How to Refresh a Page in Chrome

To refresh a page in desktop Chrome, click the Reload icon beside the address bar or use a keyboard shortcut: F5 or Ctrl+R on Windows and Linux, and Command+R on Mac. If you need Chrome to reload while ignoring cached content, use Shift+F5 or Ctrl+Shift+R on Windows and Linux, or Command+Shift+R on Mac. These are desktop shortcuts. Google’s shortcut guide lists the cache-bypassing action as “Reload the current page, ignoring cached content.”

Refresh a Chrome page with the toolbar

1. Open the page you want to reload.
2. Click the Reload icon beside the address bar.
3. Wait for the page to finish loading. If it remains stuck or looks unchanged, continue with the troubleshooting steps below.

The toolbar control performs Chrome’s ordinary reload action. It is the simplest choice when you want to request the current page again and do not have a specific reason to bypass cached content.

Use a keyboard shortcut

Action	Windows and Linux	Mac
Reload the current page	F5 or Ctrl+R	Command+R
Reload while ignoring cached content	Shift+F5 or Ctrl+Shift+R	Command+Shift+R

Use the ordinary shortcut for a routine reload. Try the cache-bypassing shortcut if a page seems to show an older version. It tells Chrome to ignore cached content for that reload; it does not clear all browser data or resolve a problem at the website’s server.

Choose the right kind of reload

• The page needs an ordinary update: click Reload or use the standard shortcut for your operating system.
• The page may be showing an older cached version: use the shortcut to reload while ignoring cached content.
• The page shows an error or never finishes loading: reload once, then check the URL and connection. Repeated reloads will not fix every cause of a loading failure.

Reloading and clearing site data are different actions. Chrome’s cache-bypassing shortcut does not mean that cookies and other browser data have been erased. Clearing cookies can sign you out or change saved site state, so reserve it for troubleshooting when appropriate.

What to do if refreshing does not work

A failed reload can come from the address, connection, browser state, limited device resources, or the website itself. Google’s guidance recommends checking these causes instead of assuming every loading problem is a cache problem.

1. Check the address. Make sure the URL is correct, then click Reload again.
2. Check your connection. See whether other sites load. If they do not, the issue may be your device, network, or internet connection.
3. Try an Incognito window. If the affected page loads there, Chrome recommends deleting cached images and files and cookies, then reloading. Remember that clearing cookies can affect sign-ins and site state.
4. Reduce resource use. Close tabs and apps you do not need. If an extension might be involved, close or disable unnecessary extensions and try again.
5. Follow the error-specific guidance. Depending on the issue, Chrome’s recommendations include restarting the computer or updating Chrome.

For more detail, see Google’s guides to page crashes and loading errors, connection and loading errors, and Chrome crashes or failure to open.

Or skip the browser setup

If your goal is to capture a page as an image or PDF in code, ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server from Yorker Media. A single GET request can return a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for API options.

Here is a runnable cURL example:

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

Python:

import requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
    params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
    timeout=90,
)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

Node.js:

const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
const bytes = new Uint8Array(await res.arrayBuffer());
await import('node:fs/promises').then(fs => fs.writeFile('shot.webp', bytes));

Replace YOUR_API_KEY with your API key and change the target URL as needed. The API also supports full-page and element captures, device and viewport settings, dark mode, custom CSS and JavaScript, wait conditions, request blocking, caching, PDFs, and bulk or asynchronous captures. Use the docs for parameter names and configuration details.

• Cookie and consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; each cleanup step can be turned off.
• Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed. Response headers report the page verdict and billing status.
• An MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for AI agents and MCP clients.
• The Free plan includes 1,000 shots per month with no card. Paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots; yearly billing gives two months free, and every feature is on every plan.

Sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month with no card.

Frequently asked questions

Does refreshing a Chrome page erase cookies?

No. A normal reload requests the page again; it does not mean cookies have been cleared. Clearing cookies is a separate troubleshooting step.

Will a hard refresh fix a website that is down?

No. Bypassing cached content cannot repair a server-side outage, a broken URL, or a network problem. Check the address and connection, then try again later if the site itself may be unavailable.

Are these shortcuts for Chrome on phones?

The shortcuts here are for desktop Chrome. The cited source set does not establish current mobile refresh gestures or menu steps.

Should I use the cache-bypassing shortcut every time?

No. Use the ordinary reload for routine updates. Use the cache-bypassing shortcut when you suspect cached content is making the page appear stale.