What is Cache?
Also called: Caching
The short answer
A cache is a stored copy of something, like a page or image, kept closer to the visitor so it loads instantly next time instead of being fetched again.
What people say: “clear your cache”.
Cache, explained
Browsers, CDNs and servers all cache. It is the biggest single reason fast sites are fast, and the reason a visitor sometimes sees an old version until the cache refreshes.
Questions people ask about Cache
What is Cache?
A cache is a stored copy of something, like a page or image, kept closer to the visitor so it loads instantly next time instead of being fetched again.
Why can't I see the changes I made to my website?
You are probably seeing a cached copy; hard-refresh the page, and if the host caches too, wait for it to purge or trigger a new deploy.
Related terms
A CDN is a network of servers around the world that keeps copies of a site's files and serves each visitor from the location nearest to them.
Back/forward cacheThe back/forward cache keeps a complete snapshot of a page in memory so pressing Back or Forward restores it instantly instead of reloading.
Page speedPage speed is how quickly a web page loads and becomes usable, measured by metrics like Largest Contentful Paint, Interaction to Next Paint and layout stability.
WebsiteA website is a collection of linked web pages published under one domain name, stored on a server and viewed in a web browser.
Part of the Web Encyclopedia by Apex Flow Digital. Definitions are general knowledge, kept current, with no invented statistics.