How to do a Hard Refresh in Any Browser

A hard refresh is a method of forcing the browser to load the most recent version of a page by deleting the cache for that page. Caching means that when updates are made to the website, they don’t always take effect right away. A hard refresh will usually solve the problem, though it may be necessary to entirely erase the cache on rare occasions.

Important: Refreshing your browser by clicking the “Refresh” arrow in the URL bar does not constitute a hard refresh. Here’s how to erase your cache in any browser by performing a hard refresh:

Google Chrome

• Hold down Ctrl and then press F5 on your keyboard if you’re using Windows.
• Hold down Cmd and Shift and then press R on your keyboard if you’re a Mac user.

Firefox

• Hold down Ctrl and then press F5 on your keyboard if you’re using Windows.
• Hold down ? cmd and ? shift if you’re a Mac user. Press R on your keyboard while holding down Shift.

Safari (Mac)

• Go to Safari > Empty Cache or press Opt + Cmd + E.
• To refresh, use Cmd + R or click the refresh button in the address bar.

Internet Explorer/Microsoft Edge (Windows)

• Press F5 on your keyboard while holding down Ctrl.

Before you attempt anything, be sure the problem isn’t with your browser’s cache. You can try loading the website in a private browsing window. You can also use a proxy server to see if the website looks different than it does in your browser.

The simplest solution to fix a website’s difficulties is to clear the cache in your browser. It’s important to understand that a hard refresh is similar to a standard refresh, with the exception that you’re just resetting the stored data for a single page.

So, whenever you notice your website’s performance is slower than usual, remember to do a Hard Refresh.