Some issues you may encounter with your website or account can be solved by updating your browser, refreshing the page, or clearing the browser cache and cookies. This guide covers how to resolve browser-related problems with your site.
Some browser issues may be caused by the browser itself. For optimal viewing and security, we recommend that you use an up-to-date version of the following browsers:
To ensure your browser is up-to-date, check this page.
A refresh or reload will cause the browser to re-check with the web server to make sure it has the latest copy of the web page you are viewing. Here are keyboard shortcuts to force refresh your browser:
- Windows: Ctrl + F5
- Mac/Apple: Apple + R or Cmd + R
- Linux: F5
If a page on your website isn’t working as expected, testing it in an incognito window can help determine whether the issue is related to your browser’s cache or extensions. Here’s how to do it:
- Google Chrome: Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select “New Incognito Window“.
- Firefox: Click the menu button (three lines) in the top-right corner and select “New Private Window“.
- Microsoft Edge: Click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner and select “New InPrivate Window“.
- Safari: From the menu bar, click “File” and select “New Private Window“.
If the page works in the incognito/private window, the issue may be related to your browser’s cache, cookies, or extensions. Try the steps in the next sections of this guide to resolve the problem.
Each time you access a web page, your web browser stores a temporary copy so that it loads quicker the next time. Those temporary files are called the browser cache. Therefore, you could be viewing an older version of a website. If you clear the cache, this will force your browser to fetch the latest version of the website again.
Many issues can be solved by clearing your browser cache, including:
- When the WordPress editor is not loading.
- If you’re seeing a blank screen.
- If some changes you made have not appeared.
- If the wrong site appears after changing a domain.
- When an error is showing multiple times.
You’ll find the option to clear your cache in your browser’s settings. Below, we’ve linked to instructions for the most popular browsers and devices:
WordPress.com requires the use of browser cookies in order for our services to work properly. If you have trouble with some sections of your site, or cannot preview or publish in the editor, you may not have third-party cookies enabled in your browser. This can also be an issue if you find yourself getting logged out from WordPress.com frequently.
Consider checking the following guide to confirm if you have cookies enabled:
Generally, unless you have privacy concerns, we would not recommend that you clear all browser cookies, as that will affect your experience using other websites. However, you may need to clear your WordPress.com-specific cookies to troubleshoot a specific issue.
For instructions on how to clear the cookies in your browser, click the appropriate link for your browser below:
If you are still having trouble, here are a few more things we recommend that you try:
- To rule out a browser-related issue, try any alternate browser temporarily. If the issue you’re experiencing is not present on a different browser to the one you normally use, your browser is the likely cause.
- Temporarily disable any ad blockers you may be using, as these can sometimes interfere with your web browsing experience in unintended ways. If so, add an exception for WordPress.com in the ad blocker’s settings.
- There may be a conflict with one of your browser extensions. Temporarily disable each extension. Then, re-enable each extension one by one, checking each time to see if the issue comes back. That way, you’ll be able to identify which extension is the source of the issue.
- Try an alternate computer in the same location. If another computer works, then the issue is with your specific computer.
- Try a different internet connection, such as another Wi-Fi network or mobile data. In particular, company and university internet networks will block access to certain sites.
- If you made any recent changes to your domain’s DNS records just before experiencing site issues, consider clearing your DNS cache manually.
If the issue persists after checking these common browser issues, the problem might be related to the website itself.
