How to Clear Cache in WordPress: 5 Simple Methods

A slow or outdated WordPress website can drive visitors away. When anything changes on your website and those changes do not appear for a while, or if a page takes longer to open, cached files may be the culprit. WordPress stores temporary data to boost speed. Over time, this cache can cause problems. It may show outdated content or broken layouts.

Ignoring cache clearing affects user experience and impacts WordPress SEO rankings and conversions. Visitors expect fast browsing with the updated content and cache is the blocker that makes users see older data.

Clearing the cache in WordPress can effectively solve these problems with relative ease. This blog post will help you understand why cache clearing is important in WordPress. We will learn how to clear WordPress cache via plugins and how professional WordPress development service providers clear cache through CDN.

What is WordPress Cache?

The WordPress cache is short-term storage for static data about the website, allowing an increase in speed and performance. Rather than dynamically generating a web page each time a user visits it, caching allows WordPress to save a previously loaded version of the page. Caching reduces the time needed to load and also optimizes WordPress website performance.

Types of Cache in WordPress

• Browser Cache: A place where static files like images, CSS, and JavaScript are stored in the browser of the visitor, so the next time he/she visits the same site, it loads fast.
• Page Cache: Saves fully generated HTML pages and serves them without running PHP scripts or database queries.
• Object Cache: Stores repeated database query results to speed up dynamic content loading.
• Opcode Cache: Saves compiled PHP code to reduce the need for repeated script execution.
• Server Cache: Caching mechanisms put in place by web hosting providers to boost a website’s performance.
• CDN Cache: CDNs keep cached versions of a website throughout the distributed global servers to deliver content faster.

Your WordPress site can be improved for better performance, SEO rankings, and user experience, and you can accomplish it by configuring caching in your WordPress site. However, there are sometimes issues that arise from not staying current with older cache contents, which then require periodic cache clearance.

How to Clear Cache in WordPress?

Cache clearing is essential in WordPress to allow the site to carry the latest content and solve performance-related issues in various instances. You could clear the cache files through some caching plugins or a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to give a new lease on life to your site. Below are the best ways to clear WordPress cache using popular plugins and CDN services.

1. Using WP Super Cache Plugin

WP Super Cache is one of the most popular caching plugins created by Automattic. It generates static HTML files so that a website can perform faster and reduce loading time on the server.

Step 1: Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard and go to Plugins > Add New.

Step 2: Search for WP Super Cache, install the plugin and activate it.

Step 3: Navigate to Settings > WP Super Cache from the WordPress menu.

Step 4: Under the Easy tab, enable caching by selecting Caching On and click Update Status.

Step 5: Go to the Content tab and click Delete Cache to clear all cached files.

Step 6: Optionally, enable preloading under the Preload tab to regenerate cache periodically.

Step 7: To configure automatic cache clearing, go to the Advanced tab and enable Clear all cache files when a post or page is published or updated.

Ideal For: Beginners who need a simple and effective caching solution.

2. Using LiteSpeed Plugin

LiteSpeed Cache is regarded as one of the more powerful plugins for caching, as it complements LiteSpeed servers. It includes page optimization, image compression, and database reduction features by design.

Step 1: Go to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.

Step 2: Search for LiteSpeed Cache, then click Install Now and Activate.

Step 3: Navigate to LiteSpeed Cache > Toolbox from the WordPress admin panel.

Step 4: Click the Purge All button to clear all cached data.

Step 5: To enable automatic cache clearing, go to LiteSpeed Cache > Cache and configure settings under Purge Settings.

Ideal For: Websites hosted on LiteSpeed servers or those needing advanced caching options.

3. Using WP Fastest Cache

WP Fastest Cache is an easy-to-use caching plugin with a user-friendly interface. It offers automatic cache clearing and minification of CSS/JavaScript files.

Step 1: In the WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New.

Step 2: Search for WP Fastest Cache, then click Install Now and Activate.

Step 3: Open WP Fastest Cache settings from the admin sidebar.

