A corrupt cache can make CapCut swear there is no internet while the connection is perfect. Clearing it is a standard fix - but the internet is full of people who cleared the wrong folder and lost their projects. This page does it the safe way: drafts backed up first, cache cleared from inside the app, and a clear line around what never to delete by hand.
Every CapCut connection guide eventually says "clear the cache" - and stops there, as if your drafts did not matter. They do. So this page is in two halves: protect the work, then clear the junk. Followed in that order, the cache clear is one of the safest fixes in this whole set, and it repairs a failure that firewall and DNS changes cannot touch.
CapCut downloads effects, templates, stickers and fonts into a cache so they open instantly next time. When that cache corrupts - after a crash, a forced shutdown or an update - the app can fail to load anything new and present it as a connection problem. The connection is fine; the local store it reads from is broken. Clearing the cache forces CapCut to fetch clean copies, which is why this fix works when the network checks all pass.
Your drafts are files, and files can be copied. Before clearing anything, back them up: inside CapCut, your projects live in the drafts location shown in CapCut global settings - copy that whole drafts folder to another drive or a USB stick. Even simpler for a single important project: open it and check every clip is present. This step is what separates a calm cache clear from the panic of an empty project list, and it protects you no matter which guide you follow.
Menu names vary slightly between CapCut versions, but the cache control always lives in settings - you never need to delete folders by hand to do this safely.
Forums love the advice to delete the whole CapCut folder inside AppData. Be careful: that folder holds the cache and draft data, settings and sign-in state in neighbouring folders, and deleting blindly is how projects vanish. If the in-app clear is not enough, the safer deep clean is a proper reinstall with your drafts folder already backed up - uninstall, restart, install fresh from the official site, then confirm your drafts appear before deleting the backup. Keep the backup until you have opened your main project and seen every clip in place.
Watch the complete fix in the video - including how the app behaves on the first launch after a cache clear.
Watch Full VideoCapCut shows the location in its global settings - the draft path is listed there and can even be changed. Copy that entire folder before any cleanup. Draft locations differ between versions, so trust the path shown in your own CapCut settings, not a path from a forum post.
No - that is the cache rebuilding. The first open of each panel re-downloads its materials, so do it once on a fast, stable connection before a big editing session, not on a weak network minutes before a deadline.
You have now ruled out the local store, so return to the connection layers: firewall allow rule, proxy check, DNS change and the clock. If all of those pass too, test CapCut on your phone - the fault may be on CapCut side that day.