Overview
When you version or replace an image in PXM, the thumbnail in your media library may continue to display the old image even after the new file has been successfully uploaded. This is a known browser behavior — not a bug in PXM — and can be resolved by clearing your browser's cache and cookies.
Why Does This Happen?
PXM uses persistent image URLs, meaning that when you version or replace an image, the URL associated with that asset stays the same. This is by design — it ensures that any existing links or integrations pointing to that image continue to work without needing to be updated.
However, browsers are very good at caching images. When your browser sees a URL it has previously loaded, it will often serve the locally cached version rather than fetching the updated image from the server — even when PXM is correctly serving the new file. This means the old thumbnail can persist in your view even though the image has been successfully replaced in the system.
How to Fix It
Option 1: Hard Refresh
Try a hard refresh first — this is the quickest step and works in many cases:
Windows/Linux: Press
Ctrl + Shift + RMac: Press
Cmd + Shift + R
Note: A hard refresh resolves the issue roughly half the time, depending on how aggressively your browser has cached the image.
Option 2: Clear Cache and Cookies for PXM
If a hard refresh doesn't work, clearing your browser's site data for PXM will force it to re-fetch all content fresh from the server.
In Chrome (quickest method):
Navigate to your PXM instance (e.g.,
yourcompany.pxm.pattern.com)Click the lock icon (or info icon) in the address bar
Select Site settings
Click Clear data
Refresh the page
In any browser (full clear):
Open your browser settings and navigate to Privacy & Security
Select Clear browsing data
Check both Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data
Click Clear data
Return to PXM and refresh the page
Additional Notes
This behavior applies to both the Replace Image feature and standard uploads where an image is versioned using the same filename.
The issue only affects you if your browser previously visited and cached the old image. If you are viewing the image for the first time after a replace, you will see the updated version immediately.
Other users who have not previously loaded the old image in their browser will also see the new thumbnail right away.
The PXM team is actively working on improvements to image handling that may reduce the impact of this behavior in a future release.
Still Seeing the Old Image?
If you have cleared your cache and cookies and the thumbnail is still not updating, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or submit a support ticket. In rare cases there may be an image conversion issue that requires further investigation.