Our websites utilize various forms of caching to improve performance and user experience. At its most basic, caching (pronounced like "cashing") is when a website page or file is saved in the browser's memory so that it doesn't have to re-download again from our server the next time the page is visited. The main purpose of caching is that it significantly improves page loading speed - a cached page will display instantaneously.
However, as the website administrator, there are some side effects of caching that you should be aware of in order to avoid confusion.
If you ever make an update in the admin then you look at your website and don't see the changes take effect, this is because you are viewing a page that has already been cached by your browser. You just need to hit the refresh button on your browser, then it will reload the page and you'll see the updates.
Remember, there's no such thing as "delayed updating" with our website admin system - all updates always take effect immediately on your website, and if you aren't seeing those updates it's because of your browser cache (or possibly a mistake in how you configured something in the admin, such as an incorrect gallery format, missing print assignment, etc.). So, usually just refresh the page on the website and you'll see the updates.
Replacing Cached Image Files
There's one exception to what I just stated above: replaced images. Our websites utilize a content delivery network (CDN), which caches our website image files on servers all around the globe, then serves the images to users from whatever server is closest to them. For example, when someone in Asia browses your website, the image files will load from the closest server in Asia. Since image files are by far the biggest files on our websites and the biggest factor in page loading speed, this means that the CDN significantly improves your website page loading speed around the world.
A side effect of this, however, is that if you replace an image with a newer version with the same filename, the old image file may still be cached on the CDN around the world and displayed for up to about 30 days. The CDN will eventually update the image file, but if you don't want to wait for this to happen, the solution is to change the image filename (which you can easily do in the Photos > Modify section of the admin). Once you change a replaced image's filename, the new image will load immediately. You can read more about CDN image caching and replacing images here.
The CDN caching only affects image files; it does not affect any other data on your website. So, for example, if you make any changes in the admin such as rearranging photos, changing gallery formats, or adding new content, those changes will all appear immediately on your website (or after refreshing the website page).
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As always, please ask me if you have any questions!