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PHP & Performance

How to Clear Server and Browser Cache

Made a change but still seeing the old version? A cache somewhere is serving the old copy. Clear them in this order and the update appears.

Step-by-step

  1. Clear your browser cache first. Hard-refresh with Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac), or test in a private window to rule the browser out.
  2. Clear your caching plugin. In WordPress, your cache plugin has a "Clear/Purge cache" button — use it after any change.
  3. Clear OPcache if needed. Switching PHP versions in MultiPHP Manager and back resets the PHP opcode cache.
  4. Purge your CDN. If you use Cloudflare, purge its cache from the dashboard — it stores copies of your assets.
  5. Bump asset versions. For cached CSS/JS, change the version query (style.css?v=2) so browsers fetch the new file.
  6. Re-test in a private window to confirm the change is now live for everyone.

💡 Good to know

  • Always test in a private/incognito window — it ignores most local caching.
  • A CDN is the most-forgotten cache; purge it whenever changes "won't show".
  • Caching is what makes your site fast — clear it when needed, do not disable it permanently.