How to Solve Common Browser Issues
Some issues that you encounter with your WordPress.com site or account can be solved by changing your browser settings, refreshing the page, or clearing the browser cache and cookies.
Supported Browsers
Some browser issues may be caused by the browser itself. For optimal viewing and security we recommend that you use an up-to-date version of any of the following browsers:
We recommend that you always use the latest versions of these browsers for optimal performance with WordPress.com.
Internet Explorer: Due to browser incompatibility, some themes are not fully functional in Internet Explorer 11 or earlier. If you are using Internet Explorer 11 or below we recommend upgrading your browser for an optimal experience.
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
Browser Cache
What is a Browser Cache?
Here’s a brief explanation of how browser cache works:
- 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 clear the cache, this will force your browser to fetch all of the files for a website again, so you will see the most recent version of the page.
Clearing Your Browser Cache
If you are experiencing problems displaying WordPress.com pages, clearing the browser cache is a good first step to try to resolve the issue.
Some situations where you can find it very useful to clear your browser cache:
- When the page or post editor is not loading or it fails to load
- A recurrent blank page in the editor
- Seeing the wrong site after changing domain
- When a recurrent error is showing multiple times
- When changes on the site/blog are not reflected yet
Instructions for clearing your browser cache will be different for each browser and version:
Cache at the Network Level
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. And in a situation where you can’t reach your WordPress.com website via browser, you can confirm it’s caused by your ISP by checking whether your website is up for the rest of the world.
Clearing WordPress.com Cookies
WordPress.com requires the use of browser cookies in order for our site to work properly. If you have trouble with some sections of your site, you may wish to check to make sure you have cookies enabled:
If you can’t clear out your username/password from showing up in the browser when you try to log in, you may need to clear your WordPress.com-specific cookies. Generally, unless you have privacy concerns, we would not recommend that you clear all browser cookies, as that will affect your experience using other websites.
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. Check this guide to learn how to enable them.
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If you are in Safari, go to Safari → Preferences → Privacy, and disable the option Prevent cross-site tracking. More details here.
JavaScript?
For the best experience on WordPress.com, you need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
WordPress.com pages including stats, the post and page editors, customizer, checkout, and account setting pages use a type of code called JavaScript to work. If you have JavaScript disabled, most of what makes WordPress.com work won’t be able to load in your browser. Some theme features, like post sliders and slide-out menus, also use JavaScript.
The following tool tells you whether you have JavaScript enabled or not, and has instructions how to enable it in the most popular browsers:
Some ad-blockers and anti-virus browser extensions can sometimes block JavaScript. Try disabling those extensions and check if the My Site pages work correctly. If so, add an exception for WordPress.com to the browser extension/add-on, and it shouldn’t block our code any more.
Country Blocks
In some rare cases, if you live in an area where access to the internet is subject to restrictions, this may cause your site to be unreachable from any browser. This may occur in countries where government or ISP interference blocks people from reaching some or all of our IP addresses (without a VPN). You may see a message stating that your site has been blocked for this reason. If you suspect that this is the case, we have some ideas for bypassing internet restrictions which you may find useful.
More Troubleshooting
If you are still having trouble, here are a few more things you can try:
- Upgrade your browser and extensions to the latest versions 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 with your specific computer.
- Try an alternate location that has a different Internet Service Provider. If it works, the issue is with your local network.
- Try disabling IPv6. If this works, the issue is with your local network but you don’t need IPv6 so you’re all set!
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