In modern society, there is an urgent requirement for everything to be quick. The websites should load in a matter of seconds, and the users expect their browsing experience to be smooth and efficient. However, occasionally, things may not function as expected. If you have ever experienced slow loading, seen obsolete content, or gotten an error message while browsing, this could be due to a cache problem. By the end of this study, you’ll know what the hosting cache is, what happens when it’s cleaned, and how to do it colorfully.
What Is Host Cache?
A clearer rundown of the subject of host caching is necessary before addressing the necessary cleaning. Caching is a strategy that speeds up subsequent fetching by retrieving data from servers and temporarily storing it. The browser’s website servers or the host’s environment are the main places where such events can happen. In the case of host cache, we mean the storage for data that belongs to web hosting, which your server may keep hold of.
The idea behind this approach is to accelerate the activity of the website, which is done by addressing the files and database queries within a single server, and the server decides when and where further requests have to be made to meet the demand. However, such a cache might have been changed to such a state that it becomes unusable, outdated, or just irrelevant, and hence leads to such effects as loading delays, the occurrence of invalid/old content, or even website errors. Clearing your host cache in situations such as these can be the key solution to your issue.
Why Should You Clear Host Cache?
Many are the reasons you might have to clean up your host cache:
- Outdated Content: Visitors may see old versions of your pages because the so-called cache would return old cached copies. This may only be resolved by clearing the cache of the latest content versions by requesting them from their source.
- Speed Issues: One big issue that occurs is that the cache gets bigger and bigger and sometimes corrupts the whole website, leading to a reduced performance level . Once you refresh the cache with the right content, the performance will be restored.
- Error Fixes: Dealing with the error while working with a corrupted or missing image is not a big deal. You can ensure that even a broken image is fixed in a matter of seconds by cleaning up your cache.
- Updating Your Website: Whenever you’re implementing any significant changes to your website, be it adding new features, updating first the design elements, or even coming up with new content, take the opportunity to clean the cache, and this way, the new changes will be visible to all customers.
How to Clear Host Cache
The procedure you follow to clear the host cache is dependent on your hosting environment. Here is a step-by-step guide for the different types of hosting setups:
Clear the cache in cPanel Hosting.
CPanel is a widely used hosting control panel that provides a user interface to manage a website. Using cPanel to design your website makes it simple to delete the host cache.
- Open your cPanel account.
- Scroll down to the “Cache Manager” section.
- In this area, you can erase not only all the caches but also the most popular systems, like LiteSpeed Cache, local caching, local object caches, etc.
- Your host will empty its cache after you make a decision.
Clear the cache in WordPress hosting
If your website is hosted on WordPress and you use managed WordPress hosts like WP Engine, SiteGround, or Bluehost, you’ll find that it’s effortless to clear the cache through the WordPress admin dashboard.
- Access your WordPress admin area.
- Head to the dashboard to find a caching plugin (e.g., WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, or LiteSpeed Cache).
- Click the “Clear Cache” or “Purge Cache” button in the plugin settings and wait for the process to finish.
- The process of clearing the cache is done, and one gets the chance to see the latest version of one’s site after the changes are made.
Clear a cache via SSH (For Advanced Users)
If you own the server, you can clear the cache by using the SSH (Secure Shell) method. Note that having root access to your server is a common practice for VPS or dedicated hosting customers. This method requires some technical knowledge, so if you are not confident in using SSH, you can request your hosting provider.
- Start the SSH client and connect to your server.
- Once you are logged in, select the command that will assist you in clearin the cache. If you use Varnish or Nginx servers, then the following commands could be useful: Run the command ‘sudo varnishadm ban “req.url ~ /”‘ followed by ‘sudo restart nginx service.’
- sudo varnishadm ban “req.
- sudo service nginx restart
- Executing these orders will wipe the cache and open your website with the most recent changes.
Clear a cache in Cloudflare (For CDN Users)
Use of content delivery network (CDN) services like Cloudflare makes it mandatory to clear the cache to ensure that the latest content is served to users globally.
- Visit and log into your Cloudflare account.
- Pick Caching from the sidebar found on the dashboard.
- Click on the “Purge Cache” button. You have an option to clear the whole cache or only specific URLs.
- After clearing the cache, Cloudflare will retrieve the most recent data from your server the next time you access the webpage.
Clear Cache in Website Builders (e.g., Wix, Squarespace)
When using a website builder like Wix or Squarespace, you don’t have direct access to the host cache. However, these platforms automatically update their caching systems whenever significant changes occur to your site.
If you run into issues with non-updated content, consider the following solutions:
- Wix: Press Ctrl + F5 on your keyboard to perform a powerful refresh in your browser.
- Squarespace: Clear your browser cache and then refresh the page to force it to load new content.
How Often Should You Clear Host Cache?
In most cases, you rarely need to perform cache clearing from your side unless you have issues like your content not being updated, very low speed, or error messages. It’s customary to delete your cache soon after major modifications to your site, such as adding new content, changing the design, or adding plugins.
Final Thoughts
Clearing host cache is a straightforward yet extremely effective method of making sure your website is at its highest potential. Be it cPanel, WordPress, Cloudflare, or some other hosting platform, if you know how to clear your host cache, you can easily solve common performance problems as well as raise the overall user experience. Do remember to clear your cache whenever you make significant changes to your site and regularly check your website’s performance.
FAQs
What is host cache?
Host cache refers to the data that is temporarily kept on your server. The cache is made of static copies of the files and database queries that help your site run faster by not needing to recreate the same data every time a user requests it.
How do I know if I need to clear my host cache?
You should clear your host cache in case you recognize that your website has obsolete content, is taking too long to load, or displays errors such as broken images and the like. A cache cleanup can solve these issues.
Can clearing the host cache improve my website’s speed?
Of course, wiping out the cache can speed up the website by taking out old or bad cache files, and it makes sure your server loads the new content.
Does clearing the cache delete my website’s data?
Undoubtedly, clearing the host cache only removes your temporary files and stored data. The actual content of your site, including posts, pictures, and pages, will remain intact and unchanged.
Will clearing my cache affect my SEO?
Refilling your cache will not affect your SEO directly. But if you change your website’s content or design and clear the cache, search engines will see the updated version.
How often should I clean my cache?
It is usually unnecessary to clear your cache every other week. If you have significantly updated your site, we recommend the automatic cache removal.
Would it be possible to configure the cache for automatic cleaning?
Indeed, several hosting platforms as well as caching plugins have a feature that allows the cache to be cleared or renewed at regular intervals without user intervention. This greatly reduces hassle and is easy to accomplish.
