How to Fix Confirm Form Resubmission Error When Refreshing Pages

If you’re filling out a form online, and the form involves a custom answer that you’ve typed directly into the browser, it’s a good idea to copy and save it to a file before you submit the form. This is because if the form submission fails, for whatever reason, the data you’ve entered can be lost. Some forms save the information a user enters while others do not. 

Fix Confirm form resubmission on refresh

The Confirm form resubmission on refresh error means when you submitted the form, the information wasn’t sent to the server it was meant to be submitted to. This may be a problem on your end e.g., you’re not connected to the internet or your internet connection is unstable and breaks before the information can be sent. It may be a problem on the website’s end i.e., the server isn’t responsive, it takes too long to parse the data, the server is expecting different data, etc. In Chrome, this can also appear alongside ERR_CACHE_MISS and similar cache-related messages. 

In some cases, the Confirm form resubmission on refresh error can be fixed by a user but in other cases, there may be a problem with the website and you’ll need to contact the web admin. Try the fixes below as an end user to resolve the error.

1. Check browser session 

Your browser’s session may be one reason you’re seeing the Confirm form resubmission on refresh message. The message can appear in any browser with slightly different language; make sure:

• You are not using an incognito/private window (some sites block or alter session behavior).
• You do not refresh or use the Back button after clicking Submit/Send.
• You do not have apps or extensions that interrupt networking (VPNs, traffic monitors, proxies, user-agent switchers, content blockers).
• On mobile, avoid switching apps during checkout or payment flows; backgrounding can pause the session and trigger a resubmission prompt when you return.

If the error persists, try a different modern browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari) and, if possible, switch to a desktop browser for long forms.

2. Clear browser data and resubmit

The Confirm form resubmission on refresh problem may be on the server end (e.g., heavy load during peak times). Waiting a bit can help. In the meantime, clear recent site data and try submitting again. Only clear site data/cache; you do not need to wipe passwords or history.

Chrome

To clear the browser data in Chrome;

1. Open Chrome.
2. Click the More menu (⋮) > Settings > Privacy and security > Clear browsing data.
3. On the Basic tab, select Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data > Clear data.

Firefox

To clear the browsing data in Firefox;

1. Open Firefox.
2. Menu (≡) > Settings > Privacy & Security.
3. Under Cookies and Site Data, click Clear Data… > select Cookies and Site Data and Cached Web Content > Clear.
4. Restart the browser and submit the form again.

Microsoft Edge

To clear data in Edge;

1. Open Edge > Settings > Privacy, search, and services.
2. Under Clear browsing data click Choose what to clear > select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files > Clear now.

2a. Update your browser

Outdated browsers can surface caching/session bugs. In Chrome or Edge, go to ⋮/… > Help > About to check for updates, then relaunch and try again.

3. Disable browser extensions

Browser extensions may interfere with the browser session and form submission. If you think there’s nothing wrong with the form, or the website you’re submitting on, disable all the extensions that are installed and try again.

Chrome

To disable extensions in Chrome;

1. Open Chrome.
2. Click the More menu (⋮) > More tools > Extensions.
3. Turn the switch next to each extension Off.

Firefox

To disable add-ons in Firefox;

1. Open Firefox.
2. Menu (≡) > Add-ons and themes.
3. Turn the switch next to each add-on Off.

4. Fix Confirm form resubmission on refresh for website admins

These fixes apply if you can edit the code of the form. The prompt appears when a page is refreshed or navigated back to after a POST. Rather than switching everything to GET, use patterns that prevent duplicate posts and keep sensitive data out of URLs.

POST vs GET

Use the right method for the job: GET is for safe, idempotent reads; POST is for creates/updates, large payloads, or sensitive fields. You may see the confirm dialog after a POST if the user refreshes or goes back to the result page. Don’t move sensitive actions to GET just to hide the dialog.

Use PRG (Post/Redirect/Get)

After processing a POST, send a 303 See Other (or 302) redirect to a clean URL. The browser then loads the result page via GET, so refresh/back does not resubmit. Learn more: Post/Redirect/Get (PRG) pattern.

AJAX and History

For AJAX forms, call event.preventDefault() on the submit handler, send the request via fetch()/XHR, then update the UI. To prevent back/refresh from re-triggering the submission UI, replace the history entry after success:

<form id="contact">...</form>
<script>
  const form = document.getElementById('contact');
  form.addEventListener('submit', async (e) => {
    e.preventDefault(); // no built-in form POST/refresh
    const fd = new FormData(form);
    const res = await fetch('/contact', { method: 'POST', body: fd });
    if (res.ok) {
      // Update URL/state so back/refresh won't re-POST
      if (window.history.replaceState) {
        window.history.replaceState({}, '', window.location.pathname + '?sent=1');
      }
      // show success message, reset form, etc.
    }
  });
</script>

Reference: MDN: History.replaceState() and MDN: Sending forms through JavaScript.

Other hardening tips

• After handling a server-side POST, unset/clear POST variables and render a redirect rather than returning HTML directly.
• Ensure submit buttons that shouldn’t submit have type="button", not the default type="submit".
• For WordPress admin forms, prefer the Settings API or implement PRG in your admin handlers to avoid “resubmission” warnings.

FAQ

What does ERR_CACHE_MISS mean? In Chrome, it usually indicates the page needs to re-send data (often from a POST) and Chrome no longer has what it needs cached. Reloading or re-submitting may be required.

Will clicking “Resubmit” charge me twice? It can if the original POST creates a purchase or transfer and the server processes duplicates. If you’re unsure, avoid re-submitting and contact the site or check your email/bank for a confirmation first.

Is disabling the confirmation safe? Chrome has command-line flags to suppress repost prompts, but they’re for testing, not regular browsing. It’s better to fix the form (PRG) than to hide the warning.

Conclusion

The Confirm form resubmission on refresh error is likely to appear if you refresh a form before you submit it or navigate back to a page that was the result of a POST. If you see the error when you submit a form, it is more than likely that the problem is on the server end. It may not be in your power to fix it. Developers can prevent it with PRG, AJAX preventDefault(), and careful history/state handling. 

What’s New in This Update

• Added Edge steps for clearing site data.
• Clarified Chrome’s ERR_CACHE_MISS relationship to the resubmission prompt.
• Corrected guidance on POST vs GET and recommended the Post/Redirect/Get (PRG) pattern.
• Added modern AJAX approach with event.preventDefault() and history.replaceState() (with MDN references).
• Added mobile-session note (backgrounding during payment/checkout can trigger the prompt).

Last updated: October 15, 2025

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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