How to Clear WordPress Cache
To clear the WordPress cache, click Purge All (or Delete Cache) in your caching plugin, then check the page in a logged-out private window. If the plugin control is missing, flush the server cache in cPanel or empty wp-content/cache. A hard refresh clears your own browser's copy. Posts, media and orders are never deleted.
For WordPress owners whose edits are not showing to visitors, with the fix for each cache layer: plugin, server, object cache, browser and CDN.
knowledge
- Read time
- 4 min
- Sections
- 6
- Updated
- 14 Nov 2026
- Written by
- WebJi® team
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
Which cache is showing the old WordPress page?
An outdated WordPress page comes from one of four stored copies: the page cache (plugin or server), the object cache, the browser cache, or a CDN edge cache. Purging the right one fixes the problem; purging the wrong one changes nothing.
| Cache | Where it lives | Typical symptom | How to clear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Page cache | Caching plugin, or LiteSpeed/LSCache on the server | Visitors see old text; you see new text when logged in | Plugin "Purge All", or the server cache tool |
| Object cache | Redis or Memcached | Old menu, widget or setting despite a page purge | wp cache flush or the plugin's flush button |
| Browser cache | Your own browser | Old CSS or images on your machine only | Hard refresh or clear cached files |
| CDN edge | Cloudflare, QUIC.cloud or similar | Old file in one region or for all visitors | Purge in the CDN dashboard |
Logged-in users usually bypass the page cache, which is why wp-admin can look updated while the public page is still old. The test that matters is always a logged-out private window.
How do you clear the cache from a WordPress caching plugin?
Use the purge button of the caching plugin that is already active, usually in the admin bar: "Purge All" in LiteSpeed Cache, "Delete Cache" in WP Super Cache, "Purge All Caches" in W3 Total Cache, "Clear and preload" in WP Rocket. Do not install a second caching plugin just to find a delete button; two caching plugins conflict.
| Plugin | Purge control | After a CSS or JS change |
|---|---|---|
| LiteSpeed Cache | Admin bar LiteSpeed icon → Purge All | Also choose Purge All – CSS/JS |
| WP Super Cache | Admin bar → Delete Cache | Settings → Delete Cache to empty the files |
| W3 Total Cache | Performance → Purge All Caches | Includes minified files |
| WP Rocket | Admin bar → Clear and preload | Clear the minified CSS/JS cache option |
| WP Fastest Cache | Delete Cache tab | Delete cache and minified CSS/JS |
Clearing a cache deletes stored copies only. Posts, pages, media, orders and comments stay in the database and in wp-content/uploads.
How do you clear the server cache without the plugin?
On a cPanel account running LiteSpeed, open LiteSpeed Web Cache Manager in cPanel and use Flush All; on any host, emptying the files inside wp-content/cache clears file-based page caches. WebJi® cPanel hosting runs LiteSpeed Enterprise with LSCache, so the cPanel tool applies there.
- Log in to cPanel for the domain (not the billing area, which has no flush control).
- Search for LiteSpeed Web Cache Manager, open it and choose Flush All or the control for this domain.
- If that tool is not on the account, open File Manager, go to the WordPress folder and empty the contents of
wp-content/cache. Leaveuploads,pluginsandthemesalone. - Load the edited URL in a private window while logged out.
Never delete the whole wp-content folder: it holds your plugins, themes and uploads. With SSH, the LiteSpeed Cache plugin also offers wp litespeed-purge all.
How do you clear the WordPress object cache?
Run wp cache flush over SSH, or use the flush button of the object-cache plugin (for example Redis Object Cache → Flush Cache). An object cache stores database query results, so stale menus, widgets or options can survive a page-cache purge.
Flushing is safe: WordPress rebuilds the entries on the next requests, so the first few page loads are slightly slower. If you are not sure an object cache is active, look for wp-content/object-cache.php; Redis object cache for WordPress explains the setup. PHP's OPcache, which stores compiled code, matters only after editing PHP files and is reset by restarting PHP or with a plugin that offers an OPcache reset.
How do you clear the browser copy of CSS and JavaScript?
A hard refresh — Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows and Linux, Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac — reloads the current page without its cached files. Clear the whole browser cache only when the hard refresh is not enough.
- Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Delete browsing data → tick only "Cached images and files".
- Safari: enable the Develop menu, then Develop → Empty Caches. Clearing History also deletes cookies and signs you out of sites.
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data → Clear Data → "Cached Web Content".
A browser purge affects only your own machine. If visitors still see an old stylesheet, the fix is usually a plugin CSS/JS purge, or a version number change on the enqueued file.
Should you keep WordPress caching switched on?
Yes: keep page caching on and exclude only the pages that must stay dynamic, such as cart, checkout and account pages. Turning caching off for the whole site makes every visit rebuild the page and slows the site for everyone.
Most plugins purge a page automatically when you update it. Manual purges are needed after theme, menu, widget or script changes that touch many pages. Keep a cache lifespan so stale files expire, and do not schedule frequent full purges "just in case": every purge makes the next visitors wait while copies are rebuilt. The broader tuning checklist is in how to speed up a WordPress website.
What if the page is still old after purging?
If a logged-out private window still shows the old page after a purge, the change is not live or a cache layer in front of the site still holds the old copy. Work through the layers in order.
- Confirm the edit is published on the live site, not saved as a draft or made on staging.
- Purge the CDN (Cloudflare, QUIC.cloud) if one sits in front of the domain.
- Flush the object cache.
- Check the page source for the new text; if it is there, the remaining copy is in your browser.
If the private window is already up to date and something else is broken, read the WordPress error log and email the URL and time to support@webji.services, answered 24/7 in Hindi and English with an average first reply under 60 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Will clearing the WordPress cache delete my posts or orders?
No. A purge removes temporary copies of pages, CSS, JavaScript and query results. Posts, pages, media, WooCommerce orders and comments stay in the database and uploads folder.
Why does the site look updated in wp-admin but not for visitors?
Most caching plugins serve uncached pages to logged-in users, so you see the live database while visitors get the stored copy. Purge the page cache and check in a logged-out private window.
Is the site slower right after a cache purge?
Briefly. The first visit to each page rebuilds its cached copy, so it loads at uncached speed. Plugins with a preload option, such as WP Rocket or LiteSpeed Cache's crawler, rebuild popular pages in the background.
Do I need to clear the cache after every post update?
Usually not. Caching plugins purge the updated post and related archive pages automatically. Purge manually after changes that affect many pages at once, such as menus, widgets, the theme or global CSS.
Last editorial update: 14 November 2026.
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