How to clear the cache and cookies for one website
Your browser keeps copies of pages and small files, called the cache, plus cookies that remember who you are. When they go stale they can cause pages that look broken, endless redirects and sign-in problems, even when the website is working.
The quick test first
Open the site in a private or incognito window. If it works there, the cause is something saved in your normal browser: the cache, cookies or an extension.
Clear it for one site
- Chrome and Edge: click the icon to the left of the address, choose Cookies and site data or Site settings, then Clear data.
- Firefox: click the padlock, choose Clear cookies and site data.
- Safari on Mac: Settings, Privacy, Manage Website Data, search for the site and remove it.
- iPhone and iPad: Settings, Safari, Advanced, Website Data, search for the site and remove it.
- Android Chrome: tap the menu, Settings, Site settings, All sites, find the site and clear its data.
A hard refresh
On a computer, press Ctrl+Shift+R (or Cmd+Shift+R on a Mac) to reload the page and ignore the saved copy.
What you lose
Clearing a site’s cookies signs you out and removes saved preferences for that site only. Other sites are not touched.
If it still fails
Turn off extensions one by one, then use the website not loading checklist. Running the address through our checker tells you whether the site is down for everyone.
Is it down for everyone, or just you? Paste an address and we test it from fifteen places.
Open the checkerRelated guides
- Website not loading? A step-by-step checklist
- What does a 403 Forbidden error mean?
- How to flush your DNS cache on Windows, Mac and Linux
Last updated 2 November 2026. Written by the siteupdown.com team. Spotted a mistake?