You’ve just spent an hour perfecting a new section on your homepage, hit “Update,” and… nothing. You refresh the page, but the old content is still there. This common frustration is almost always a caching issue. Understanding what cache is, why it’s crucial for your WordPress site, and how to clear it properly is a fundamental skill for any website owner, designer, or developer.

Key Takeaways

  • What is Cache? Caching is the process of storing a static HTML version of your website’s pages. This “snapshot” is delivered to visitors instead of forcing WordPress to rebuild the page from scratch every single time, making your site dramatically faster.
  • Why Clear Cache? You must clear your cache to see recent changes to your site’s design, content, or functionality. It’s also a critical first step for troubleshooting many common WordPress errors.
  • Multiple Cache Layers: Caching isn’t just one thing. You may have a browser cache, a plugin cache, a server cache, and a CDN cache. You must clear the correct one to solve your issue.
  • Elementor Has Its Own Tools: Elementor generates its own CSS and data files. Sometimes, you need to regenerate these files using its built-in tools, in addition to clearing your main cache, to see style updates.
  • Integrated Hosting Simplifies Caching: Using a managed solution like Elementor Hosting removes the guesswork. It provides an optimized, multi-layer caching system (server and CDN) that is pre-configured to work perfectly with the builder.

What is Caching in WordPress? (The “Why”)

At its core, WordPress is a dynamic content management system. When a visitor lands on your site, they don’t just pull up a simple file. Their browser sends a request, and your server has to do a lot of work.

It runs PHP scripts, queries your database to fetch your post content, header, footer, widget settings, and theme options. Then, it assembles all those pieces into a single HTML file and sends that file to the visitor’s browser. This happens for every single person who visits your page.

That’s a lot of processing. It takes time and server resources.

Caching changes the game. Instead of building the house from scratch for every visitor, a caching system builds it once and then takes a snapshot. This static HTML “snapshot” is then stored and served to all future visitors. The result? Your site loads in a fraction of the time.

A Simple Analogy: The Restaurant Order

Think of your server as a kitchen in a high-end restaurant.

  • Without Cache: A customer orders the signature dish. The chef has to pull out the recipe, grab every individual ingredient, cook the-sauce, grill the-meat, and plate it beautifully. The next customer orders the same dish. The chef does it all over again, from scratch. It’s high-quality but very slow.
  • With Cache: The chef knows the signature dish is popular. At the start of the night, they prep all the ingredients and pre-cook the complex sauce. When an order comes in, they just have to assemble the pre-prepped components and send it out. It’s just as good, but it arrives at the table in two minutes instead of twenty.

Your caching plugin or host is that smart chef, preparing the page in advance so it’s ready to go.

Types of Caching (And Which Ones You Can Clear)

The term “cache” is broad because there are several different “snapshot” locations. The one you need to clear depends on where the old content is stuck.

1. Browser Caching

This happens on your visitor’s computer. Their web browser (like Chrome or Firefox) downloads your images, CSS files, and JavaScript files and stores them locally. When they visit a new page on your site, it doesn’t have to re-download your logo or fonts. This is great for repeat visitors but is often the reason you can’t see a change you just made.

2. Page Caching (Plugin or Server-Side)

This is the main cache we’re focusing on. It happens on your web server. Your caching plugin (like WP Rocket) or your web host (like Elementor Hosting) creates and stores those static HTML files we talked about. This is the most powerful way to speed up your site.

3. Object Caching

This is a more technical type of cache. Instead of storing a whole page, it stores the results of specific, common database queries. It’s very useful for complex sites, like membership or e-commerce stores, but it’s usually managed at the server level.

4. CDN Caching

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) takes your caching global. It’s a network of servers around the world that store copies of your static assets (images, CSS, JS) and sometimes even your full HTML pages. When a user visits your site from London, they download files from a London server, not your server in Dallas. This is a third layer of cache that may also need to be cleared.

Why You Need to Clear Your WordPress Cache

Caching is all about efficiency. It loves serving old, stored content. But “old” is the enemy when you’ve just made an update. You need to clear (or “purge”) the cache to force the system to take a new snapshot.

You should clear your cache when:

  • You publish a new post or page, and it’s not appearing on your blog page.
  • You make content or design changes to a page, and they aren’t visible on the live site.
  • You update your site’s theme, plugins, or WordPress core.
  • You’ve made changes to your widgets or menus.
  • You’re troubleshooting a website error or strange layout issue.
  • Your site is behaving unexpectedly after installing a new plugin.

