Sometimes a website issue is not caused by the server but by old data stored on your device. Your browser saves cache and cookies to load pages faster and remember login sessions. While useful, these can cause problems when websites update. At DediRock, we often recommend clearing your cache and cookies as a first step when troubleshooting.
1. What Are Cache and Cookies?
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Cache: Temporary files like images, stylesheets, and scripts that your browser saves to load websites faster.
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Cookies: Small files that store login sessions, preferences, and tracking information.
If your cache or cookies become outdated or corrupted, you might see broken layouts, missing images, or login issues even when the server is working fine.
2. When Should You Clear Them?
You may need to clear cache and cookies if:
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You recently updated your website but still see the old version.
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You are unable to log in even with the correct credentials.
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A site shows errors that others cannot reproduce.
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Your browser feels slow or unresponsive when loading pages.
3. How to Clear Cache and Cookies by Browser
Google Chrome
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Click the three-dot menu → Settings.
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Go to Privacy and Security → Clear browsing data.
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Select Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data.
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Click Clear data.
Mozilla Firefox
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Open the menu → Settings.
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Select Privacy & Security.
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Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data.
Microsoft Edge
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Open the menu → Settings.
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Click Privacy, search, and services.
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Under Clear browsing data, select Choose what to clear.
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Choose Cached images and files and Cookies and site data → Clear now.
Safari (Mac)
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Click Safari in the top menu → Preferences.
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Go to Privacy → Manage Website Data.
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Select sites to remove or choose Remove All.
4. Clear Cache on Mobile Devices
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Android (Chrome): Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data.
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iPhone/iPad (Safari): Settings → Safari → Clear History and Website Data.
5. Server-Side and Application Cache
Sometimes the issue comes from your hosting environment or CMS, not the browser.
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CMS Cache (WordPress, Joomla, etc.): Clear your site’s cache from the admin dashboard or with a plugin.
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Server Cache: If you are on a DediRock VPS or Dedicated Server, you may also need to clear server-side cache like Nginx, Varnish, or Redis.
If you are not sure how, open a Support Ticket and our team can help.
6. Final Check
After clearing your cache and cookies:
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Restart your browser.
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Visit your website again.
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If the issue persists, try accessing your site from another device or network.
Final Thoughts
Clearing cache and cookies is a simple step that can fix many common website problems without changing server settings. It ensures you are seeing the most up-to-date version of your site.