Step 4: Click the Clear Cache tab.

Step 5: Press Clear All Cache and Minified CSS/JS to clear all stored files.

Step 6: Enable Auto Cache Clearing under the Settings tab to prevent old files from accumulating.

Ideal For: Users who want a simple and effective caching plugin with minimal setup.

4. Using W3 Total Cache Plugin

W3 Total Cache is a completely equipped plugin, implements object caching, database caching, and features a CDN to facilitate the most efficient performance of your website.

Step 1: Go to Plugins > Add New in WordPress and search for W3 Total Cache.

Step 2: Click Install Now and then Activate the plugin.

Step 3: Navigate to Performance > Dashboard in the WordPress admin panel.

Step 4: Click Empty All Caches to clear stored cache files.

Step 5: To automate cache clearing, go to Performance > Page Cache and enable Automatically purge the cache when content updates.

Ideal For: Advanced users who need full control over caching configurations.

5. Using Cloudflare CDN

Cloudflare is a worldwide Content Delivery Network (CDN) that provides speed enhancement to websites by caching static content on different servers in its worldwide network.

Step 1: Sign up for a free Cloudflare account and add your website.

Step 2: Change your DNS nameservers to Cloudflare’s provided nameservers.

Step 3: Log in to your Cloudflare Dashboard and navigate to the Caching tab.

Step 4: Click Purge Everything to clear all cached files on Cloudflare’s network.

Step 5: Enable Automatic Cache Purge for dynamic content updates without manual intervention.

Ideal For: Websites using a CDN for faster loading times and global performance.

Each of the plugin and CDN makes it simple for you to clear cache in WordPress. Depending on your preferences, you can use caching plugins like WP Super Cache, LiteSpeed Cache, or a CDN like Cloudflare.

How to Clear Cache in Web Browsers?

Browsers keep cached files to make opening sites quick, but such outdated caches can occasionally disrupt display or even prevent updates from showing up. Clearing the cache in your browser means being sure to see the newest version of a website. Steps to clear the cache from Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Safari are given below.

1. Google Chrome

Google Chrome is one of the most widely used web browsers. It is popular because of its speed, simplicity, and extensive support for a wide range of extensions.

Step 1: Open Google Chrome.

Step 2: Click on the three-dot (⋮) menu in the top-right corner.

Step 3: Select Settings from the dropdown.

Step 4: Navigate to Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data.

Step 5: Choose Cached images and files, select the time range, and click Clear data.

2. Mozilla Firefox

Firefox is an open-source browser that primarily serves private users, ensuring their users’ safety with a stack of strong security features, along with its customizable add-ons.

Step 1: Open Mozilla Firefox.

Step 2: Click the three-line (☰) menu in the top-right corner.

Step 3: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.

Step 4: Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data.

Step 5: Select Cached Web Content and click Clear.

3. Safari

Apple’s Safari is, without a doubt, the best web browser for macOS and iOS users. It consumes less energy and delivers faster performance.

Step 1: Open Safari on your Mac.

Step 2: Click on Safari in the top menu bar.

Step 3: Select Preferences > Advanced.

Step 4: Enable Show Develop menu in the menu bar.

Step 5: Click on Develop in the menu bar.

Step 6: Select Empty Caches to clear stored cache files.

Regularly clearing the cache in the browsers ensures that the functionality of the browser is up to the mark in addition to resolving the loading issues resulting from some outdated files. Each browser has simple ways to clear the cache, which means that by following some steps, your browsing experience is kept optimized.

FAQs About Clearing Cache in WordPress

Final Thoughts

Clearing the cache in WordPress helps ensure that visitors see the most up-to-date version of your website. It’s especially useful after making design or content changes, fixing layout issues, or resolving plugin conflicts. Depending on your setup, you can use plugins like WP Super Cache or LiteSpeed, or clear it via a CDN like Cloudflare. Don’t forget to clear your browser cache as well to reflect local changes accurately.

If you’re looking to create a WordPress website that’s both visually appealing and technically sound, feel free to get in touch with us today!