In short, clearing your cache is the #1 troubleshooting step for almost any “I made a change, but I can’t see it” problem in WordPress.

6 Simple Methods to Clear Your WordPress Cache

We’ll start with the simplest and most common methods and move to the more advanced ones. You should always start with Method 1.

Method 1: Clear Your Browser Cache

This is the fastest and easiest step. The “stuck” version of your site might just be on your own computer.

How to Clear Cache in Google Chrome

  1. Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
  2. Go to More tools > Clear browsing data…
  3. A popup will appear. Select the Time range (e.g., “Last hour” or “All time”).
  4. Make sure “Cached images and files” is checked. You can uncheck “Browsing history” and “Cookies” if you want.
  5. Click Clear data.

Pro-Tip: A “hard refresh” is even faster. On Windows/Linux, press Ctrl + Shift + R. On a Mac, press Cmd + Shift + R. This forces the browser to re-download all files for that specific page.

How to Clear Cache in Firefox

  1. Click the three-line “hamburger” menu in the top-right.
  2. Go to History > Clear Recent History…
  3. Set the Time range to clear (e.g., “Today”).
  4. Make sure “Cache” is checked in the “History” section.
  5. Click Clear Now.

How to Clear Cache in Safari (Mac)

  1. First, you may need to enable the Develop menu. Go to Safari > Preferences… > Advanced.
  2. Check the box at the bottom that says “Show Develop menu in menu bar”.
  3. Now, in the top menu bar, click Develop > Empty Caches.

If you clear your browser cache and still see the old content, it’s time to move to the server.

Method 2: Clear Cache via Your Caching Plugin

This is the most common way to clear a WordPress site’s cache. Almost all caching plugins add a “Clear Cache” button directly to your WordPress admin bar at the top of the screen.

Here’s how to find it for the most popular plugins.

How to Clear Cache in WP Rocket

WP Rocket is a popular premium caching plugin. It makes clearing the cache very simple.

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Hover over the “WP Rocket” link in the top admin bar.
  3. A dropdown menu will appear. Click “Clear cache”.
  4. That’s it. WP Rocket will also clear and preload your cache automatically when you update a post or page.

You can also manage this from the main plugin settings by going to Settings > WP Rocket > Dashboard and clicking the “Clear Cache” button.

How to Clear Cache in WP Super Cache

This free plugin from Automattic (the company behind WordPress.com) is another popular choice.

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. In the top admin bar, you’ll see a “Delete Cache” button. Click it.
  3. You can also go to Settings > WP Super Cache > Contents.
  4. Here you have two options:
    • Delete Cache: Deletes all cached files for your site.
    • Delete Expired Cache: Only deletes files that are old and “expired” (a gentler option).
  5. Click “Delete Cache” to force a full refresh.

How to Clear Cache in W3 Total Cache

W3 Total Cache is a very powerful and comprehensive (but also complex) free plugin.

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Hover over the “Performance” link in the top admin bar (it often has a speedometer icon).
  3. In the dropdown menu, click “Purge All Caches”.
  4. This will clear the page cache, object cache, and database cache all at once.

If you don’t see an option for your specific plugin, just navigate to its main settings page. There will always be a large, clear button to “Purge Cache,” “Delete Cache,” or “Empty Cache.”

Method 3: Clear Cache via Your WordPress Host

Many modern WordPress hosts, especially in the managed WordPress space, have their own built-in caching systems. This server-level caching is often faster than a plugin because it operates before WordPress even loads.

If your host provides this, it’s almost always better to use their system instead of a separate caching plugin (using two can cause conflicts).

Clearing Cache with Elementor Hosting

This is a prime example of an integrated platform. Elementor Hosting is designed to provide a complete web creation stack where every piece is optimized to work together. It includes a powerful, multi-layered caching system out of the box, so you don’t need to install a third-party caching plugin.

This system includes:

  • Server-Side Caching (Varnish): Creates the static HTML snapshots of your pages at the server level.
  • Object Caching (Redis): Speeds up database queries.
  • CDN Caching (Cloudflare Enterprise): Distributes your content globally.

Clearing this cache is straightforward:

  1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
  2. In the top admin bar, hover over the “Elementor” link.
  3. You will see an option labeled “Purge cache”.
  4. Click it. This single action purges the server cache (Varnish) and the CDN cache (Cloudflare) at the same time, ensuring your site is fully refreshed.

You can also manage this from your My Elementor hosting dashboard if you are locked out of your site.

