What is a browser cache and why should you clear it?
When you are in the process of getting your website created, you are likely to face the issue of clearing your browser cache. If you already know what a browser cache is and how to clear it, you may not want to scan this article as you may learn something new. If you don’t, let’s find out why you would need to clear the browser cache, and how to do it.
The browser cache is a list of web pages you have visited (pictures or links) stored in the computer. It enables you to reach a website you’ve visited before much more quickly. The reason the site loads much more quickly is because the browser doesn’t need to take all the content from the Internet, because much of the information is already stored in the browser cache. Thus, the boot-up process is much faster.
The need to clear the cache comes into play when you have made recent changes to your site or web pages and need to view the changes made and the changes fail to display in your browser, this is because the old cached data keeps coming up.
Example of the situation: A web design studio is working on a new website for you and sends you a test link for your website, so that you check out the changes. For example, let’s say, an animation effect of a slide-show on the Home page. You check it and there are no changes. They ask you to recheck it, but you still cannot see any changes. Even, when pressing the F5 button, it still doesn’t display the changes. This means you need to clear your browser cache completely.
NOTE: F5 is a keyboard shortcut to reload a page without clearing the browser cache. The keyboard shortcuts are: Ctrl + F5 or Ctrl + R. All popular browsers run one of these combinations. But, if these shortcuts don’t work, then you need to clear the cache completely in your browser. The following steps will help you to do this.
If you are using Mozilla Firefox:
Press Alt -> pick Tools -> option “Clear Recent History” -> the window “Clear All History” appears -> pick “Time range to clear” -> put a check in the box “Cache” only -> click "Clear Now".
Now you are done.
In Google Chrome:
Click the menu icon at the top right corner (it is called Customize and control Google Chrome) -> option “Tools” -> Clear browsing data -> it will take you to a new browser tab called “Clear browsing data” (the link is chrome://chrome/settings/clearBrowserData) -> pick time range in “Obliterate the following items from field” -> put a check in the box “Empty the cache” only -> click “Clear browsing data”.
That’s it, you are done.
In Safari:
Press Alt -> pick “Edit” menu -> select “Empty Cache”. Then click “Empty” in the pop-up window.
Very simple and now you are done.
In Internet Explorer:
Press Alt -> pick “Delete browsing history” -> in a pop-up window “Delete browsing history” put a click in the box “Temporary Internet files” only -> click “Delete”.
Here you go, it is that easy.
I hope this information will be useful for you and you won’t have any problems with reviewing changes on your web page.
See also: Must Knows Before Buying Hosting
