Bust the shipping cache when testing

While you are testing rates at checkout and making edits in the app, you need to use this trick to get the rates to refresh

ASR avatar
Written by ASR
Updated over a week ago

Shopify employs a server side shipping cache. 

What this means, is when you submit an order/address at checkout to fetch rates, Shopify caches the rates that are returned on their servers for about a day. So if the exact same order is submitted ( identical products and identical address ) again within 24 hours, instead of asking the app for new rates, it just show whatever rate it has in the cache. 

This can be annoying when testing rates at checkout while configuring the app. It's likely that while testing you will see a rate at checkout and then perhaps adjust the rate, or add a rule to the rate, or add a rate. If you go back to the checkout after making an update and just reload the page, your changes will not appear.

How to bust the shipping cache

The shipping cache will be busted and your updated rates will show if you....

  • Change some piece of the shipping address you are testing with

  • Change which products are in the cart

  • Change the quantity of product in the cart

The easiest way to bust the cache is to increment the street number of the shipping address. 

  • 100 Broadway, New York, NY 10006

  • 101 Broadway, New York, NY 10006

  • 102 Broadway, New York, NY 10006

  • 103 Broadway, New York, NY 10006

  • etc. 

What will not bust the shipping cache 

  • Refreshing the browser window on the checkout page

  • Opening an incognito/private browser window

  • Clearing your browser cookies, cache

  • Changing the First or Last name

Because the cache is on Shopify servers ( a server side cache ), it has nothing to do with your browser, it has to do with Shopify seeing an identical order ( products and address )

How you can tell if you busted the cache

You can tell you busted the cache if you see, even if briefly, a little spinner icon on the shipping rates page.

If you don't see the little spinner, and the rates immediately appear, then it means the shipping cache has not been busted. 

You'll also know you've busted the cache when the changes you've made appear.

Next in Getting Started

Getting Started with Advanced Shipping Rules

Before you Start

Configuring Rates

Testing Rates and Going Live

Common 'gotchas' while setting-up the app

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