{"id":1482,"date":"2021-05-10T13:36:52","date_gmt":"2021-05-10T10:36:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/?p=1482"},"modified":"2025-11-27T11:34:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T09:34:04","slug":"how-to-clear-the-dns-cache-on-your-computer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scalahosting.com\/kb\/how-to-clear-the-dns-cache-on-your-computer\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Clear DNS Cache: Windows Mac Linux Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clearing your DNS cache after making some<\/span> DNS changes<\/b> helps you get the latest version of your website. This article guides you on everything you\u2019d need to know on DNS cache and how to flush it.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s take a look.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s DNS ?<\/b><\/h2>\n

DNS stands for <\/span>domain name system<\/b>, and it\u2019s like the internet\u2019s phone book<\/span>. The system allows you to connect to websites with human-readable domain names instead of their <\/span>IP addresses<\/b>\u2014the unique ID of the website\u2019s server.<\/span><\/p>\n

Every computer on the internet has a <\/span>unique numerical ID<\/b> that helps others computers to identify it. Memorizing these strings of numbers for every website we want to visit could be a big deal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Domain names solve this problem by using<\/span> easy-to-remember words<\/b> to match this IP address. Instead of using <\/span>216.58.223.228 <\/b>to connect to <\/span>Google<\/b>, you could easily use its domain name <\/span>www.google.com<\/b><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n

DNS helps you<\/span> connect to computers<\/b> using domain names instead of IP addresses.<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding DNS Cache<\/b><\/h2>\n

If DNS is the internet\u2019s phone book<\/span>, then <\/span>DNS cache is the internet\u2019s phone book<\/span> <\/b>saved in your local computer.<\/span><\/p>\n

When you <\/span>visit a website<\/b> on your browser, it first looks for the DNS information in your computer DNS cache. If the browser finds the information, it uses the DNS cache to<\/span> connect the website<\/b>; otherwise, it looks up DNS servers across the internets.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the browser finds the direction on a <\/span>DNS server<\/b><\/a>, your computer caches the information and saves it in the local DNS cache for subsequent visits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Local DNS cache helps a browser quickly find a website anytime you visit by taking the <\/span>shortest route to finding the DNS information.<\/b><\/p>\n

Why Flushing DNS Cache Matters ?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Purging your local DNS caches forces the browser to<\/span> initiate a new DNS server lookup<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of what makes this essential includes:<\/b><\/p>\n