WordPress Cache Types (2025): How to Clear & Fix Issues Fast

Understand Every Type of Cache, Why It Matters, and How It Can Break Your Site

Understanding how caching works (and when it works against you) is critical to maintaining a fast, reliable, and accurate website.

We’ll break down the major WordPress cache types your site relies on, show you how to clear each one, and help you spot the exact symptoms when caching is to blame so your site updates actually show up.

If you’ve ever updated something on your site and didn’t see it reflect right away-or visitors complained of broken or outdated pages-there’s a good chance caching was the culprit.

Let’s take a closer look at what each cache stores, when it can cause issues, and how to properly clear it.

1. WordPress Cache and How It Works

Caching is how WordPress speeds up your site by saving a copy of what it built the first time—so it doesn’t have to rebuild it every time someone visits. When a user lands on a page for the first time, WordPress pulls data from the database using PHP and combines it into a complete HTML page.

That process takes server power and time. If WordPress had to do that for every visitor, every time, your site would crawl.

Instead, caching stores a ready-made version of that page—what’s called a static HTML file—in a fast-access layer. The next time someone visits, WordPress simply serves that prebuilt page from cache.

The result? Faster load times and reduced server strain. But because these pages are saved versions, they won’t reflect changes you’ve made until the cache is cleared.

Knowing what’s cached, when it breaks, and how to clear it ensures your content stays fresh while keeping your site lightning fast.

2. How to Spot a Caching Problem

Not sure if caching is the culprit? Here are a few common signs:

• You update a page or product, but it still shows the old version

• Users report seeing broken layouts or outdated prices

• One browser shows the update, but another doesn’t

• Logged-out users see different content than logged-in users

If any of these sound familiar, it’s likely a cache needs clearing.

3. The Most Common WordPress Cache Types

Here’s a breakdown of the key caching layers you should understand:

🧠 Browser Cache

• Stores: CSS, JS, fonts, images

• Breaks When: Visitors don’t see your latest design or content updates

• How to Clear: Ask users to do a hard refresh (CTRL+SHIFT+R) or manually clear their browser cache via Browser > Settings > Privacy > Clear Browsing Data

🗂️ Page Cache

• Stores: Fully rendered HTML of your site

• Breaks When: You make changes but users still see the old version

• How to Clear: Use a plugin (e.g., WP Rocket > Dashboard > Clear Cache) or your hosting panel

If your host uses server-level caching, use the tools below to clear your cache directly from their dashboard.

How to Clear Page Cache by Host (with Step-by-Step Links):

• SiteGround > Site Tools > Speed > Caching

• WP Engine > WP Engine > Caching > Clear All Caches

• Kinsta > MyKinsta > Sites > Tools > Clear Cache

• Bluehost > Bluehost > Settings > Performance > Clear Cache

• GoDaddy > Manage WordPress > Settings > Flush Cache

• Cloudways > Application Management > Application Settings > Clear Cache

🌐 CDN Cache

• Stores: Static assets (CSS, JS, images) on global edge servers

• Breaks When: Users in different locations see different versions of your site

• How to Clear: Log into your CDN provider dashboard (e.g., Cloudflare > Caching > Configuration > Purge Everything)

🧮 Object Cache

• Stores: Repeated database queries in memory

• Breaks When: Products, forms, or dynamic content don’t update

• How to Clear: Use your plugin or hosting dashboard (e.g., WP Rocket > Database > Clear Object Cache, or server-side tools like Redis CLI > redis-cli flushall)

⚙️ OPcache

• Stores: Compiled PHP code

• Breaks When: Code changes don’t take effect

• How to Clear: Hosting control panel (e.g., cPanel > PHP Selector > Options > Clear OPcache) or restart PHP

🛒 WooCommerce Cache

• Stores: Cart fragments, prices, session data

• Breaks When: Prices are wrong, cart doesn’t update, or checkout fails

• How to Clear: WooCommerce > Status > Tools > Clear WooCommerce Transients. Optionally, disable cart fragments using plugins like Perfmatters or WooCommerce Booster

🧭 Edge Full Page Cache

• Stores: Fully rendered HTML pages on CDN edge servers

• Why It Matters: Improves performance globally by reducing latency

• Breaks When: Changes are made on the server but users get cached HTML

• How to Clear: Use your CDN dashboard (e.g., Cloudflare APO > Caching > Purge Everything)

4. How These Caches Work Together

In most modern WordPress setups, multiple caching layers are working at once:

• A visitor’s browser saves files

• Your CDN serves static assets from the nearest server

• Your server serves a cached page

• Your database uses object caching for fast queries

• Your PHP is precompiled with OPcache

A change in one layer may require clearing multiple cache types to fully reflect across the stack.

5. Tools to Help You Test and Manage Cache

These tools help you identify if caching is causing display issues or slowdowns:

• GTmetrix – Great for checking what’s cached and detecting CDN usage

• WebPageTest.org – Shows TTFB (Time To First Byte), useful for diagnosing server or edge caching issues

• Cloudflare Cache Analytics – If using Cloudflare, see real cache hit/miss data

• Query Monitor (plugin) – Diagnoses object cache and slow queries

• Browser Developer Tools – Every modern browser (like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) includes built-in developer tools. You can right-click any page, choose “Inspect,” and view asset headers under the “Network” tab to check cache status (look for `cache-control`, `expires`, or `status: 304`)

6. Cache Best Practices & Prevention Tips

• Don’t panic: Caching is a feature, not a flaw-learn to control it

• Use a staging site when making major changes so cache doesn’t interfere

• Configure your caching plugin to automatically purge cache on content updates

• Exclude dynamic pages (cart, checkout, login) from caching

• Educate your team so they don’t mistake a cached issue for a broken site

7. How to Safely Clear Cache Without Breaking Things

Clearing cache can fix bugs, but doing it recklessly may temporarily slow your site or break compatibility. Here’s a safe approach:

1. Clear cache on your plugin or hosting panel first.

2. Purge CDN cache if using Cloudflare or similar.

3. Flush OPcache if you’ve made code changes.

4. Clear object cache and transients (especially for WooCommerce).

5. Ask users to hard refresh their browser or test in incognito mode.

8. Table: Cache Types at a Glance 📋