Google has officially bid farewell to its “cached” links feature on Google Search. This feature, long cherished for offering users an alternative means to access webpages during downtimes or changes, will no longer be part of Google’s search functionality.
The decision to retire cached links was confirmed by Google’s Search Liaison, Danny Sullivan, in a post on X, emphasizing that the feature was initially introduced when webpage reliability was more unpredictable. As internet reliability has improved, Google has deemed the cached links feature unnecessary and has consequently chosen to discontinue it.
Since December, users have noticed the cached links feature intermittently appearing and disappearing, and as of February 1st, it is no longer visible in Google Search. The removal of cached links means users can no longer access a quick snapshot of webpages directly from search results.
While the cached links feature is no more, users can still manually construct links to view cached versions temporarily. By visiting “https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:” followed by a website URL, or typing “cache:” plus a URL into Google Search, users can access the cached version of some websites. However, Sullivan hinted that even these methods might be phased out in the near future.
The retirement of cached links represents a shift in Google’s approach to web indexing and data storage. In the era of cost savings, Google aims to streamline operations by no longer storing vast amounts of cached data, signaling a move toward a more efficient use of resources.
This change also impacts users’ insights into how the “Google Bot” web crawler views the web. The cached links not only served as a backup for websites, but also offered valuable information about how Google’s web crawler interpreted pages over time.
As users adapt to this change, Google suggests exploring alternatives, such as utilizing the Search Console to understand how the Google Bot views individual websites. While this move might inconvenience some users who relied on cached links, Google remains committed to adapting its services to meet evolving user needs in the ever-changing landscape of the internet.
