What is the 'cache'?
When you visit a website for the first time, the browser you are using, e.g. Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Firefox etc stores certain data in its memory cache. This means when you visit a site frequently, your computer doesn’t need to load all of its data from scratch; it can simply use the stored data from its cache.
However, because your browser saves local copies of website files (images, scripts) in this way to speed up performance, it may inadvertently serve outdated or "stale" data to the user accessing instead of fresh content.
This can cause users to think they have encountered a visual or formatting problem when using a website, when in fact it's just a caching issue that is easily resolved by clearing it and forcing your browser to re-download up-to-date files.
Browser vs Site cache
In addition to your personal browser cache, the Intranet has a cache of its own.
This is stored in Admin > System > Labs and should also be cleared periodically, especially after upgrades have been applied and if users are reporting display issues in your Intranet.
Troubleshooting Intranet Issues
As an administrator, when issues are reported by your user base that are related to changes they have applied not appearing as expected or display problems, we could encourage you to:
1. Clear the site cache from Admin > System > Labs to eliminate this as a cause
2. Ask affected users to manually log out of the Intranet, clear their browser cache and then log back in to test if the issue persists
These steps will resolve most issues, and if they don't, you have successfully eliminated caching as a cause and can investigate the true cause further, or ask for our assistance in a support ticket.
More information on how to carry out each step is below.
1. Clear the site cache
Sysadmins can clear the site cache from Admin > System > Labs.
Under the 'Maintenance' heading, click 'Delete All Caches'
The system will process for a few seconds, and a message on the screen will appear to confirm that the cache was cleared.
You have now ensured the site cache will not contribute to any issues users are reporting.
2. Ask the affected users to clear their browser cache
Users should be directed to first manually log out of the intranet using the button under their user profile photo:
Next, they should close any other windows or tabs of the Intranet they had open.
Now they should clear their browser cache (which does not take place in Claromentis, see below for browser specific steps)
Once done, they can log back into the Intranet to test if the issue persists or has been resolved.
How users can clear the cache in popular browsers
Open the cache area, select the time range that suits you, and select the elements to clear.
This can be set up to retain any Internet site passwords that have been saved (if preferred)
- Edge
- Chrome
- Firefox
- Safari
