Is there a reason why my Webflow navigation instance (burger menu) is not updating in preview or when I publish the site, even after trying multiple browsers and clearing the cache?
TL;DR
- Check if the navbar is inside a Symbol, update within the main instance, or unlink and recreate it.
- Verify interactions and animations that may affect visibility or updates.
- Unpublish and republish the site to clear cached assets.
- Perform a hard refresh (
Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + R), use incognito mode, and disable extensions. - Test the site on a different device or network to rule out local caching issues.
If your Webflow navigation instance (burger menu) is not updating in preview or after publishing, even after clearing the cache and trying multiple browsers, it could be due to a Symbol issue, outdated interactions, or stale published assets. Follow these steps to troubleshoot and resolve the problem.
1. Check If the Navbar Is a Symbol
- Go to the Navigator panel in Webflow and check if your navbar is inside a Symbol.
- If it is a Symbol, try updating it within the main Symbol instance and then publish the changes again.
- If that doesn't work, try unlinking the Symbol, making the necessary edits, and recreating it if needed.
2. Verify Navbar Interactions and Animations
- If your navbar relies on Webflow interactions, make sure they are properly applied.
- Go to the Interactions panel and check if any animations are affecting the visibility or updates of the burger menu.
- Test by removing the interactions temporarily to see if the navbar updates.
3. Republish and Flush Stale Assets
- Sometimes, Webflow caches published assets. Try unpublishing the site first:
- Go to Project Settings > Publishing > Unpublish site.
- After unpublishing, publish it again.
- This forces Webflow to push fresh updates.
4. Clear Browser Cache and Disable Extensions
- Though you’ve already cleared the cache, try doing a hard refresh:
- Windows/Linux: Press
Ctrl + Shift + R - Mac: Press
Cmd + Shift + R - Open the website in an incognito/private browsing window.
- Disable browser extensions, as some (like ad blockers or script managers) may interfere with Webflow scripts.
5. Test with Another Device or Network
- Load the published site on a completely different device or internet connection.
- If it updates correctly on another network, your original connection may be caching an old version.
Summary
Check if your navbar is inside a Symbol, review interaction settings, unpublish and republish the site, and conduct a hard refresh in the browser. If none of these work, try testing on a different device or network.