If you’ve ever opened your WordPress website and noticed that the layout is broken, the colours are wrong, or the formatting is all over the place — don’t panic. It’s a common issue, and more often than not, the culprit is something called caching.
In this post, we’ll explain what caching is in simple terms, why it’s essential for your website’s performance, and why it sometimes causes these strange display issues. Most importantly, we’ll show you how to spot the signs of a cache problem and what you (or your web person) can do about it.
What Is Caching?
Imagine that someone visits your website. Normally, their browser would need to ask your web server to assemble the entire page from scratch: pull in the text, images, layout, colours, styles, fonts, scripts, and more. This takes time and resources, especially if you have lots of content or complex features.
Caching is a way of making this process faster. When someone visits your site, your server or browser stores a version of the page temporarily — a “snapshot” — so that the next time someone visits, it can deliver the snapshot instead of rebuilding everything from scratch. It’s faster, lighter, and uses fewer server resources.
There are usually multiple layers of caching at play:
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Browser cache: stored by the visitor’s browser.
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Page cache: stored by your website’s server or caching plugin.
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CDN (Content Delivery Network) cache: if you’re using a service like Cloudflare.
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Hosting cache: some web hosts include their own built-in caching systems.
Why Caching Matters for Your Website
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Speed: Pages load faster, which improves user experience.
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SEO: Google prioritises fast-loading websites.
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Reduced server load: Less pressure on your web hosting, especially during traffic spikes.
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Better mobile experience: Mobile users especially benefit from quick-loading sites.
In short, caching is one of the best things you can do for your website — but it needs to be handled properly.
When Caching Goes Wrong
Sometimes, the cached version of your site becomes out of sync with the actual content or design.
Common signs include:
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Layout is broken (e.g. overlapping text or images).
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Colours or fonts appear different.
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A page shows old content, even though you’ve updated it.
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Pages work on one device but look strange on another.
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Styles (like CSS) don’t seem to apply correctly.
This can happen after:
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A website update (WordPress core, theme, plugin).
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A design change.
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A migration to new hosting.
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A server hiccup or plugin conflict.
In these situations, your site might be serving a corrupted or stale cache — like showing a broken photocopy of the original instead of the real thing.
What You Can Do About It
The good news is that most cache-related problems are easily fixed.
Here’s what you (or your web developer) can do:
1. Clear Your Browser Cache
This is the simplest first step:
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Open your site in a private/incognito browser window.
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If the issue disappears, it’s probably just your browser’s local cache.
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You can clear your browser cache manually from the settings (each browser is different).
2. Purge the WordPress Cache
If you’re using a caching plugin (like WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, WP Rocket, or LiteSpeed Cache), you’ll usually find a “Clear Cache” or “Purge All Caches” button in the WordPress dashboard.
Some themes and page builders (like Elementor) also have their own cache that may need clearing.
3. Clear Your CDN Cache
If you’re using a service like Cloudflare or another content delivery network, they might be serving cached versions of your pages. Most CDN providers let you log in and “Purge Cache” either for specific URLs or your whole site.
4. Check With Your Hosting Provider
Some hosts (like SiteGround, Bluehost, or WP Engine) include caching at the server level. They often provide tools in their dashboard to clear the cache, or you can ask their support team to do it for you.
Prevention Tips
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Update plugins and themes regularly — but always clear your cache afterward.
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Avoid caching when editing — if you’re making design changes, temporarily turn off your caching plugin to prevent confusion.
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Don’t stack too many cache layers — too many overlapping caching tools can conflict with each other.
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Use a reliable caching plugin — stick to well-supported and highly-rated options.
When to Call in a Professional
If you’ve cleared your cache and things are still broken, it might be time to ask your web developer or hosting support team (think Itomic!) for help. It could be a deeper issue, such as a conflict between plugins, a misconfigured theme, or even a problem with your server.
Remember: caching issues are rarely permanent or catastrophic — just confusing. With a few quick actions, your site can usually be restored to normal.
In Summary
Caching is essential for making your WordPress site fast and efficient — but when it goes wrong, it can make your site look like a mess. Understanding what cache is, how it works, and how to clear it when needed gives you more control over your website and helps you avoid unnecessary panic.
If you’ve been seeing strange things on your site lately, don’t assume the worst. Clear the cache, refresh the page — and in most cases, everything will be back to normal.