When your WordPress site doesn’t show recent updates, caching is often the culprit. Cache helps speed up websites, but it can also store outdated versions of your pages. Here’s how to find and clear every layer of cache — from your hosting server to plugins and browsers — so your latest changes appear instantly.
⚙️ Step-by-Step Instructions
⚙️ Step-by-Step Instructions
🏢 Step 1: Check for Server-Level Caching
🏢 Step 1: Check for Server-Level Caching
Most managed WordPress hosts automatically cache your website.
Look for caching controls directly in your hosting dashboard.
WP Engine → Caching → Clear All Caches
SiteGround → Speed → Dynamic Cache → Flush Cache
Bluehost → Performance → Caching → Purge All
If you don’t see these options, search your hosting help docs for “Flush Cache” or “Clear Cache.”
🌐 Step 2: Purge CDN Cache (Cloudflare or Similar)
🌐 Step 2: Purge CDN Cache (Cloudflare or Similar)
If you’re using Cloudflare, Akamai, or another CDN service:
Log in to your CDN account.
Go to the Caching tab.
Click Purge Everything.
Wait a few seconds, then reload your site to confirm.
👉 Resource: Cloudflare Docs – Purge Cache
💾 Step 3: Purge Object Cache (Redis / Memcached)
💾 Step 3: Purge Object Cache (Redis / Memcached)
Many hosting providers use Redis or Memcached to store database query results for faster performance.
If you’re using one of these systems:
Go to WP Admin → Tools → Site Health → Info → Persistent Object Cache to confirm it’s active.
In your hosting control panel, look for Flush Object Cache or Clear Redis Cache.
On some platforms (like Kinsta, Cloudways, or RunCloud), this option appears directly on the site dashboard.
From the command line (WP-CLI), you can also run:
wp cache flush
👉 Resource: WordPress Developer Docs – Object Cache
🧭 Step 4: Clear Browser or Local Cache
🧭 Step 4: Clear Browser or Local Cache
Sometimes, the “stuck” cache isn’t on your website — it’s in your browser.
Clear your browser cache and cookies.
Reload your site in Incognito/Private Mode to check the latest version.
Developers can use Chrome DevTools → Disable cache during testing.
👉 Resource: Google Chrome Help – Clear Cache & Cookies
🧰 Step 5: Manual Cache Purge (As a Last Resort)
🧰 Step 5: Manual Cache Purge (As a Last Resort)
If your cache plugin or host-level purge doesn’t work, you can clear it manually:
Access your site via FTP or your hosting File Manager.
Navigate to:
/wp-content/cache/
Delete all files and folders inside (but do not delete the main
/cache/folder itself).
This forces WordPress to rebuild a fresh cache on the next page load.
👉 Resource: WordPress Advanced Admin – Cache
🔌 Step 6: Clear Cache Using Popular Plugins
🔌 Step 6: Clear Cache Using Popular Plugins
🧩 WP Rocket
Go to Settings → WP Rocket → Dashboard.
Click Clear and Preload Cache.
Or, hover over the WP Rocket menu in your WordPress admin bar → choose Clear and Preload Cache.
Developers can purge cache programmatically with
rocket_clean_domain()orrocket_clean_post().
👉 Resource: WP Rocket Official Docs
⚡ W3 Total Cache (W3TC)
⚡ W3 Total Cache (W3TC)
Navigate to Performance → Dashboard.
Click Empty All Caches.
Or use the admin bar → Performance → Purge All Caches.
Advanced users: run
wp w3-total-cache flush all
via WP-CLI.
👉 Resource: InMotion Hosting – W3 Total Cache Guide
🧹 WP Super Cache
🧹 WP Super Cache
Go to Settings → WP Super Cache.
Scroll to the Delete Cached Pages section.
Click Delete Cache to purge everything.
👉 Resource: Kinsta – WordPress Cache Guide
🪄 WP Fastest Cache
🪄 WP Fastest Cache
In your dashboard, open WP Fastest Cache → Delete Cache.
Click Delete Cache or Delete Cache + Minified CSS/JS if you changed styling or scripts.
👉 Resource: Hostinger Cache Tutorial
🔥 LiteSpeed Cache
🔥 LiteSpeed Cache
Go to LiteSpeed Cache → Toolbox.
Click Purge Entire Cache.
You can also clear CSS/JS or Object Cache individually if needed.
👉 Resource: SupportHost – Clear Cache Guide
💡 FAQs
💡 FAQs
❓ Do I need to clear all caches every time I make a change?
💡 Not always. Most caching plugins and hosts auto-purge when you update a post, change your theme, or modify plugin settings.
❓ What’s the safest cache purge order?
⚙️ Always clear Hosting → CDN → Object Cache → Plugin Cache → Browser.
❓ My site still doesn’t update after clearing everything. What now?
🔍 Check your CDN cache headers or try forcing a hard refresh (Ctrl + Shift + R / Cmd + Shift + R).
✅ Closing Note
Clearing cache regularly keeps your website updated and ensures visitors see the latest version of your content. If your site still doesn’t reflect recent changes, contact your hosting support — they may need to purge server-level caches manually.
🔗 Resources
👉 Resource: WordPress Developer Docs – Performance & Caching
👉 Resource: Cloudflare Docs – Purge Cache
👉 Resource: WP Rocket Official Documentation
👉 Resource: Kinsta WordPress Cache Guide
👉 Resource: Hostinger WordPress Cache Guide