title: How to Clear Your DNS Cache
created at: Sat Nov 09 2024 10:30:56 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
updated at: Sat Feb 08 2025 14:22:44 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)
---
# How to Clear Your DNS Cache
# Overview
Your DNS cache stores the locations (IP addresses) of web servers that contain web pages which you have recently viewed. If the IP address of a web server that stores a web page changes, you will not be able to access that web page again until your DNS cache updates.
Your DNS cache updates automatically. However, if you encounter a large number of [HTML 404 error codes](https://docs.cpanel.net/knowledge-base/web-services/http-error-codes-and-quick-fixes/) , you may need to clear your DNS cache manually. After you clear your DNS cache, your computer will automatically query all new [nameservers](https://docs.cpanel.net/knowledge-base/cpanel-product/cpanel-glossary/#nameserver) you interact with for the IP addresses of their web servers, then cache the new information.
# How to clear your DNS cache
## Windows
To clear your DNS cache if you use Windows, perform the following steps:
1. Click *Start* or the *Windows* icon.
2. In the search text box, enter `cmd`.
3. Right-click *Command Prompt* and select *Run as Administrator*.
4. Run the following command:
```javascript
ipconfig / flushdns;
```
If the command succeeds, the system returns the following message:
```javascript
Windows IP configuration successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.
```
For more information about the `ipconfig` command, read Microsoft’s [`ipconfig`](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/ipconfig) documentation.
## macOS
To clear your DNS cache if you use macOS X version 10.10.4 or above, perform the following steps:
!! Warning:
!! To run this command, you **must** know the computer’s administrator account password.
1. Click *Applications*.
2. Click *Utilities*.
3. Click *Terminal*.
4. Run the following command:
```javascript
sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
```
If the command succeeds, the system does **not** return any output.
## ChromeOS
To clear your DNS cache if you use ChromeOS, perform the following steps:
1. Open a new Chrome tab.
2. Enter the following address:
```javascript
chrome://net-internals
```
1. Hit the *Enter* key.
2. From the menu, select *DNS*.
3. Click the *Clear host cache* button.
If the command succeeds, the system will perform any DNS lookups again.
## Ubuntu
To clear your DNS cache if you use Ubuntu, run the following command:
```javascript
sudo resolvectl flush-caches
```
If the command succeeds, it will return results with an empty cache.
## Non-Ubuntu Linux
To clear your DNS cache if you use a Linux-based operating system that is not Ubuntu (for example, CloudLinux or AlmaLinux OS), run the following command:
```javascript
systemctl restart nscd
```
If the command succeeds, the system does **not** return any output.
# How to edit your /etc/hosts file
Some server development environments, like [MAMP](https://www.mamp.info/en/mac/) , can cause DNS conflicts by **preventing** you from clearing addresses in your operating system’s `/etc/hosts` file. If you experience a DNS caching error while using one of these environments, you **must** delete the conflicting IP address’ line from your `/etc/hosts` file manually.
To manually edit your `/etc/hosts` file, perform the following steps:
!! Note:
!! If you are using Windows, you **must** perform these steps with administrator privileges.
!! If you are using macOS, you **must** know the computer’s administrator account password.
1. Open the `/etc/hosts` file with your preferred text editor. Your file will resemble the following example, where `192.0.2.0` is the IP address your system tries to access when you type `example.com` into your web browser’s address bar:
```bash
10.0.0.0 localhost
192.0.2.0 example.com
8.8.8.8 google.com
```
1. Delete the lines that contain outdated or malfunctioning IP addresses.
2. Save the file.
3. Clear the [DNS cache](https://docs.cpanel.net/knowledge-base/dns/how-to-clear-your-dns-cache/#how-to-clear-your-dns-cache) to apply the changes.