In a recent update, Google has bid farewell to the long-standing feature of displaying cached webpages in its search results. Frequent users may have noticed a decline in the appearance of the “cached” link in Google Search over the past few months, and it has now been officially confirmed that the feature is intentionally being phased out.
Danny Sullivan Confirms the Change
Addressing user inquiries on Twitter, Danny Sullivan, Google’s Search Liaison, confirmed the removal of the cached webpages feature. The “cached” button, a fixture alongside search results for years, provided access to slightly older versions of webpages as captured by Google. This feature was particularly handy for tracking recent changes to a site or accessing information during website downtimes. While Sullivan did not explicitly detail Google’s reasoning for removing these features, the post hints at advancements in webpage loading reliability, making the “cached” link less crucial. Sullivan also speculates on a potential future replacement, envisioning a link to The Internet Archive’s capture of a webpage. Although not currently in development, this idea could present a more comprehensive and useful substitute.
Tracing the Evolution of the Cached Link
Initially residing under an overflow menu next to search results, the “cached” link later found its place under the “About This Result” overlay. Sullivan acknowledges that the feature has been absent in search results for a significant period, ultimately leading to its retirement. For now, users can still use the operator “cache:[insert URL]” in Google Search to access cached pages, but this functionality is also set to be removed in the near future.
DIY Cache Links – Users Take Matters Into Their Own Hands
With the removal of the “cached” button, users can still manually create cache links by visiting “https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:” followed by a website URL or by typing “cache:” plus a URL directly into Google Search. Despite the removal of the feature, the cached version of specific websites remains accessible, offering users an alternative means of accessing historical content.
Google’s Streamlined Approach and Cost-Saving Measures
The phased-out cached links feature not only served as an alternative way to load websites facing downtime or changes but also contributed to Google’s extensive backup of the entire internet. Google’s decision to retire this feature aligns with its current focus on cost-saving measures. Deleting cache data may potentially free up significant resources, considering the vast amount of data stored in its archives.
The removal also marks the end of an era where users gained insights into how Google’s web crawler, the “Google Bot,” viewed the web. Cached pages evolved over the years from text-only representations to encompass media, rich data, and javascript. While many details about Google Bot remain shrouded in secrecy to combat SEO spammers, investigating cached pages provided valuable information about the crawler’s perspective.
Shifting Responsibilities – Impact on Internet Archive
The cessation of the cached sites feature places a more substantial burden on the Internet Archive, tasked with archiving and tracking changes on the world’s webpages. As Google steps back from maintaining a comprehensive backup of the internet, organizations like the Internet Archive now bear the responsibility of preserving the digital history of the web.
