Clear your Mac's DNS cache so websites load fresh

Why it happens

DNS is how your Mac turns a web address into the number of the server behind it. Your Mac remembers those answers for a while to save time. If a site moves to a new server, the old answer can send you to the wrong place until it's cleared.

How to fix it

1. Open System Settings, click Wi-Fi and turn the switch off. Wait about ten seconds, then turn it back on and let it rejoin your network.

   Wi-Fi

2. Quit your web browser with Command-Q and open it again, because browsers keep their own short-term cache. Then try the website.

3. If it still goes to the old place, restart your Mac from the Apple menu. A restart clears the DNS cache completely.

4. Used to Terminal? You can clear the cache without restarting. Open Terminal and run the command in the Terminal section below. It asks for your Mac password, and nothing appears on screen while you type it, which is normal.

   Terminal

Still not fixed?

1. Try the website in a private window. If it loads there, clear your browser's history and website data for that site.

2. Restart your router: unplug it for 30 seconds, plug it back in and wait two minutes. Routers keep their own DNS answers too.

3. Change your DNS server. In Wi-Fi settings, click Details next to your network, click DNS, add a public server with the plus button and click OK.

   Wi-Fi›Details…›DNS

4. If the site fails on every device and every network, it's likely down, so wait and try later. If only your Mac can't reach sites after all these steps, contact your internet provider or Apple Support.