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

Refreshing or clearing the cache is often a valuable first step in troubleshooting issues. This approach is particularly effective for resolving problems that are isolated to a single device and do not impact multiple users. In many cases, it offers a quick and straightforward solution to unexpected errors or performance concerns. Additionally, it helps determine whether the issue is specific to the device, linked to the user’s account, or indicative of a broader system-wide problem.

Quick Refresh: To quickly refresh the cache, press Ctrl + Shift + R (or Cmd + Shift + R on a Mac). This action performs a forced refresh of their browser, reloading the page and clearing the cache for that specific site.

Soft Refresh: To perform a soft refresh within the Salus web app, instruct the user to go to the menu at the top right of their web app, select "My Profile," and find the refresh cache button under the settings tab. They should then reload the web page.

Incognito/InPrivate Window: If refreshing the cache doesn’t resolve the issue and it cannot be reproduced on your side, ask the customer to sign in and test the issue in an Incognito or InPrivate Window. This option is available by selecting the three dots or lines in the top right corner of the browser bar. If the issue is resolved in this window, the problem lies with cached data, and the customer should clear it.

Google Chrome:

1. Open Chrome.

2. Press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + N (Mac).

3. Alternatively, click the three dots in the upper-right corner and select New Incognito Window.

Microsoft Edge:

1. Open Edge.

2. Press Ctrl + Shift + N (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + N (Mac).

3. Alternatively, click the three dots in the upper-right corner and select New InPrivate window.

Mozilla Firefox:

1. Open Firefox.

2. Press Ctrl + Shift + P (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + P (Mac).

3. Alternatively, click the three lines in the upper-right corner and select New Private Window.

Safari:

1. Open Safari.

2. Press Cmd + Shift + N.

3. Alternatively, click File in the menu bar and select New Private Window.

Hard Cache Clearing: To clear all cached data for a site, select the "site information" icon (two-line icon with dots in Chrome, padlock icon in Edge), then choose "Cookies and Site Data" and "Manage on-device site data" (Edge will prompt to clear). Finally, click the trash can next to the website data.

NOTE - Additional information about cached data:

• If the issue is reproducible on other devices, it’s likely not related to cached data on their device or browser. If the issue cannot be reproduced, start with a soft refresh and progressing to a hard clearing if needed.
• Browsers cache data to improve performance and reduce load times. When you visit a website, the browser saves certain elements (like images, scripts, and stylesheets) to your local storage. The next time you visit the site, the browser can load these elements from the cache instead of downloading them again, which speeds up the process.
• However, sometimes this cached data can become outdated or corrupted. This can happen for several reasons:
  - **Website Updates:** If the website has updated its content but the browser still has the old version cached, it might lead to display issues.
  - **Incomplete Downloads:** If there was an interruption during the initial download, the browser might have incomplete or corrupted data in the cache.
  - **Browser Bugs:** Occasionally, the browser itself might have bugs that cause issues with cached data.
• While caching generally enhances the browsing experience, it can sometimes cause problems, which is why clearing the cache is a common troubleshooting step.
• It's like cleaning out your fridge: it usually helps keep things organized and efficient, but every now and then, you need to toss out the old stuff to keep things fresh. 🧼🧹