Fixing display problems caused by LiteSpeed Cache
PrintMost LiteSpeed Cache complaints come down to two things: an old copy of a page still being served, or a CSS or JavaScript optimization your theme does not like. Start by clearing the cache; if that is not enough, switch the optimizations off one by one.
Clear everything
- In WordPress, open LiteSpeed Cache and go to Toolbox.
- On the Purge tab, click Purge All.
- Check the site in a private window, or do a hard reload (Ctrl plus F5) so your browser's own copy is not in the way.
A shortcut: the LiteSpeed icon in the black WordPress toolbar also has a Purge All option. If your site sits behind Cloudflare, purge the Cloudflare cache too.
Match the symptom
Your edits do not show up
Visitors are still getting the cached version. Purging fixes it. The plugin clears an updated page on its own, but related pages, such as a home page that lists your latest posts, may still hold the old content.
The layout is broken or styles are missing
CSS combining or minifying is the usual cause. Go to Page Optimization, CSS tab, and turn off CSS Combine, then CSS Minify if needed. Save and purge after each change.
Menus, sliders or buttons stop responding
Look at the JS tab of Page Optimization. Turn off JS Combine first, then JS Minify and deferred script loading if the problem remains.
Some images never appear
Lazy loading is clashing with the theme or a slider. Disable Lazy Load Images, or add those images to the lazy load exclusions.
The cart or account page is empty or shows someone else's data
A personal page was cached. Add its address under Cache, Excludes tab, in Do Not Cache URIs. WooCommerce's own cart and checkout are excluded by default, so this mostly affects pages added by other plugins.
Rule the cache in or out
- Under LiteSpeed Cache, then Cache, set Enable Cache to OFF and save.
- Purge and reload the page.
- Problem gone: switch the cache back on and restore the optimizations one at a time until it returns.
- Problem still there: the cause lies elsewhere, such as the theme, another plugin or a PHP error.
Locked out of wp-admin
You can disable the plugin without WordPress. In cPanel, open File Manager, go to wp-content/plugins and rename the litespeed-cache folder, for example to litespeed-cache.off. Once you are back in, rename it again and re-enable it with more cautious settings. If you still cannot get in, open a ticket.
Good habits
- There is no need to purge every day. Do it after design changes, theme or plugin updates, and any change to the optimization settings.
- Keep a short note of which options you turned on and when. When something breaks, you know where to look first.