Clearing Cache on Other Managed Hosts

Other hosts like Kinsta, WP Engine, and SiteGround have similar features.

  • Kinsta: Look for the “Clear Cache” button in the admin bar or in the Kinsta plugin menu.
  • WP Engine: Find the “WP Engine” tab in your admin menu. Go to the “Caching” section and click “Clear All Caches”.
  • SiteGround: Go to the “SG Optimizer” plugin that is installed by default. Click the “Purge SG Cache” button in the top admin bar.

The process is very similar for all of them. Always look for your host’s branded menu item or admin bar button first.

Method 4: Clear Cache via Elementor’s Built-in Tools

This is a critical step that confuses many Elementor users.

Sometimes, you clear your browser cache and your plugin cache, but your style changes (like a new color, font, or padding) still won’t appear. This is often because Elementor’s own files are “stuck.”

Elementor stores its own CSS and JavaScript files in a separate folder (wp-content/uploads/elementor). It does this for performance, loading only the code needed for your specific designs. When you make changes, Elementor needs to “regenerate” these files.

As web creation expert Itamar Haim often advises, “Failing to regenerate Elementor’s internal files is the most common reason creators don’t see their style changes. It’s a critical step that works with your main cache, not against it.”

Here is how to regenerate your Elementor files:

  1. From your WordPress dashboard, go to Elementor > Tools.
  2. You will see a tab called “General”.
  3. Look for the “Regenerate Files & Data” option. Click the “Regenerate Files” button.
  4. A popup will ask you to confirm. Click “Save Changes”.
  5. Elementor will rebuild its CSS and JS files with your new changes.

After you do this, it is highly recommended to clear your main cache again (Method 2 or 3). This ensures your server and browser fetch the new files you just generated.

For more details on optimizing Elementor’s performance, this video is a great resource:

Method 5: Clear Your Content Delivery Network (CDN) Cache

If you’re using a CDN like Cloudflare, Sucuri, or the one included with Elementor Hosting, there is a third layer of cache. Your CDN stores copies of your assets on its servers around the world.

If you update an image but still see the old one, it’s likely stuck in the CDN cache.

  • If using Elementor Hosting: You’re all set. Method 3 (clicking “Purge cache” from the admin bar) clears the integrated Cloudflare CDN cache automatically.
  • If using a CDN via a Plugin: Caching plugins like WP Rocket often have an integration. Go to the plugin’s “CDN” tab and look for a “Purge CDN Cache” button.
  • If using Cloudflare Manually:
    1. Log in to your Cloudflare dashboard.
    2. Select your website.
    3. Go to the “Caching” section.
    4. Click on “Configuration”.
    5. You will see two options:
      • Purge Individual Files: Lets you purge a specific file (like one image).
      • Purge Everything: Clears the entire CDN cache for your site. Use this to be sure.

Method 6: Clear Cache Manually (The Advanced Option)

Warning: This method is a last resort. You should only do this if you are locked out of your site or the other methods are failing. It involves deleting files directly from your server. Always back up your site before proceeding.

If your caching plugin has created a mess and locked you out, you can manually delete its cached files.

  1. Connect to your site using an FTP client (like FileZilla) or your host’s File Manager.
  2. Navigate to your WordPress installation directory.
  3. Go to the wp-content folder.
  4. Inside wp-content, you will often find a folder named cache. This is where plugins like WP Super Cache and W3 Total Cache store their files.
  5. Delete the entire cache folder. Don’t worry. Your caching plugin will recreate it and start fresh.
  6. For some plugins, the cache might be inside their own plugin folder, like wp-content/plugins/w3-total-cache/.

This is a brute-force method, but it effectively wipes the slate clean and forces the server to serve fresh, uncached content.

Best Practices for WordPress Caching (Beyond Just Clearing It)

Managing your cache shouldn’t just be a reactive troubleshooting step. A proper caching strategy is proactive.

Choose the Right Caching Solution

Your goal is to have one powerful, efficient caching system.

  • Avoid Caching Plugin Conflicts: Never use more than one-page caching plugin (like WP Rocket and WP Super Cache) at the same time. They will conflict and can break your site.
  • Trust Your Host First: If you have a high-quality managed host like Elementor Hosting, trust their built-in caching. It’s engineered to be faster and more efficient than a one-size-fits-all plugin.
  • Integrated Platforms: A platform where the builder, host, and CDN are all part of one system is the ideal scenario. This eliminates conflicts and streamlines management, as you only have one “Purge” button to worry about.

