How to purge cache in WordPress depends on how many caches your site has, and most sites have more than one. A caching plugin, your host and a CDN can each keep their own copy of your pages, and your browser keeps another. Clear them in the wrong order and the old page comes straight back. I tested a caching plugin on a WordPress 7.1.3 test site to show what clears automatically and what doesn’t.
Why your changes don’t show
On my test site I turned on WP Super Cache with its recommended settings, which include not caching pages for logged-in users. Then I changed the site title.
- Logged in, I saw the new title straight away.
- As a visitor, I still got the cached page with the old title.
That’s the usual reason a business owner says “I changed it, why can’t my customers see it?” Always check changes in a private or incognito window, where you’re not logged in.
What clears itself and what doesn’t
| Change | Cache cleared automatically? |
|---|---|
| Updating a post or page | Yes. The cached home page rebuilt with the new text |
| Changing the site title in Settings | No. Visitors saw the old title until I cleared the cache |
So editing content is usually fine. Purge the cache after changes outside your pages: site settings, menus, widgets, header and footer, theme options and new plugins.
Clear the caches in this order
1. Your caching plugin
Most caching plugins add a clear-cache link to the admin bar at the top of the screen. WP Super Cache calls it Delete Cache. On my test site, one click cleared it, and the next visitor got a fresh page with the new title.
Other plugins use names like Purge All or Clear cache, usually in the admin bar or the plugin’s settings. If you can’t find one, check Plugins → Installed Plugins for anything with “cache”, “speed” or “performance” in the name.
2. Your host’s cache
Many hosts run their own server cache in front of WordPress. It’s cleared from the host’s control panel, usually under a section called cache or performance, and some hosts add their own button to the WordPress admin bar. My test site has no host, so I couldn’t test this step; check your host’s help pages for the exact place.
3. Your CDN
If your site uses a CDN such as Cloudflare, it keeps copies of pages and files on its own servers. Cloudflare’s documentation offers purge by single file, which it recommends, or purge everything. Purge the specific page if you changed one page, or everything after a site-wide change like a new logo.
4. Your browser
Last, make sure your own browser isn’t showing an old copy. Reload while bypassing the cache with Ctrl+Shift+R (Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac), or simply check in a private window. Browsers also keep images and stylesheets, so a new logo or color can look unchanged even after the page itself has updated.
Why the order matters
Each layer refills from the one behind it. If you purge the CDN first while the plugin still holds the old page, the CDN fetches the old page again and caches it. Working from the inside out, plugin then host then CDN then browser, means each layer refills with the new version.
When caching causes bigger problems
If clearing every cache doesn’t help, or forms, carts or logins misbehave, the caching setup itself may be wrong. Pages with forms, carts and account areas generally shouldn’t be cached. My guide to speeding up a WordPress site covers what to cache. Setting caching up properly is part of my WordPress development work.
