offer managed WordPress website hosting, digital marketing services, and more. Call 503-384-2413 or contact us today to keep your website fast, secure, and up to date!