diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index b5c4203db..6e2bdfb2f 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ export(build_site)
 export(build_site_github_pages)
 export(build_tutorials)
 export(check_pkgdown)
+export(clean_cache)
 export(clean_site)
 export(data_template)
 export(deploy_site_github)
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 01a508bd7..6bd90a976 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 # pkgdown (development version)
 
+* New `clean_cache()` function removes the contents of the cache directory (#2718).
 * pkgdown now depends on R >= 4.0.0 (#2714)
 
 # pkgdown 2.1.0
diff --git a/R/clean.R b/R/clean.R
index 8f781e54e..b8472fb34 100644
--- a/R/clean.R
+++ b/R/clean.R
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #'
 #' @param quiet If `TRUE`, suppresses a message.
 #' @inheritParams build_site
+#' @rdname clean
 #' @export
 clean_site <- function(pkg = ".", quiet = FALSE) {
 
@@ -27,6 +28,30 @@ clean_site <- function(pkg = ".", quiet = FALSE) {
   invisible(TRUE)
 }
 
+#' Clean cache
+#'
+#' Delete all files in the pkgdown cache directory.
+#'
+#' @rdname clean
+#' @export
+clean_cache <- function(pkg = ".", quiet = FALSE) {
+
+  pkg <- as_pkgdown(pkg)
+  cache_path <- tools::R_user_dir("pkgdown", "cache")
+
+  if (dir_exists(cache_path)) {
+    if (!quiet) {
+      cli::cli_inform(
+        "Cleaning {.pkg {pkg$package}} cache files from {.path {cache_path}}"
+      )
+    }
+
+    dir_delete(cache_path)
+  }
+
+  invisible(TRUE)
+}
+
 check_dest_is_pkgdown <- function(pkg) {
   if (file_exists(path(pkg$dst_path, "pkgdown.yml"))) {
     return()
@@ -45,6 +70,6 @@ dest_files <- function(pkg) {
     character()
   } else {
     top_level <- dir_ls(pkg$dst_path)
-    top_level[!path_file(top_level) %in% c("CNAME", "dev")]  
+    top_level[!path_file(top_level) %in% c("CNAME", "dev")]
   }
 }
diff --git a/man/clean_site.Rd b/man/clean.Rd
similarity index 76%
rename from man/clean_site.Rd
rename to man/clean.Rd
index d8e73f3cf..b6d8b0710 100644
--- a/man/clean_site.Rd
+++ b/man/clean.Rd
@@ -2,9 +2,12 @@
 % Please edit documentation in R/clean.R
 \name{clean_site}
 \alias{clean_site}
+\alias{clean_cache}
 \title{Clean site}
 \usage{
 clean_site(pkg = ".", quiet = FALSE)
+
+clean_cache(pkg = ".", quiet = FALSE)
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{pkg}{Path to package.}
@@ -13,4 +16,6 @@ clean_site(pkg = ".", quiet = FALSE)
 }
 \description{
 Delete all files in \verb{docs/} (except for \code{CNAME}).
+
+Delete all files in the pkgdown cache directory.
 }