How to clear the Redis cache - Rocketeers app [ Rocketeers ](/) [Login](https://rocketeersapp.com/login) On this page Knowledge --------- How to clear the Redis cache ============================ ### [\#Performance](https://rocketeersapp.com/knowledge/performance) A practical guide to clear the Redis cache, from flushing a single database with redis-cli to safely deleting keys by pattern and clearing the cache from Laravel. Published by [Mark van Eijk](https://rocketeersapp.com/author/mark-van-eijk) on June 23, 2026 · 3 minute read 1. [FLUSHDB vs FLUSHALL](#content-flushdb-vs-flushall) 2. [Clear specific keys](#content-clear-specific-keys) 3. [Async (non-blocking) flush](#content-async-non-blocking-flush) 4. [Clearing the cache from Laravel](#content-clearing-the-cache-from-laravel) 5. [A word of caution in production](#content-a-word-of-caution-in-production) 6. [Conclusion](#content-conclusion) You usually clear the Redis cache after a deploy, when stale data is being served, or while debugging locally. The commands are simple, but on a shared or production instance they are destructive: a single flush wipes every cached value at once. This guide covers how to clear the Redis cache safely, from a full flush down to deleting individual keys. [\#](#content-flushdb-vs-flushall "Permalink")FLUSHDB vs FLUSHALL ----------------------------------------------------------------- Redis splits its keyspace into numbered databases (0 by default). The two flush commands differ in scope: - **`FLUSHDB`** clears the *current* database only. - **`FLUSHALL`** clears *every* database on the instance. Connect with `redis-cli` and pick a database with `-n`: ``` # Clear database 0 (the default) redis-cli FLUSHDB # Connect to database 2, then clear it redis-cli -n 2 FLUSHDB # Wipe every database on the instance redis-cli FLUSHALL ``` Inside an interactive session you select the database with `SELECT`: ``` redis-cli 127.0.0.1:6379> SELECT 2 OK 127.0.0.1:6379[2]> FLUSHDB OK ``` If `redis-cli` itself can't connect, that's a separate problem, see [Redis connection refused in Laravel](/redis-connection-refused-laravel). [\#](#content-clear-specific-keys "Permalink")Clear specific keys ----------------------------------------------------------------- Flushing is rarely what you want in production. To remove one key, use `DEL`: ``` redis-cli DEL session:abc123 redis-cli DEL user:42 user:43 user:44 ``` To delete everything matching a pattern, you might reach for `KEYS`, **don't**. `KEYS` scans the entire keyspace in a single blocking operation; on a large dataset it freezes the server for the duration. Use `SCAN`, which iterates in small batches, and pipe the results into `DEL`: ``` redis-cli --scan --pattern 'session:*' | xargs -L 100 redis-cli DEL ``` `--scan` cursors through the keyspace without blocking, and `-L 100` deletes in chunks of 100 keys so you don't build one enormous command. This is the safe way to clear the Redis cache for a subset of keys on a live instance. [\#](#content-async-non-blocking-flush "Permalink")Async (non-blocking) flush ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- `FLUSHDB` and `FLUSHALL` are synchronous by default: on a cache holding millions of keys, freeing that memory blocks the server. The `ASYNC` modifier hands the cleanup to a background thread so the command returns immediately: ``` redis-cli FLUSHDB ASYNC redis-cli FLUSHALL ASYNC ``` Use `ASYNC` on any large production cache. The keys disappear right away; only the memory reclamation happens in the background. [\#](#content-clearing-the-cache-from-laravel "Permalink")Clearing the cache from Laravel ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If Redis is your Laravel cache store, you rarely touch `redis-cli` at all. The Artisan command clears the default store: ``` php artisan cache:clear ``` The programmatic equivalent is `Cache::flush()`: ``` use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Cache; Cache::flush(); ``` To clear a specific store instead of the default, name it: ``` Cache::store('redis')->flush(); ``` ``` php artisan cache:clear --store=redis ``` One caveat: `flush()` clears the *entire* store, including any non-cache data sharing that Redis database (sessions, queues). If you only want to drop tagged entries, flush by tag: ``` Cache::tags(['users'])->flush(); ``` For the full set of Laravel options see [clearing the cache in Laravel](/clear-cache-laravel) and the [Laravel cache](/laravel-cache) reference. [\#](#content-a-word-of-caution-in-production "Permalink")A word of caution in production ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clearing the cache in production isn't free. When you flush, every subsequent request misses the cache at once and falls through to the database. That sudden surge, a **cache stampede** or **thundering herd**, can overload the database hard enough to take the site down, exactly when you were trying to fix it. To soften the impact: - Clear specific keys with `SCAN` + `DEL` instead of a full flush whenever you can. - Warm critical keys right after flushing. - Use `FLUSHALL ASYNC` so the flush itself doesn't block Redis. [\#](#content-conclusion "Permalink")Conclusion ----------------------------------------------- To clear the Redis cache, match the tool to the blast radius: `DEL` or `SCAN` for individual keys, `FLUSHDB` for one database, `FLUSHALL` for the whole instance, and `ASYNC` on anything large. From Laravel, prefer `php artisan cache:clear` or `Cache::flush()`. In production, lean toward targeted deletes and be ready for the cache stampede a full flush can trigger. ### Subscribe to our newsletter Do you want to receive regular updates with fresh and exclusive content to learn more about web development, hosting, security and performance? Subscribe now! 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