What is internet browser cache?
Internet Browsers are designed to load pages as quickly as possible, one of the ways a browser does this is by downloading information for images, javascript, cookies, and CSS to your local workstation and storing the information in memory, what is known as 'cache'. This means when you revisit a website/page, less has to be downloaded from the website host as most of the information is saved locally and the page loads much quicker.
Why would I need to clear my internet browser cache?
As helpful as caching is, it can prove to be problematic if changes are made to the website/page and the internet browser you are using continues to load older information saved locally on the workstation. This would mean that while visitors to your website/page are seeing the correct information, you may be seeing older information that is different.
How would I clear cache on a specific page?
Most browsers allow you to refresh your cache for a specific page by using the function 5 (F5) key on your keyboard to refresh the page. You can also try holding down the CTRL key while pressing F5 to clear the page's cache. This usually resolves caching issues for the specific page you are viewing in your internet browser.
That didn't work, is there something else I can do?
If clearing the local page cache didn't resolve the issue there are some additional steps you can take to clear all of the cache in your internet browser, though because there are multiple types of browsers, the process varies a little in the steps. Below we will cover the top 4 browsers:
1. Google Chrome
2. Mozilla Firefox
3. Microsoft Edge (Windows 8/10)
Before I delete my browser cache history, is there anything I should know?
This will remove all of the saved information in your browser, which will include passwords or saved information for websites you visit frequently. If you are not sure what those passwords are, you may need to reset the passwords the next time you visit or download an install a different browser to use until you retrieve password information from those sites.
Google Chrome / Clear Cache
1. In Google Chrome, on your keyboard select: CTRL+H
2. On the left, select Clear Browsing Data
3. On 'Basic', set time range to All Time and select all 3 check boxes below (Browsing History, Cookies and Site Data, Cached Images and Files)
4. Then click on Clear Data button at the bottom
5. Close and re-open the browser
Mozilla Firefox / Clear Cache
1. In Firefox, click on the 3 dash line button in the upper right
2. Select Options
3. Select Privacy & Security on the left side
4. Select Clear History button
5. Select Everything from 'Time Range to clear:' drop-down
6. Check all of the boxes and select Clear Now button
7. Close and re-open the browser
Microsoft Edge / Clear Cache
1. In Edge, click on the 3 horizontal dots button in the upper right
2. Select Settings
3. Scroll down to 'Clear Browsing Data' and select Choose what to clear button
4. Select all of the check boxes and then select Clear button
5. Close and re-open the browser