Although the word cache has been around for a long time, it may not be clear exactly what it means in terms of the Web and Web Browsers. The word cache refers to storing something in a secret location to use later. A web browser does this the same way, except for the assets of a website. When you open a website, your browser takes pieces of the page and stores them on your computer’s hard drive. 

Caching web browser information has many benefits. It allows you to retrieve files from your hard drive so next time you visit a page, even if your Internet connection speed is slow, you can still retrieve files much faster than if they were stored on a remote server. 

The goal of caching is to help load web pages faster, but it can also cause issues if you have too many files stored in the browser’s cache folder, as it can cause the browser to find conflicting files. Also, if a browser’s cache is not cleared from time to time, it can cause various problems for the user, such as broken links and a lack of proper formatting. 

Clearing the browser’s cache is a good practice to speed up your experience and an important first step in resolving issues related to internet browsing. 

Click on the links below to learn how to clear the cache in your favorite browser: 

 

Thank you, 

Chapman University IS&T 

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