gradle build --refresh-dependencies: ignore the dependency cache

./gradlew build --refresh-dependencies tells Gradle to ignore cached entries for resolved modules and artifacts and to ask the repositories again for every dependency. Artifacts whose checksum has not changed are not downloaded again, but every module is re-validated, so the build is slower. Use it once when you suspect stale cached metadata: a new -SNAPSHOT that Gradle does not pick up, a 1.+ range that stays on an old version, or a repository fixed after a bad publish.

When it helps

Usage

./gradlew build --refresh-dependencies
./gradlew :app:dependencies --configuration runtimeClasspath --refresh-dependencies

It is a per-invocation flag; there is no need to keep it in CI scripts.

Lighter alternatives

Instead of refreshing everything, shorten the cache time for the modules that change:

configurations.all {
    resolutionStrategy.cacheChangingModulesFor 0, 'seconds'   // SNAPSHOTs
    resolutionStrategy.cacheDynamicVersionsFor 10, 'minutes'  // 1.+, latest.release
}