Are changes to your website not showing up?

Caches might be the culprit.

So, you made changes to your website, but they don’t show up for you or your users when they visit the site. The solution: Try visiting your website in a Private or Incognito Window.

What is an Incognito Window?

An Incognito or Private tab/window is a browsing feature of web browsers that doesn’t store things like cookies, caches, and other site data. These are things that are traditionally remembered and stored on your device when in the standard browsing mode.

Why is an incognito window useful when it comes to seeing my page edits?

Browsers cache website data to ensure a faster reload time and better user experience the next time you visit that same site. When a cache contains information from a past visit and hasn’t been refreshed or reloaded, you could see outdated information. This is when private, or incognito, windows can be helpful, because they do not rely on website data from your device’s caches, nor do they store any. When using an incognito window, you should be able to see any updates or changes you’ve made because it will be like opening your website for the first time. 

How do I use a Private Window in:

• Chrome
  • For desktop, open Google Chrome and in the top right corner of the browser, click the three vertically arranged dots. In the dropdown menu select, New Incognito Window.
  • For mobile, open Google Chrome and in the bottom right of the page, click the three horizontally arranged dots. A menu screen will pop-up and you’ll want to select New Incognito Tab.

• Edge
  • For desktop, open Microsoft Edge and in the top right corner of the browser, click the three horizontally arranged dots. In the dropdown menu select, New InPrivate Window.
  • For mobile, open Edge and in the bottom center of the page, tap on the horizontally arranged dots that are encircled in an oval. A menu will pop-up and you will click on the New InPrivate tab option.
• Firefox
  • For desktop, open Firefox and in the top right corner of the browser, click on the three horizontal lines. In the dropdown menu select, New Private Window.
  • For mobile, open Firefox and in the bottom right, tap on the number encased in a box that lets you know how many tabs you currently have open. Then at the top of the page, select the middle mask icon. Lastly, tap on the + in the bottom right corner of the page.
• Safari
  • For desktop, open Safari and on the top left side of your Menu Bar, click File > New Private Window.
  • For mobile, open Safari and tap on the tabs icon in the lower left corner of the page. All of your opened tabs will show up and you’ll click the Tab Groups menu in the bottom center of the tab bar. A menu will pop up and you should click Private.