What is Cache, Cookies, and History? Each time you access a file through your web browser ( Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome , etc), the browser caches (i.e., stores) it so it doesn't have to keep retrieving the same files or images from the remote web site each time you click Back or Forward . You should periodically clear the cache to allow your browser to function more efficiently. A cookie is a file created by a web browser, at the request of a web site, that is stored on a computer. These files typically store user-specific information such as selections in a form, shopping cart contents, or authentication data. Browsers will normally clear cookies that reach a certain age, but clearing them manually may solve problems with web sites or your browser. A browser's history is a log of sites that you visit. When you press a browser's Back button, you are moving back one entry in the history log. Browsers will normally clear history at regular intervals,