Clear Browser Data and Cache
Overview
Accessing any website requires a lot of data to be transferred to your browser. To save time and increase speed, your browser saves a piece of each website that you visit to be used the next time you go to the site, cutting down on load times. This also means that if a website is changed or upgraded, your browser may rely on outdated information to load the page. This can occasionally cause some discrepancies between an older version of a webpage and a newer one.
Similarly, different websites save settings, preferences, or other details in small files called "cookies." Many websites rely on cookies to function, from authentication cookies to verify an active login session or remembering preferences or site visit information. After a major website update, the format for the cookie data files may change, requiring you to clear out any old cookies so that the latest version of a website can operate properly. At other times, these browser data files can become corrupt, and a clearing out of old cookies can help restore access or functionality.
You can manually force your browser to reach out and collect the most recent version of a website by clearing your cache, cookies, and/or other browser data. Find out how below.
How to Clear Your Browser Cache and Cookies
Clear All Cache and Cookies
For the best results, we recommend that you clear your "cache" and "cookies" to troubleshoot common website issues. If you are using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge, you can press the Ctrl + Shift + Del keys (Windows) or Command ⌘ + Shift + Del keys (Mac) at the same time to open the clear cache window. Make sure to only delete your “cache” and “cookies,” as selecting other options could delete your passwords or other saved information.
For complete instructions, visit the browser support pages below:
- Google Chrome for Computer, Android, or iPhone/iPad
- Apple Safari for Mac
- Apple Safari for iPhone or iPad
- Mozilla Firefox for Computer
- Mozilla Firefox for iPhone or iPad
- Microsoft Edge for Windows
IMPORTANT: Please quit or close your browser and restart it after clearing the browser data
and cache.
Clear Single Page Cache
In a hurry? You can reload a single page and clear its cache. This can help when working with a single website or web page only. If problems persist, a full clearing of the browser's full cache and cookies is advised (see above).
Browser | Windows | Mac |
---|---|---|
Google Chrome | Ctrl + Shift ⇧ + R or Shift ⇧ + click Reload button or Shift ⇧ + F5 |
Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + R or Shift ⇧ + click Reload button |
Mozilla Firefox | Ctrl + Shift ⇧ + R or Shift ⇧ + click Reload button or Shift ⇧ + F5 |
Command ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + R or Shift ⇧ + click Reload button |
Curious about other shortcuts for your web browser? Learn more about keyboard shortcuts in Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Microsoft Edge.