Occasionally, a site might not be accessible to you, but others can access it. This could happen if you recently made DNS changes to your domain, connected a domain, or let your domain expire momentarily.
In this guide
The DNS cache is used by all operating systems to speed up DNS requests quickly, similar to how browsers keep a copy of websites visited so that they can be opened quickly during the next visit.
The DNS cache updates itself automatically, but it may be necessary to clear the DNS cache manually when a change to the DNS records occurs before the next DNS cache update.
There are a couple of steps you can take to troubleshoot site visibility issues before you decide to clear your DNS cache.
- Have you recently registered, connected, or transferred a custom domain to your WordPress.com site? Visit our guide on troubleshooting domain errors to ensure the domain is up and running.
- A simple, but often overlooked step, is to clear your browser’s cache first. Our guide on how to solve common browser issues is an excellent place to look.
In the following sections, you will find instructions for clearing the DNS cache on computer and laptop devices.
To enter the command prompt, press the Windows key (you can find it on the left side of the keyboard, between the Ctrl and Alt keys), and type msdos.
When you notice “Command Prompt” on the right side of it, click on “Run as administrator” as shown in the screenshot below: