Clearing the DNS cache on your computer

This article describes how to clear the DNS cache on your computer.

Many computer operating systems use caching to store DNS lookup results. Normally this is not a problem, and accelerates network performance. However, when you are developing a web site or configuring domain settings, your computer's DNS cache can get in the way and prevent you from accessing the correct site.

To clear the DNS cache, follow the appropriate procedure below for your computer's operating system or web browser.

Windows operating systems

To clear the DNS cache on Microsoft Windows, follow these steps:

1. Open a Windows PowerShell (DOS) window. To do this, right-click the Start button, and then click Terminal.

2. At the command prompt, type the following command, and then press Enter:

   PowerShell

   ipconfig /flushdns
   

3. You should receive a Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache message. The DNS cache is now clear.

macOS operating systems

To clear the DNS cache on Apple macOS, follow these steps:

1. Open a terminal window. In the dock, click the Launchpad icon, and then in the Search box, type terminal and press Return.

2. At the command prompt, type the following command:

   Shell

   sudo dscacheutil -flushcache
   

3. Type your password, and then press Return. The DNS cache is now clear.

Linux operating systems

Many Linux distributions do not use DNS caching at the operating system level. Instead, applications (such as web browsers) maintain their own internal caches. To clear an application's DNS cache, often all you need to do is restart the application.

If your Linux computer does use a DNS caching service, however, consult its documentation for instructions about how to clear the cache.

Google Chrome browser

The Google Chrome web browser maintains its own internal DNS cache. To clear it, follow these steps:

1. Start Google Chrome.

2. In the address bar, type chrome://net-internals/#dns. Google Chrome displays a list of hosts in its internal DNS cache.

3. Click Clear host cache.

4. In the address bar, type chrome://net-internals/#sockets.

5. Click Close idle sockets, and then click Flush socket pools.

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