If you find that your changes are not showing up in WordPress when you view your site, there are two types of issues that are most likely the culprit: caching problems or working with the wrong details.
In this article, we’ll show you how to solve these issues so your changes will show up on your WordPress website.
Caching problems
Caching problems are the most common reason for not seeing your WordPress site updates. Data caching improves site performance by temporarily storing copies of data, so it doesn’t have to be regenerated or downloaded each time a web page is viewed. Caching problems may come from your web browser or a WordPress cache plugin.
Web browser cache
Web browsers improve browsing speed by storing information about each website you visit in its cache. When you visit a website multiple times, your browser detects any site changes since your last visit and automatically replaces the cached data with the updated data. Sometimes browsers don’t detect minor changes or display the updated version of the site. To fix this problem, you need to clear your browser cache manually.
Chrome
- In Chrome, click More
at the top right corner of your browser.
- Select More tools > Clear browsing data.
- Select a time period, such as the past hour, the past day, or the beginning of time.
- Select Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data.
- Click Clear browsing data.
Safari
- In the Safari menu bar at the top of the screen, click the Safari option.
- Click Clear History.
- In the Clear drop-down menu, select the time period.
- Click Clear History.
Internet Explorer
- Click Settings (the gear icon) at the top right corner of your browser.
- Select Safety > Delete browsing history.
- Select Temporary Internet files and website files.
- Click Delete.
WordPress caching plugins
WordPress caching plugins improve site performance by storing static copies of content, rather than regenerating content for each page visit. The cache should be cleared whenever a post, page, or comment is published or updated. If you change a theme or template, you may need to clear the cache manually. For more information about how to clear the cache, see the plugin’s documentation or website.
Working with the wrong details
If caching isn’t the problem, see if you’re making one of these common mistakes with URLs and file names:
- Verify the URL: Make sure you’re entering the correct URL in your web browser. Double-check the full path and file names.
- Verify the template: If you’re editing a template, make sure the post or page you’re viewing in your browser uses the template you’re editing.
- Verify the file: If you’re editing a file on your local computer and then uploading the updated version, make sure you upload the correct file. Also, make sure you’re not working with a file with a similar name or the same name in another folder.
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