Why do I need to clear my cache?

Recently we made significant changes to a client’s website.  Over the course of the day the changes went live, many people kept emailing us “why can’t we see the changes?”  The answer: your browser cache.

What is cache?

Cache is a hardware or software component that stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster; the data stored in a cache might be the result of an earlier computation or a copy of data stored elsewhere. A cache hit occurs when the requested data can be found in a cache, while a cache miss occurs when it cannot. Cache hits are served by reading data from the cache, which is faster than recomputing a result or reading from a slower data store; thus, the more requests that can be served from the cache, the faster the system performs.

You should periodically clear the cache to allow your browser to function more efficiently. Browsers will normally clear cookies that reach a certain age, but clearing them manually may solve problems and allow you to see recent updates with web sites.

What is the shortcut to clear cache?

Keyboard Shortcut for Most Browsers. If you are using Internet Explorer, Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox you can quickly clear cache with a keyboard shortcut. While in your browser, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete simultaneously on the keyboard to open the appropriate window.