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How To Clear Cache on Shopify: A Step-by-Step Guide

Last updated: February 13 2025

Written and researched by experts at Avada Learn more about our methodology

Clearing your Shopify cache is one of the most effective ways to improve your store's performance. With this action, you can ensure customers see the latest updates and resolve any unexpected issues caused by outdated content. 

But how to clear cache on Shopify? This article will walk you through the detailed Shopify clear cache process across various browsers. Let's jump into the details!

What Is A Cache?

A cache is a temporary storage system that saves copies of files or data to help websites load faster. When someone visits your Shopify store, their browser stores elements like images, stylesheets, and scripts in the cache. 

This way, the next time they visit, the site doesn’t need to reload everything from scratch, improving load times. However, if you make changes to your store, the cache might still display old content, which is why clearing it can be important.

What Is A Cache?

Why You Need To Clear Shopify Cache?

Here are the 4 main reasons why you need to clear your Shopify cache for better store performance:

  • Improve Website Performance: Overloaded cache files can slow down your Shopify store, so clearing the cache ensures faster loading times and a smoother browsing experience for customers.
  • See Updated Content: Shopify may still display old versions of your store even after changes, so clearing the cache helps ensure you and your visitors see the latest updates instantly.
  • Fix Display and Functionality Issues: Cached data can sometimes cause glitches, broken layouts, or outdated product information, so clearing the cache helps resolve these issues and keeps your store running properly.
  • Enhance Security and Privacy: Stored cache files may contain sensitive data, so regularly clearing them helps protect your store from potential security risks and unauthorized access.

Pros & Cons Of Shopify Clear Cache

The action to clear cache Shopify can have both positive and negative effects on your online Shopify store. Here are some of the main pros and cons of such action:

Pros

  • Speed up loading time: Cache stores copies of data on your Shopify store. It loads faster for returning visitors.
  • Improves User Experience: Faster load times mean customers can browse your store smoothly without delays, which can increase engagement and reduce bounce rates.
  • Up-to-date display: When managed well, the cache helps display the latest versions of your store's content to users. 

Cons

  • May Display Outdated Content: On the downside, if you’ve updated your store, the cache might still show the old version. This can confuse customers or make your store look inconsistent.
  • Causes Troubleshooting Issues: If you’re testing new features or troubleshooting problems, the cache might prevent you from seeing changes in real-time. This can make it harder to diagnose and fix issues.
  • Affects Mobile and Desktop Viewing: Cached data can differ between devices. Sometimes, changes might appear on your desktop but not on mobile, or vice versa, due to separate cache storage.
What Is A Cache

Step-by-step Guide To Clear Your Shopify Cache on Browsers

Since there are various web browsers that customers may use to experience your online store, I’ll show you exactly how to perform your Shopify clear cache on different browsers so you can get back to managing your store without any hiccups.

1. Clearing Shopify Cache on Google Chrome

To clear the Shopify cache on Google Chrome, please follow the steps below: 

Step 1: Click the settings menu icon in the top right corner of your Google Chrome, then select "Delete browsing data..."

Step 1: select "Delete browsing data..."

Step 2: Choose either the Basic or Advanced mode (here I will select the Advanced option)

Step 2: Choose either the Basic or Advanced

Step 3: Check the "Cached images and files" box (you can tick on other boxes like Browsing history, Download history, etc., if you wish to delete them either)

Note: Remember to select your wanted Time range first before processing.

Finally, click "Delete data" to finish the process

Step 3: Check the "Cached images and files" box

2. Clearing Shopify Cache on Firefox

The steps for clearing the Shopify cache on the Firefox web browser would be different. Here is what you need to do:

Step 1: Click the Firefox menu in the upper right corner.

Step 1: Click the Firefox menu in the upper right corner.

Step 2: Click the right arrow next to "History," then choose "Clear recent history."

Step 2: Click the right arrow next to "History," then choose "Clear recent history."

Step 3: Under "Time Range," choose "Everything." (include the clear cache cookies Firefox)

 Under "Time Range," choose "Everything.

Step 4: In the "Time Range" section, check the "Cache" box and uncheck others. Finally, click "Clear Now" to finish clearing Firefox's cache. 

Clear Now

3. Clearing Shopify Cache on Edge (Internet Explorer)

The detailed steps for clearing the Shopify cache on Edge are as follows:

Step 1: Click the three-dot icon on the upper right corner and choose "Settings."

Step 1: Click the three-dot icon on the upper right corner and choose "Settings."

Step 2

  • Click Privacy, search, and services in the left menu. 
  • Scroll down to the Clear browsing data for Internet Explorer section
  • Right here, click the Choose what to clear button.
Right here, click the Choose what to clear button.

Step 3: Now, you can check the box that implies the data you want to clear, including cached images and files. Remember to choose All time for the time range. 

Once you are done, click Clear Now.

Once you are done, click Clear Now.

4. Clearing Shopify Cache on Safari

You can clear the Shopify cache on Safari to ensure your store loads the most up-to-date content. Here is how you can do that in a few simple steps:

Step 1: Click on the Safari menu at the top of your screen, then choose Settings from the dropdown menu.

Step 1: Click on the Safari menu at the top of your screen, then choose Settings from the dropdown menu.

Step 2: In the Advanced window on the screen, tick the Show features for web developers box at the bottom. 

Step 2: In the Advanced window on the screen, tick the Show features for web developers box at the bottom. 

Step 3: Choose Empty Caches from the Develop menu in the top menu bar to clear your browser's cache.

Step 3: Choose Empty Caches from the Develop menu in the top menu bar to clear your browser's cache.

5. Clearing Shopify Cache on Opera

If you want to clear the Shopify cache on Opera, follow these instructions:

Step 1: Click on the menu icon in the upper left corner to access the settings. 

