Clear Your Browser Cache

All major web browsers cache website components such as HTML pages, images and stylesheets. The first time you visit a site, the browser will save pieces of the site, because the browser can display the files stored in its cache much faster than it can pull fresh files from a server. The next time you visit that site, the cached files will help cut down the page load time.

This improves performance, but it can create errors or inconsistencies if the cached information falls out of sync as the website evolves over time. This is when you may encounter browser errors like run time error, buttons missing on the page, the action you are trying to perform not completing, etc. Clearing browser data (also known as clearing your browser cache) may fix these kinds of errors. Instructions on how to clear all or selected portions of your browser's cache are provided below.

Please be aware that clearing browser cache can remove some information you may want to keep, such as browsing history and cookies (saved data like your email address or name.)  Please bookmark your preferred sites and ensure you know all your passwords before clearing your browser cache.

Please note that the specific steps for each browser may change as the browser updates to a new version. If you are having trouble following these steps, try searching these terms in your preferred search engine: "clear cache" and the name of your browser (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, etc).

Clear your entire browser cache

Version 91
(updated June 30, 2021)

  1. On your computer, open Chrome.
  2. Click on the Chrome menu in the browser toolbar (three dots in the upper-right corner, or if there is a pending Chrome update, an up-arrow).
  3. Select More Tools, then Clear Browsing Data.
  4. At the top, choose a time range. To delete everything, select All time.
  5. Check the boxes next to these items: Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. You may also want to check the boxes for Browsing history and Download history (under Advanced tab). 
  6. Click Clear data.

Version 13
(updated May 27, 2020)

  1. Open Safari and select Safari in the menu on the upper-lefthand side of your screen.
  2. In the drop-down menu that appears, select Preferences.
  3. In the window that appears, select the Advanced tab from the menu panel at the top. At the end of the tab, select the Show Develop menu in menu bar box and close the Preferences menu. 
  4. Select the Develop tab from the Safari menu at the top of the page. 
  5. Select Empty Caches from the drop-down menu. 

Version 74
(updated May 21, 2020)

  1. Open Firefox and select the menu button (the 3 horizontal lines in the upper-right corner.)
  2. In the drop-down menu, select Options.
  3. Select the Privacy & Security section in the left-hand navigation menu.
  4. Select the Clear Data button in the Cookies and Site Data section.
  5. To delete your browsing history, select the Clear History button in the History section.

Version 11
(updated May 21, 2020)

  1. Open Internet Explorer and click Tools (the gear icon in the upper-right corner of the screen.)
  2. In the drop-down menu, click Internet options.
  3. Under the General tab, click the Delete... button.
  4. Uncheck the Preserve Favorites website data check box. 
  5. Ensure the following checkboxes are checked: Temporary Internet files and website files, Cookies and website data, Form data.  
  6. To delete your browsing history, check the History checkbox.
  7. Click Delete.

Version 86
(updated November 6, 2020)

  1. Open Microsoft Edge and select the menu button (the 3 horizontal dots in the upper-right corner.)
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, click on Choose what to clear.
  4. Check the boxes next to Cookies and saved website data and  Cached data and files. You may optionally want to also check the Browsing History box.
  5. Select Clear.

Clear your cache for a specific website

For the most up-to-date instructions on clearing your cache for a specific website, CUIT recommends running a search with the current year,  "clear cache for specific website" and the name of your browser (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, Mozilla Firefox, etc).