Modern web browsers store static assets such as images, styles (css), and javascript (js) locally to promote faster loading times. Unfortunately, this can become a real pain when the site is being fine-tuned and those assets are updated frequently.
A hard refresh clears the browser’s cache and forces the browser to load the latest version of these static assets.
Here’s how to perform a hard refresh on a variety of browsers & operating systems:
Chrome & Firefox
Windows
Ctrl + F5
Mac
⌘ Cmd + ⇧ Shift + R
Safari
Mac
⌘ Cmd + Opt + E, then ⌘ Cmd + R
Internet Explorer
Windows
Ctrl + F5
When to Perform a Hard Refresh
Use hard refreshes when you are reviewing websites that your developer is actively working on and tweaking. Doing so ensures that you’re viewing the latest version of the website, and prevents unnecessary back-and-forth – something both you and your developer will appreciate.