Website showing an old version or the previous host

Why you still see the old site after changes or a move: browser cache, page cache, Cloudflare’s cache, DNS caching or a hosts file entry.

TroubleshootingBeginner2 min readUpdated

Does this match what you’re seeing?

  • Changes you made don’t appear
  • The old website from your previous host still shows
  • Different people see different versions

Seeing your old host’s site

The domain still resolves to the old server somewhere between you and the site.

  1. Check where DNS points from outside your network. How to check your domain is pointing to Traxio
  2. Still propagating? Nameserver changes can take up to 48 hours to reach every network. Why DNS changes take time (DNS propagation)
  3. Your device’s cache. Flush DNS and restart the browser. How to clear your DNS cache (Windows, Mac, browsers, phones)
  4. A hosts file entry left from testing a migration. Remove it. Previewing your site on Traxio before changing DNS
  5. An AAAA record still pointing at the old host sends IPv6 users there. AAAA records and IPv6 explained

Seeing an old version of your own site

Something is serving a cached copy.

  1. Browser cache. Hard refresh with Ctrl + F5 (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac), or use a private window.
  2. Page cache plugin. Clear it in the plugin’s settings.
  3. Cloudflare. If you use it, purge its cache.
  4. You edited a different copy. A staging subdomain, an index.html alongside index.php, or a file in the wrong folder. index.html usually takes priority over index.php in the same folder.

CSS and images specifically

Browsers cache these aggressively. Add a version to the file reference when you change it:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="/css/style.css?version=2">

Popular

Tip: press / to search from any pageSee all results