Fix WordPress changes not showing on your site
If your WordPress changes aren't showing on the live site, either the change isn't published yet or something is showing you a saved (cached) copy: your browser, your host, or a caching plugin. Work through these in order.
Make sure the change is published
- In the editor, click Save or Publish. Drafts and scheduled pages don't change the live page.
- Visit the public page address, not just the editor's Preview.
Open a private window
A private (incognito) window doesn't use your browser's saved files, so it shows what a new visitor sees.
| Browser | Desktop | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Chrome | Menu (⋮) → New Incognito Window | Menu → New Incognito Tab |
| Edge | Menu (⋯) → New InPrivate Window | Menu → New InPrivate tab |
| Firefox | Menu (☰) → New Private Window | Tabs → mask icon → + |
| Safari | File → New Private Window | Tabs → Private |
Open the page there. If the new version shows up, the live site is fine and your regular browser is holding an old copy.
Clear your browser cache
To clear the old copy in your regular browser (or for anyone else who still sees it):
- Chrome: Menu → More tools → Clear browsing data. Pick a time range, keep Cached images and files checked, then click Clear data.
- Edge: Menu → History → Clear browsing data. Include Cached images and files, then click Clear now.
- Firefox: Menu → History → Clear recent history. Include Cache, then confirm.
- Safari: History → Clear History…, pick a range, then click Clear History.
Reload the page. Each person and device has its own cache, so a client may still see the old version until they clear theirs.
If a private window still shows the old version
Your host or a caching plugin is probably still serving an old copy of the page to logged-out visitors. Purge (clear) that cache:
- Host cache: look for Purge cache or Clear cache in your hosting dashboard, or ask your host to purge it.
- Caching plugin: most add a Purge or Clear cache button to the WordPress admin bar or their settings screen.
Logged-in pages usually aren't cached, so you may see the new version while logged in and the old one in a private window until the cache is purged.
Bust the cache with a query string
While testing, add ?v=2 to the end of the page address (or &v=2 if it already has a ?) to load a fresh copy. Use a new number each time: some hosts cache those addresses too, so each one only works once. Don't use these addresses in real links.
If your site runs on Dirigible
If your site is hosted on Rocket.net, as many Dirigible sites are, pages are kept in its CDN cache. Purge the site's CDN cache in the Rocket.net dashboard, or ask your host to.
