To clear Chrome's DNS cache on a desktop computer, open chrome://net-internals/#dns and click Clear host cache. This removes stored host lookup results from the cache controlled by that page. It can help when Chrome keeps using an old DNS answer after a website's address changes.

Before clearing anything, record the affected hostname and what Chrome currently returns for it. You need that starting point to tell whether the next lookup changes. Chrome's internal diagnostics can vary between versions, so use the steps below only if your installed browser displays the DNS view and its cache control.

Record the Lookup before Clearing the Cache

Open chrome://net-internals/#dns in the same Chrome profile where the website fails. Type this address into the address bar rather than a search box. It opens a browser diagnostics page, so you do not need to visit an external cache-clearing website or install an extension.

In the DNS lookup section, enter the affected hostname in the Domain field and click Lookup. For example, a problem with https://www.example.com/account calls for www.example.com in this field, without the protocol or page path. Save the returned IP addresses or error and the time of the lookup before proceeding.

This lookup is a separate request from loading the website. Its result does not identify the address used by an existing site connection, and it is not a list of every cached entry. Record the original page error as well, so you can compare name resolution and page loading separately after the clear.

If the DNS view or its controls are missing, check which Chrome version you have and whether the browser is managed by your organization. Ask the administrator for the supported procedure on a managed device. Do not substitute instructions for another browser's internal page; its controls can have different effects.

Clear the Host Resolver Cache

Under Host resolver cache, click Clear host cache once. The page may offer no visible confirmation or count of deleted entries. Judge the result through the repeated lookup and page test, rather than assuming that an unchanged screen means the action failed.

This control does not flush the operating system's DNS cache or clear cookies, cached images, saved passwords or browsing history. It does not require signing out of websites or deleting stored page resources. Keep those separate stores intact unless you have identified a problem with the page content or login state itself.

Clearing host results also leaves existing network connections open. A website can continue using an established connection even after its cached DNS answer is removed, and opening a new tab does not guarantee a new connection. Avoid automatically adding Flush socket pools to these steps: that separate control closes connections and can disrupt active pages.

Repeat the Lookup and Reopen the Site

Return to the Domain field, enter the same hostname again and click Lookup. Compare the returned addresses or error with the result you recorded earlier. Then retry the original website and note whether the page now loads, still reports a name-resolution error or fails at a later stage such as the secure connection.

A changed address shows that the two diagnostic lookups returned different results. It does not establish that Chrome's cache was the only cause: the upstream answer could also have changed between the checks. An unchanged address is not automatically a failure either, because the newly obtained answer may legitimately match the previous one.

If you know the address that the site should use, compare like with like. IPv4 addresses come from A records, while IPv6 addresses come from AAAA records; one family can be updated while the other is unchanged. Sites can also publish several valid addresses, so a different address is not necessarily stale.

A successful lookup followed by a page error calls for closer inspection of the connection or application. For example, a certificate error can persist even when Chrome reaches the expected address. Repeating the cache clear will not repair a certificate that is invalid for the requested hostname.

Check the Resolver When the Old Answer Returns

Chrome may use a Secure DNS provider that differs from the DNS service used by the operating system. To inspect this setting, open Settings, then Privacy and security, then Security, and look for Use secure DNS. Record the selected provider or mode before comparing Chrome's lookup results with those from a command-line tool; the two tools may use different resolvers.

If you manage the domain, compare the affected hostname's records at its authoritative nameservers with the answer from the recursive resolver in use. The authoritative servers publish the zone's records; a recursive resolver can retain an earlier answer until its cache expires. Clearing Chrome's cache does not empty that upstream cache or change the published records.

A lookup for a newly created hostname can still return a cached negative answer saying that the name does not exist. Clearing a local negative result helps only if the next lookup can obtain a usable answer. If the upstream resolver returns the same negative response, check the published record and the remaining negative-cache lifetime instead of repeatedly pressing the browser button.

For further troubleshooting, keep the hostname, Chrome version, lookup times, returned addresses or errors, Secure DNS setting and page behavior together. These details help distinguish a browser-specific result from one shared by other applications or resolvers. Remove private hostnames and other sensitive details before sharing that record in a public support forum.