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How To Clear WordPress Cache – 7 Ways To Do It

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Your WordPress might continually change. But sometimes, those updates don’t show up for your end users. This is a typical situation requiring you to consider clearing WordPress Cache.

In this post, I will explain how to clear WordPress cache. You might already know that WordPress Cache is a temporary store of static files.

These files can be easily accessed when someone visits your WordPress site. The server does not need to execute complex PHP scripts to process each request. Instead, visitors are served cached images and file.

Clearing the cache is simply removing the temporary content and data. Let me first touch on why it is a good idea to clear WordPress Cache. After that, we will go into how to clear your cache in WordPress.

Why Should You Clear WordPress Cache?

  • It ensures that the latest version of the files is presented to website visitors.
  • While troubleshooting issues with the WordPress website, clearing cache is usually the first suggestion you get.
  • Old cached files may occupy ample disk space and slow down the system.
  • Improved core web vitals leading to better SEO metrics.

I must mention one thing at this stage. Purging your WordPress cache can temporarily hit the website’s performance. It will mean a slower loading time for anyone visiting your site in the initial stages. So, it’s best to clear the server cache for a strong reason only.

Removing the cache should not be necessary if your web page is set up correctly and functioning optimally.

How To Clear WordPress Cache?

As you already know, several caching solutions exist to deliver content in a WordPress system. Caching plugins, web browsers, and WordPress hosting servers are common types of caching. Hence you must ensure that cache clearance is done from all locations.

In the following sections, we’ll go through each of them one by one.

Clearing Browser Cache

You may begin clearing the WordPress website cache by starting with your browser cache. It carries the previous data of your site. The browser may take some time to catch up with the new updates. We will touch on how to do this in three of the popular browsers – Chrome, Firefox & Edge. You just need to click on the Delete Cache button in each of these browsers.

Clearing cache in Chrome browser

Chrome is one of the popular browsers. Here are the steps to delete Cache in Chrome

  1. Click on the Menu (three-dot Ellipse icon) at the top right corner.
  2. Navigate to More Tools and then Clear Browsing Data.
  3. Choose the Advanced tab and All Time in the Time Range dropdown.
  4. Finally, click on the Clear Data button.
Chrome Browser Navigation
Chrome Browser Navigation
Clear Cache in Chrome
Clear Cache in Chrome

Clearing Cache in Firefox browser

1. Click on the Menu (Hamburger Icon) at the top right corner.

2. Navigate to History and then Clear Recent History.

3. Choose Everything from the Time Range to Clear drop-down.

4. Finally, click OK Button.

Firefox Browser Navigation
Firefox Browser Navigation
Clear Cache in Firefox
Clear Cache in Firefox

Clearing Cache in Edge browser

1. Click Menu (Hamburger Icon) at the top right corner.

2. Click on Settings.

3. Choose to Privacy, Search, and Services section.

4. Scroll to the Clear Browsing Data section in the right window.

5. Click on Choose what to clear Button.

6. Choose All Time in the Time Range drop-down.

7. Click on the Clear Now button.

Edge Browser navigation
Edge Browser navigation
Clearing cache with Edge Browser
Clearing cache with Edge Browser

Clearing WordPress Cache With a Plugin

You can quickly clear your cache if you have WordPress caching plugins installed. They have user-friendly options, and the process is generally straightforward.

WP Rocket is one of the popular Caching plugins in WordPress. It’s a breeze to install and activate the plugin and clear cache with it. The process to delete cache with WP Super Cache plugin is also similarly simple.

If you have WP Rocket installed. Navigate to your WordPress dashboard and select Settings > WP Rocket. Press the orange Clear Cache button, and you are done. It couldn’t be more simple!

Related article: Check out this review of WP rocket plugin to know more about its caching features

Clearing Cache with WP Rocket plugin
Clearing Cache with WP Rocket plugin

Clearing WordPress Cache Without a Plugin

Clearing cache without a WordPress plugin needs to be done at different levels.

Hosting Provider

The Cache Clearing process depends on the web hosting provider you are using. A cache deletion option is generally available from your host’s control panel. All web hosting service providers make it convenient to clear the cache.

They provide a Purge Cache button on your WordPress Dashboard. You can also configure this button during your website’s initial setup. Check your hosting provider’s documentation for more details.

Siteground is a popular hosting provider for WordPress sites. If your site is hosted on Siteground, you can go to your WordPress Dashboard. Navigate to Settings > Siteground. On the Siteground Dashboard, scroll to the Cache Settings section. Click on the Purge Cache button to complete the cache deletion process.

Clearing Cache in Siteground
Clearing Cache in Siteground

Content Distribution Network (CDN)

As you might already know, CDNs are deployed to speed up the delivery of WordPress content. This content delivery is through a network of globally distributed servers. Your website visitors are served Cached content from the nearest CDN’s server. This server is another place to delete cached content while undertaking this process.

Cloudflare is one of the popular CDN service providers. Coolfundas’ WordPress content is distributed through Cloudflare. Deleting cache in Cloudflare is a straightforward task.

Open your WordPress Dashboard and navigate to Settings > Cloudflare. On the Cloudflare dashboard, scroll to the bottom of the screen. You will find a blue Purge Cache button. Clicking it will do the trick.

Check your CDN service provider’s documentation if you are not on Cloudflare. You will find similar options to delete the cache.

Manual Deletion of WordPress Cache

You can manually delete cached content from your servers. Use this option when you don’t have WordPress plugins. However, I strongly recommend using this process as a last resort. Go ahead only when all other options don’t work. Any inadvertent mistakes here could be challenging to fix.

In this step, you must delete the content within your WordPress cache folder at wp-content/cache. Access this folder using an FTP client such as FileZilla. Once again, only delete the files INSIDE the Cache folder, not the folder itself.

Check out this video for additional clarity on Clearing Cache.

How to Clear Cache in WordPress Website

Conclusion – How To Clear The Cache In WordPress

Caching is an essential part of WordPress site speed optimization. But WordPress content continually changes. Sometimes, those updates don’t show up for your end users.

Cached versions and outdated content must be deleted. This deletion process ensures visitors view the most up-to-date version of your site.

The deletion process must be executed across many levels. Caching plugins have easy options to delete the cache. You may also need to delete the cache from the hosting servers, CDNs, and browsers. In this article, we have reviewed how to clear the cache in WordPress for each of the levels.

I’d love to know how you have dealt with the WordPress cache. Do share your experience in the Comments section.

You may also like:

How to Enable Object Caching in WordPress

The Art of Minimalist Website Design

How to Manage the WordPress Heartbeat API for Better Performance

 

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Prashant Shetty
Prashant Shetty
Prashant Shetty is a Technology Industry Veteran with 20+ years of experience in the field. He loves reading, music, and blogging about technology in the context of Life. He craves for a cup of sugarless black masala tea and is a religious runner.

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