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How to flush DNS cache on Windows, macOS, and Chrome
Commands to flush DNS on Windows 11, macOS, and Chrome when a site shows the old IP after a DNS change.
After you change DNS, your operating system and browser may keep the old answer. Flushing the local DNS cache forces a fresh lookup. Do this only after public resolvers already show the new records — otherwise you will simply re-cache the old value.
Windows 10 / 11
Open Terminal or Command Prompt as your user and run: ipconfig /flushdns. You should see a confirmation that the resolver cache was flushed. For stubborn VPN clients, disconnect/reconnect after flushing.
macOS
In Terminal, modern macOS versions commonly use: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder. Enter your password for sudo. Exact flags can vary slightly by macOS release; Apple’s current support docs match your version if the command errors.
Chrome’s separate cache
Chrome keeps its own host cache. Visit chrome://net-internals/#dns and click Clear host cache. Also try a private window to bypass page cache when testing a migration.
If Google/Cloudflare still disagree, flushing locally will not finish propagation.
Still seeing the old site?
- CDN or reverse-proxy cache in front of the origin
- Hosts file override on your machine
- App-level cache (WordPress, mobile app)
- Different subdomain (www vs apex) still on old records