Step 1: Click on the menu icon in the upper left corner to access the settings. 

Step 2: In the settings menu, select Privacy & Security, then click Clear browsing data.

Step 2: In the settings menu, select Privacy & Security, then click Clear browsing data.

Step 3: From the options provided, check Cached images and files. Then, click Clear data to finish clearing your cache. 

Step 3: From the options provided, check Cached images and files. Then, click Clear data to finish clearing your cache. 

6. Clearing Your Shopify CDN Cache (for Shopify Plus Users)

For Shopify stores, a CDN ensures that your content loads quickly for customers around the globe. Instead of serving all website content from a server, a CDN caches copies of this content on servers in multiple locations, known as Points of Presence (PoPs). These servers are close to users, which speeds up delivery times. 

If you’re a Shopify Plus user, you have access to advanced tools, including the ability to clear your Content Delivery Network (CDN) cache. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Access Shopify Admin

Log in to your Shopify Plus admin dashboard to access advanced settings.

Step 2: Use Shopify’s Admin API or CLI Tool

  • Go to the API section in your Shopify Plus admin.
  • Use the Admin API or Shopify’s CLI tool to clear specific cached content. You can request cache purges for updated assets or scripts.
2025 UPDATE: Shopify Plus users now have access to the Cache API directly through the Shopify Admin interface, rather than requiring CLI tools.

Step 3: Verify Changes

Once the cache is cleared, revisit your site to confirm that the latest updates are displaying correctly.

Contact Shopify Support (If Necessary)

If you’re not comfortable using the API, reach out to Shopify Support. They can assist in clearing the CDN cache for your store to ensure all updates are visible.

7. Clearing App Cache (if applicable)

To clear an app cache on Shopify, first check if the specific app has its own caching settings. Many apps use their unique caching mechanisms to improve performance. 

If no such option is available, reach out to the app's support team or developer for guidance on clearing cached data. They can provide instructions or even reset the cache for you.

4 Troubleshooting Options To Clear Shopify Cache

While implementing the above steps on how to clear cache in Shopify, you are likely to encounter several issues related to technical and system. To help you overcome such unexpected problems, here are the four common troubleshooting options to notice when you execute the Shopify clear cache process.

1. Changes Not Showing After Clearing Cache

  • Sometimes, even after clearing your browser cache, updates on Shopify don’t appear instantly. Try using Incognito Mode or a different browser to check if the changes reflect. If the issue persists, clear the cache and cookies again or restart your browser. Also, Shopify’s CDN (Content Delivery Network) may take a few minutes to update changes.

2. Stuck on Old Theme or Content

  • If you update your theme or content, but Shopify still displays the old version, your browser might be storing cached files. Manually force refresh by pressing Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac). If that doesn’t work, go to your browser settings and clear cached images and files.

3. Apps Not Updating or Functioning Correctly

  • If a Shopify app isn't updating properly, the issue may be cached data within the app. First, try logging out and back into Shopify. If that doesn't fix it, clear your browser cache, and if the app still has issues, uninstall and reinstall it to force an update.

4. Slow Website Performance Even After Clearing Cache

  • If your store remains slow after clearing the cache, the problem may not be caching but instead large image files, too many apps, or unoptimized code. Check your Shopify speed score under "Online Store" > "Themes" and remove unnecessary apps or optimize images using a compression tool like TinyPNG.

5 Additional Tips and Considerations For Shopify Clear Cache

Clearing cache is just one part of maintaining a smooth-running Shopify store. Here are a few extra tips to keep in mind for a smooth Shopify clear cache process:

1. Hard Refresh

You can perform a hard refresh in your browser to bypass cached content and load the newest version of your store. To do this:

  • On Windows: Press Ctrl + Shift + R
  • On Mac: Press Cmd + Shift + R

2. Theme Updates

Sometimes, you can update your theme to clear old cached files, ensuring they reflect recent changes. So, it would be best to check for any available theme updates in Shopify and apply them to keep everything up-to-date.

3. Check Different Devices

Always check how your store looks on both desktop and mobile. Cached data can behave differently across devices, so make sure everything is consistent.

4. Use Speed Testing Tools

Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights can show if your store’s performance is being affected by cached files. It’s a quick way to ensure your site is loading efficiently.

5. Shopify Support

If caching issues keep happening, you should reach out to Shopify support. They can investigate further and help troubleshoot cache-related problems specific to your store. 

Bottom Line

Knowing how to clear Shopify cache - whether it’s browser cache, CDN cache for Shopify Plus users, or even app-specific cache—ensures your customers always see the latest version of your store. 

Remember to regularly clear the cache for the highest customer satisfaction. For any persistent issues, don't hesitate to contact the Shopify support team for guidance. 

FAQs

Does Shopify have a cache? 

Yes. Shopify uses cache to store frequently accessed content in temporary storage. Since the cache allows Shopify to quickly retrieve data, it improves load times and enhances the user experience for visitors. 

Is it okay to clear all the cache?

Yes. Regular cleaning helps free up disk space on your computer, which can otherwise slow down web browsing. You can also view the most current versions of web pages, as cached data sometimes causes issues when you make new updates or changes. 

How often should I clear my cache?

It's a good practice to clear your cache regularly, especially if you're experiencing display issues or after making changes to your store's theme or settings.

Will clearing my cache delete any important data from my Shopify store?

No, clearing your cache only removes temporary files stored on your device. It doesn't affect your store's data or settings.

Can third-party apps affect caching on my Shopify store?

Yes, some apps might have their own caching mechanisms. Check the app's settings or contact the app developer for instructions on clearing app-specific cache.

Sam
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Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.