WordPress or PHP Site Changes Not Showing? How to Fix Caching, CDN, and DNS Issues

You've updated your website — new prices, a fresh banner, a fixed typo — and hit save. But when you (or your customers) visit the site, the old version is still there. Or you've moved to new hosting, and the domain still points to the old server.

This is one of the most common website problems we fix, and the good news is it almost always comes down to one of a few causes. Work through this checklist from top to bottom.

Step 1: Rule out your own browser

Your browser stores copies of pages to load them faster.

• Do a hard refresh: Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac)
• Open the site in a private/incognito window
• Try a different device or mobile data instead of Wi-Fi

If the new version appears, the site is fine — it was just your browser.

Step 2: Clear WordPress caching plugins

Most WordPress sites use a caching plugin such as WP Rocket, W3 Total Cache, LiteSpeed Cache, WP Super Cache, or Autoptimize. They save static copies of your pages and keep serving them until cleared.

• Look for "Clear cache" or "Purge all" in the admin bar or plugin settings
• If you changed CSS or JavaScript, also clear any minify / combine cache
• Page builders like Elementor have their own option: Elementor → Tools → Regenerate CSS & Data

Step 3: Clear server and hosting caches

Many hosts add their own caching layer on top of WordPress — for example, managed WordPress hosts, LiteSpeed servers, Varnish, or Nginx caching.

• Check your hosting dashboard for a "Purge cache" or "Flush cache" button
• PHP sites may also have OPcache holding old code — restarting PHP or clearing OPcache from the host panel fixes it

Step 4: Purge your CDN (Cloudflare and others)

If your site runs through Cloudflare or another CDN, visitors are often served a copy stored at the edge.

• In Cloudflare: Caching → Configuration → Purge Everything (or purge specific URLs)
• Temporarily enable Development Mode while making several changes
• Check for page rules or cache rules set to "Cache Everything" with long expiry times

Step 5: Check your DNS — is the domain pointing to the right server?

If you've moved hosts or rebuilt the site, the problem may be that your domain still points to the old server.

• Use a tool like dnschecker.org to see your domain's A record (and www CNAME) around the world
• Compare it to the IP address or target your new host gave you
• Check where your DNS is actually managed — the registrar, Cloudflare, or the old host. Changing records in the wrong place is a very common mistake
• DNS changes can take a few minutes to 48 hours to spread, depending on the record's TTL
• Make sure both yourdomain.com and www.yourdomain.com point to the new server, and one redirects to the other

Step 6: Check you edited the right site

It sounds obvious, but it happens a lot:

• Did you edit a staging copy instead of live?
• Is there a leftover old installation in another folder or subdomain?
• Did a deployment or file upload actually succeed? Check file modification dates on the server.

Step 7: Check SSL and redirects

After a move, a missing SSL certificate or a redirect loop can send visitors to an old URL or an error page. Make sure the certificate is active on the new server and your redirects go one way only — for example, http → https and www → non-www (or the reverse), never both directions.

Preventing it next time

• Use a staging site and a clear process for pushing changes live
• Know exactly which caching layers you have — plugin, server, and CDN — and clear them in that order
• Keep DNS records documented in one place, with access shared safely
• Lower the DNS TTL a day before any planned migration
• Consider a maintenance plan so updates, backups, and fixes are handled for you

Still stuck? We can fix it today

If you've tried everything and the old site keeps showing up, the cause is usually a layered caching or DNS setup that's hard to see from the outside. Brahmweb fixes WordPress and PHP sites every week — caching, DNS, migrations, broken updates, and slow sites — and offers ongoing maintenance so it doesn't happen again.

See our open source and CMS services, or get help with your website now →