A cache is a temporary storage area on your computer or network device where frequently accessed data – such as web page content and elements – is stored, making subsequent visits to the same page faster.
It's a very useful tool, but sometimes outdated information can get cached and cause certain errors. To fix it, all you need to do is clear all the possible places where the cache can be stored:
Web browser – Try opening the website from a different browser. If that fixes the issue, clear your browser's cache. If the issue persists in only one browser, try disabling any browser extensions you have.
DNS cache – Your computer also stores recently resolved domain name-to-IP address mappings. Try clearing it by following this video tutorial: How to Flush DNS Cache.
Internet connection – If using a proxy or switching to a different internet connection (for example, mobile data) works for you, reboot your modem or router by unplugging and plugging in your internet cable.
Device – Check the website from a different device (computer, phone, or tablet). If that helps, restart the device that's having issues.
Clearing the SSL cache
In addition to clearing your browser's cache, consider clearing the SSL state if you encounter HTTPS errors that appear only on your device.
For Mozilla Firefox and Opera, clearing the entire cache will also reset the SSL state. For Chrome and Chrome-based browsers on Windows, use the search bar to find Internet Options, click on the Content tab and in the Certificates section, click on Clear SSL state.
The website shows outdated content
If you see outdated content on your website, in addition to the steps above, make sure to try the following:
If your website is WordPress-based, disable the plugins. If the issue persists, clear your website's cache with the help of this video tutorial: How to Clear Cache in WordPress Websites.
If you use Cloudflare, purge the Cloudflare cache.
If you have enabled Cache Manager for your hosting, purge it manually.
Cache Manager is not available if your site is created with Hostinger Website Builder. When seeing outdated content on a builder-based site, it's enough to clear your browser's cache. 💡
Your website should be accessible after completing these steps.
How to know if a website is available
If you want to check whether the issue is resolved, use these online tools:
Down for everyone, or just me? – This website reports if the website is reachable around the world. The result of a working website should look like this:
GeoPeeker – Checks if the website is reachable and also gives you previews from various locations all around the world. If the website is not working, you will get a result similar to this:
