At Infomedia, we create custom websites for our clients — and we usually build them in a CMS like WordPress or Craft so clients can update their own websites with up-to-date information, new blogs and even navigation and page changes. But sometimes these changes don’t show up until you clear your cache — here’s how to do it.
The best websites are kept up-to-date as your business changes. You might update your blog when you have exciting news, change your About page to add a new team member, or swap out promos or menu items when your business changes. When you use a CMS (Content Management System) like WordPress or Craft, making these edits is simple — but seeing the change on your website might be another story.
Sometimes, you make a change in your CMS and head to your website to check it out immediately … and you can’t see the change at all. The good news is, this is usually a very simple issue, and the solution is easy. Most of the time, you just need to clear your cache.
Here’s How to Clear Your Cache
Sometimes a hard refresh is enough to reset your changes, and for most browsers, you can use a shortcut to try it — hitting Control + R or Command + R while viewing your site will work in most cases. If the refresh doesn’t work, you’ll want to clear your cache. Luckily, that’s a simple process. Click here for detailed instructions on how to clear your cache; just find the browser you’re using and follow the instructions. (Be sure you’re actually clearing the cache and not simply reloading the page; they’re not the same thing.)
Why Does My Browser Cache My Website?
When you load a webpage in your browser for the first time, it might take a few moments to process the information as it loads images, menus, text styles and more — basically all the elements that make up your website. When you first visit, your browser might “remember” — or cache — some of these images so that you can load the page more quickly when you return. Your browser will probably load new content changes, like a blog, but for certain elements that are usually static, like a home page image, it might rely on what it cached when you visited before.
When you make a change and don’t see it reflected in your site, it’s probably because you’re seeing a cached version of your site. The good news? Only you (and other people who’ve visited your site in the past) will see the old version, and eventually this problem will clear itself up on its own. To see your new changes immediately, just clear your cache manually.
Still Not Seeing Changes? Time to Troubleshoot
If you’ve cleared your cache and still aren’t seeing the changes you’ve made, you’ll want to look at a little more closely at what’s going on behind the scenes. If you’re an Infomedia client, you can get in touch with our Support team at support@infomedia.com and we’ll help you sort out the situation.