Exclude Key Pages from Caching

Some pages must never be cached because they are unique for every user. These include:

  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • My Account

A good caching system or plugin (especially those built for the Elementor WooCommerce Builder) will automatically detect these pages and exclude them. If you’re setting up a plugin manually, double-check that you have added cart, checkout, and my-account to the “Do Not Cache” list.

Understand Cache Preloading

Instead of waiting for a visitor to request a page to create the cache, “preloading” or “warming” the cache has your server proactively build the cached files for your whole site. This means the very first visitor to a page gets the lightning-fast cached version. Premium plugins like WP Rocket do this automatically, as do many managed hosting platforms.

Caching and Your Elementor Workflow

As an Elementor user, your caching workflow has two main parts:

  1. After Design Changes: First, go to Elementor > Tools > Regenerate Files & Data.
  2. Then, Purge Your Main Cache: Use your host’s “Purge Cache” button (e.g., Elementor Hosting) or your caching plugin’s “Clear Cache” button.
  3. Finally, Hard Refresh: Do a hard refresh in your browser (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R) to see the final result.

This three-step process will solve 99% of all “I can’t see my changes” issues. To further improve your site’s performance and reduce the size of your cached files, consider using a tool like Elementor’s Image Optimizer plugin. It automatically compresses images and converts them to modern formats, making your pages lighter and faster from the start.

Conclusion: From “Is it Cached?” to “It’s Handled.”

Caching can feel like a mysterious black box, but it’s just a smart waiter taking a shortcut. Understanding why it exists—for speed—and why it needs to be cleared—for freshness—moves you from a place of frustration to one of control.

By identifying your site’s caching layers (browser, plugin, server, CDN) and knowing the right-button to press for each, you can ensure your site is both fast for your users and responsive to your updates. A modern, integrated WordPress platform handles most of this for you, but now you have the knowledge to be the expert, not the one left refreshing the page.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About WordPress Caching

1. What is the best WordPress caching plugin? Many developers favor premium plugins like WP Rocket for their power, ease of use, and features like cache preloading. For free options, WP Super Cache is a reliable and popular choice. However, the “best” solution is often to not use a plugin at all and instead use the superior server-level caching built into a managed host like Elementor Hosting.

2. How often should I clear my cache? You don’t need to clear your cache on a regular schedule. You only need to clear it when you’ve made changes to your site that you need to see immediately, or when you are troubleshooting. A good caching system will automatically clear the cache for a specific page when you update it.

3. Will clearing my cache log me out of WordPress? No. Clearing your page cache (from a plugin or host) will not log you out of your WordPress dashboard. If you clear your browser’s “Cookies and site data,” that will log you out. Stick to clearing “Cached images and files.”

4. Why do I have to clear my cache to see changes? The entire purpose of a cache is to store and serve an old version of your page to make it load faster. It doesn’t know you just made a change you want to see. By clearing the cache, you are telling the server, “Delete that old snapshot and take a new one, because the content has been updated.”

5. Can clearing the cache break my website? No, clearing your cache is a very safe operation. It will not break your site. The worst that can happen is your site might feel “slow” for a few minutes as the cache has to be rebuilt. Your caching system will regenerate the cached files as visitors access your pages (or through preloading).

6. What’s the difference between browser cache and server cache? Browser cache is stored on your (or your visitor’s) own computer. Server cache (or page cache) is stored on your web server. If you clear your server cache but not your browser cache, your browser might still load its own old, local copy. This is why clearing your browser cache is always a good first step.

7. Does Elementor have its own cache? Yes, in a way. As described in Method 4, Elementor creates its own static CSS and JS files. You need to use the tools under Elementor > Tools > Regenerate Files & Data to “clear” and rebuild these files, which is separate from your main page cache.

8. How do I clear the cache on a staging site? A staging site is just a separate installation of WordPress, and it works the same way. It will have its own caching plugin or server-level caching. You clear its cache using the same admin bar buttons you would on your live site.

9. What is object caching? Object caching stores the results of common database queries. Instead of asking the database “What are my theme’s menu settings?” every time a page loads, it asks once and stores the answer in cache. This is more advanced and is most useful for highly dynamic sites, like WooCommerce or forums.

10. Does my theme affect caching? Yes, indirectly. A lightweight, well-coded theme (like Elementor’s Hello theme) will be faster from the start and create smaller, more efficient cached files. A bloated, slow theme will create large, slow cached files. Your cache can only be as fast as the site it’s snapshotting.