Starting fresh: refreshing cache, Incognito/InPrivate, and clearing cache

Overview

If something in the Salus web app looks broken, outdated, or behaves unexpectedly, refreshing or clearing your browser's cache is often the fastest fix. It's especially effective when the issue only shows up on one device and nobody else on your team is seeing it.

These steps also help pinpoint the cause: if the problem disappears after a refresh or in an Incognito window, it's local to your browser. If it doesn't, the issue is more likely account- or system-wide, and worth reporting to Support with that detail.

Tip for support agents: Walk the customer through these in order: quick refresh first, then soft refresh, then an Incognito/InPrivate test, then a hard cache clear if needed. If the issue reproduces on other devices too, skip straight to escalating; it's not a caching issue.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Quick refresh

Press Ctrl + Shift + R (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + R (Mac). This forces the browser to reload the page and clear the cache for that site only.

Soft refresh (inside Salus)

Profile menu (top right) › My Profile › Settings tab

1. Click your name in the top-right corner, then click My Profile.
2. Click the Settings tab.
3. Next to Cache, click Refresh Cache.
4. Reload the page.

Test in an Incognito or InPrivate window

If the quick and soft refresh don't resolve the issue, sign in and test it in a private browsing window. If the issue is gone there, it's cached data, and it's time for a hard clear.

• Chrome: Press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + N (Mac), or click the three dots in the top-right corner and select New Incognito Window.
• Edge: Press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + N (Mac), or click the three dots in the top-right corner and select New InPrivate window.
• Firefox: Press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + P (Mac), or click the three lines in the top-right corner and select New Private Window.
• Safari: Press Cmd + Shift + N, or click File in the menu bar and select New Private Window.

Hard cache clearing

This clears all cached data for the Salus site specifically.

1. Click the site information icon to the left of the address bar (a tune or lock-style icon depending on your browser).
2. Select Cookies and Site Data (Chrome) or the equivalent site data option, then Manage on-device site data.
3. Click the trash can icon next to the Salus website data to delete it.

What Happens Next

A quick or soft refresh only clears temporary files like images, scripts, and stylesheets. You'll stay logged in, since login sessions are stored separately from cache. A hard clear removes more, including site data and cookies for Salus, so you may need to log back in afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between quick refresh, soft refresh, Incognito testing, and a hard clear?

Quick refresh (Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R) is a fast keyboard shortcut. Soft refresh does the same thing through a button inside Salus. Incognito/InPrivate testing checks whether the issue is caused by cached data at all, without changing anything. A hard clear actually deletes all stored data for the Salus site.

Will any of this log me out or delete my data?

Quick and soft refresh won't log you out. A hard cache clear removes cookies too, so you'll likely need to sign back in. None of these affect the data stored in your Salus account itself.

When should I try an Incognito window instead of just refreshing?

If a quick or soft refresh doesn't fix the issue, an Incognito or InPrivate window is the next step. It rules out cached data as the cause without you needing to clear anything yet.

Why does Support ask me to try this before escalating my issue?

It's often the fastest fix, and it also helps narrow down whether an issue is specific to your device, your account, or something wider that needs a deeper look.