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General

Browser Issues

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Some issues that you encounter with your WordPress.com blog or account can be solved by changing your browser settings, refreshing the page, or clearing the browser cache and cookies.

Note: We recommend that you use Firefox for optimal performance with WordPress.com.

Force Refresh

A force refresh or reload will cause the browser to re-check with the web server to make sure it has the latest copy of the web page you are viewing:

  • Windows: Ctrl + F5
  • Mac/Apple: Apple + R or Cmd + R
  • Linux: F5

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Clear Your Cache

Each time you access a web page, your web browser stores a temporary copy of the files needed to display the web page to you. Those temporary files are called the browser cache. If your cache is not updating properly or if it’s stuck, you could be viewing an older version of some of the supporting files.

If you are experiencing problems displaying WordPress.com pages, clearing the browser cache is a good first step to try to resolve the issue. If that doesn’t help, you should also try clearing the browser cookies. Instructions for clearing cache and cookies are different for each browser and version. Google has outlined the steps for all major browsers:

Note: It is also possible for your Internet Service Provider to create a cache at the network level. This means that instead of viewing the WordPress.com web servers for some files, the ISP has created a cache to store files on their network to try to reduce bandwidth costs and also to make loading some web pages faster. If a network-side cache is causing you trouble, you most likely just need to wait for it to clear out on its own.

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More Troubleshooting

If you are still having trouble, here are a few more things you can try:

  • Add wordpress.com to the allowed sites in your browser settings and in your firewall or anti-virus software if you have any.
  • Try an alternate browser. If it works, then the issue is with the browser settings.
  • Try an alternate computer in the same location. If another computer works, then the issue is computer settings on the first one.
  • Try an alternate location that has a different Internet Service Provider. If it works, the issue is with your local network.

Last modified: December 30, 2009

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