Support

General

Browser Issues

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Some issues that you encounter with your WordPress.com blog or account can be solved by changing your browser settings, refreshing the page, or clearing the browser cache and cookies.

Note: We recommend that you use either Firefox or Chrome for optimal performance with WordPress.com.

Force Refresh

A force refresh or reload will cause the browser to re-check with the web server to make sure it has the latest copy of the web page you are viewing. Here are keyboard shortcuts for force refreshing your browser:

  • Windows: Ctrl + F5
  • Mac/Apple: Apple + R or Cmd + R
  • Linux: F5

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Clear Your Cache and Cookies

Each time you access a web page, your web browser stores a temporary copy of the files needed to display the web page to you. Those temporary files are called the browser cache. If your cache is not updating properly or if it’s stuck, you could be viewing an older version of some of the supporting files that run WordPress.com.

If you are experiencing problems displaying WordPress.com pages, clearing the browser cache is a good first step to try to resolve the issue. If that doesn’t help, you should also try clearing the browser cookies. Instructions for clearing cache and cookies are different for each browser and version.

Note: It is also possible for your Internet Service Provider to create a cache at the network level. This means that instead of viewing the WordPress.com web servers for some files, the ISP has created a cache to store files on their network to try to reduce bandwidth costs and also to make loading some web pages faster. If a network-side cache is causing you trouble, you most likely just need to wait for it to clear out on its own.

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Logging out/Preview issues

If you find yourself getting logged out from WordPress.com frequently and are having trouble posting to your blog, or if you’re having difficulty using the Preview option, it’s possible you don’t have third-party cookies enabled in your browser.

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More Troubleshooting

If you are still having trouble, here are a few more things you can try:

  • Upgrade your browser and Flash Player to the latest version available.
  • Make sure wordpress.com, wp.com and their subdomains (*wordpress.com / *.wp.com) are not blocked by your browser. This also applies to your firewall or anti-virus software settings if you have any.
  • Try an alternate browser.If it works, then the issue is with the browser settings. Look for troubleshooting tips on your browser’s support documentation.
  • Try an alternate computer in the same location. If another computer works, then the issue is computer settings on the first one.
  • Try an alternate location that has a different Internet Service Provider. If it works, the issue is with your local network.

Last modified: October 29, 2012

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