Why It Matters
Your browser cache stores parts of websites—images, scripts, and data—so pages load faster when you return. Cookies save information about your visits: login sessions, preferences, and tracking identifiers. Together, they make browsing convenient but also create a detailed record of your online activity.
Over time, this can lead to
Security risks if cookies or stored sessions are hijacked.
Tracking and profiling by advertisers and data brokers.
Outdated content or errors when cached files conflict with site updates.
Clearing your cache and cookies removes this buildup. It protects your privacy, improves performance on problem sites, and ensures you see the most current web pages.
Benefits of Regular or Automatic Clearing
Security: Session cookies and autofill tokens disappear when you close the browser.
Privacy Protection: Websites lose the ability to follow you across sessions.
Fewer Glitches: Corrupted cache files no longer cause login or layout errors.
Fresh Content: You always load the newest version of a site.
Yes, you’ll have to log in again and reapply settings, but that’s a fair trade for tighter control over your digital footprint.
Clearing cache on Window - Keyboard Shortcut for Most Browsers
If you are using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Edge you can quickly clear cache with a keyboard shortcut. While in your browser, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete simultaneously on the keyboard to open the appropriate window.
Tips: You can simply refresh the page or close/quit the browser and restart it after clearing the cache and cookies.
In Chrome
Use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete or, if the shortcut does not work you can navigate to three dots in the upper right corner and select Clear Browsing Data.
In the window that opens up change time range to: All time by clicking on the more dropdown and then select "All time". Select what you want to remove and click Delete data.
To clear automatically on exit:
Navigate to three dots (upper right corner) -> Settings -> Privacy and security -> Site settings -> Additional contents settings -> On device site data -> and select "Delete data sites have saved to your device when you close all windows".
In Firefox
Use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete or, if the shortcut does not work you can navigate to three horizontal lines in the upper right corner and select History -> Clear recent history.
In the window that opens up change time range to: Everything by clicking on the drop-down menu and changing When: to "Everything". Choose what you want to delete and click "Clear".
To clear automatically on exit:
Navigate to three lines (upper right corner) -> Settings -> Privacy & Security -> check box next to "Delete cookies and site data when Firefox is closed".
In Edge
Use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + Delete or, if the shortcut does not work you can navigate to three horizontal dots in the upper right corner and select Settings -> Privacy, search and services -> Clear browsing data -> Choose what to clear.
In the window that opens up change time range to: All time by clicking on the drop-down menu and changing to "All time". Choose what you want to delete and click "Clear now".
To clear automatically on exit:
Navigate to three dots (upper right corner) -> Settings and more -> Privacy, search, and services -> Clear browsing data -> Select what to clear every time you close the browser -> Turn on "Cookies and other site data".
Clear cache on Mac
For most browsers, you can use the keyboard shortcut: Cmd + Shift + Backspace to open the ‘Clear Browsing Data’ window. For Chrome, Firefox and Edge the steps are the same as for windows so you can follow the steps above.
On Safari
Navigate to Safari in the top left corner, select Clear History and from the dropdown select All History and click "Clear History".
In the Clear field choose "All History".
Click "Clear History"
Safari does not support automatic clearing but you can block cookies by navigating to Safari (upper left corner)->Settings->Privacy-> Advanced settings-> Check box "Block all cookies".
The Bottom Line
Your browser’s cache and cookies serve convenience, but convenience often comes at the cost of privacy and performance. Setting your browser to automatically clear them on exit—or at least doing it manually every week—keeps your browsing smooth, secure, and private. A quick minute at shutdown can save hours of troubleshooting later and limit how much of your online life is stored by others.
If you need any help or guidance, feel free to book a time with our support team (support@zapflow.com), we are always happy to help! For more tips and guides regarding all our Zapflow features check our other Help Center articles.