Clearing DNS Cache

DNS | Updated November 2026

If you have made DNS changes (like updating nameservers or A records) but your computer still loads the old version of your site, your local DNS cache may be holding onto the old records. Flushing your DNS cache forces your computer to look up the fresh records.

In This Guide

Windows
macOS
Linux
Browser DNS Cache
Still Seeing the Old Site?

Quick Commands

Flush DNS by operating system

Windows: ipconfig /flushdns
macOS: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
Linux: sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches

01. Windows

Open Command Prompt - Search "cmd" in the Start menu, right-click, and select "Run as administrator"
Run: ipconfig /flushdns
You should see: "Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache"

02. macOS

Open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal)
Run: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
Enter your Mac password when prompted

03. Linux

The command depends on your DNS resolver:

systemd-resolved (Ubuntu 18+, Fedora): sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches
nscd: sudo service nscd restart
dnsmasq: sudo service dnsmasq restart

04. Browser DNS Cache

Browsers maintain their own DNS cache separate from the operating system. Even after flushing the OS cache, your browser may still use cached DNS entries.

Chrome: Navigate to chrome://net-internals/#dns and click "Clear host cache"
Firefox: Navigate to about:networking#dns and click "Clear DNS Cache"
All browsers: Close and reopen the browser completely, or use an incognito/private window

05. Still Seeing the Old Site?

If flushing the cache does not help, the DNS change may not have fully propagated yet. DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours worldwide. Check the current propagation status with our DNS Lookup tool.

For a deeper explanation of DNS propagation, see DNS Changed But Site Not Showing.

DNS Not Resolving?

If your domain is not resolving at all after 48 hours, open a ticket and we will check your DNS configuration.

Open a Support Ticket

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I still see my old site after changing DNS?

Your computer or network is likely holding the old records in its DNS cache. Flushing that cache forces a fresh lookup. Browser and router caches can also hold old records, and full propagation can take up to 24 to 48 hours.

How do I flush the DNS cache on Windows?

Open Command Prompt and run ipconfig /flushdns. You should see a confirmation that the resolver cache was flushed. Then close and reopen your browser and reload the site.

How do I flush the DNS cache on a Mac?

Open Terminal and run sudo dscacheutil -flushcache followed by sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder, entering your password when prompted. Then reload the site in a fresh browser window.

I flushed DNS but still see the old site, what now?

Clear your browser cache or test in a private window, and flush your router if it caches DNS. If it persists, DNS may still be propagating worldwide (up to 24 to 48 hours), which you can check with an online DNS propagation tool.