What is cache?

Every time you visit a webpage, its elements (e.g., graphics, text, video, etc.) are stored in a special area of your hard disk called cache. When you revisit a website that has been stored in cache, Firefox compares the cached copy to the current version. If nothing has changed, Firefox will display the cached copy. This is done very quickly and avoids having to download the website (and all of its elements) once again. 

By default, Firefox will use up to 50 MB of your hard disk space for cache storage. With the massive size of hard drives these days, 50 MB is not a lot of space. Firefox let’s you adjust this number.

You can also clear your cache completely.

To watch a video on adjusting the amount of space to be used for cache, as well as clearing it completely, click on the “Play Video” button below. Or, scroll down for step-by-step instructions with screenshots:

 

 

Step-by-Step Instructions with Screenshots

At the top of your browser, click on Tools > Options:

 

 

Make sure you’re in the “Advanced” section and “Network” tab:

 

 

In the “Cache” section you can both adjust the amount of space to be used for cache, as well as clear it out completely: