Software Development:
Individual Programming

Symptom

You have uploaded a new version of a file by FTP, but when you download the file in your web browser, you only see the old version.

Cause

Is the file static, e.g. an image, a .js, .css or .html file? In your domain data set you are probably using the nameservers of a caching service like Cloudflare. This man-in-the-middle system delivers all static contect from its cache. A request to deliver the new version of the file never reaches your Bitpalace web server here.

Are .php files delivered in an old version, too? In that case your browser is displaying cached content.

Solution

The Bitpalace web servers always deliver the latest version of a requested resource. If you do not receive the latest version, another system that was inserted into the resource delivery chain has cached the content. You can normally circumvent all caches by adding a parameter to the URL, for example “?x”, https:///?x. URLs with parameters are never cached by CDNs like Cloudflare, so that all requests are routed directly to your web server.

a) Check whether you are using Cloudflare or a similar content delivery network (CDN). Static files are cached there, so that new content is only delivered after a certain interval. The cache can normally not be deleted manually. It will automatically replace cached files by new versions after a certain wait.

b) Clear your web browser’s cache.

Overview of frequently asked questions