Google's Website Cache Remains Accessible (For the Time Being)

Google's Update on Webpage Cache

Google recently made changes to its Google Cache documentation on their website, which serves as a reminder that the cache is accessible for almost any webpage indexed by Google.

It was mistakenly believed that Google's cache was permanently lost, but that is not true. SearchLiaison clarified this on Twitter with the following announcement:

Hey there, just wanted to give you an update. Unfortunately, the feature has been removed. I know, it's disappointing. I feel the same way. It was one of our oldest features, designed to help users access pages when loading times were slow. However, with the advancements in technology, this feature is no longer necessary, so it was decided to retire it.

On a personal note, I am hopeful that we can incorporate links to @internetarchive where the cache link used to be, possibly within the "About This Result" section. The Internet Archive is an incredible resource, and I believe it would be beneficial for the information literacy aspect of understanding search results. Of course, there are no guarantees. We will need to discuss this with the relevant parties to see if it is feasible. But I think it would be a positive addition overall.

Just a friendly reminder, anyone with a Search Console account can easily check what our crawler saw when looking at their own page by using the URL Inspector tool: https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/9012289

Although the cache feature is no longer available on Google Search, it can still be accessed as a search operator.

The cache was indeed missing from Search, as reported. However, the information regarding its availability as a search operator was overshadowed by other details. SearchLiaison was transparent about the search operator.

His tweet continued:

“You’re going to see cache: go away in the near future, too.”

The "Cache:" Search Operator Is Still Functional

Google has made changes to their Search Central documentation regarding the cache: search operator. The instructions for viewing the cache directly from the search results have been removed. However, it is important to note that there has been no announcement about the cache: search operator being discontinued.

Google’s updated documentation removed references to the cache in search from two sections.

The documentation removed the following sentences:

“There are two ways to find the cached version of a page:

Search for cache: followed by the URL of the page, for example:

cache:https://example.com/your/page.html

Search for the URL, then click the 3 dots or arrow in the corner of the result to access a link to the cached version of the page.”

To find the cached version of a page, simply search for "cache:" followed by the URL of the page. For example:

cache:https://example.com/your/page.html”

The second change removed references to the cache in search from this passage (italicized part is removed):

Not all pages indexed by Google have a cached version. If a page lacks a cached version, the methods mentioned earlier for locating it will not work.

Google has a cached version for most of the pages it indexes. However, if a page doesn't have a cached version, using the cache: search operator to find it will not work.

According to Google's SearchLiaison, the cache: search operator will be phased out soon. It is not helpful to suggest adding a link to the Internet Archive as a replacement.

The Google cache: search operator is not very helpful because it is primarily used to check the indexing status of competitor pages. This information can be valuable to know if a page is indexed, not indexed, or recently indexed. Despite its limitations, the cache search operator can still be useful, so make the most of it while it is still available.

Read Google’s documentation about the cache: search operator:

cache: search operator

Featured Image by Shutterstock/Leklek

Editor's P/S:

The recent changes to Google's webpage cache have sparked mixed reactions. While some lament the loss of the cache as a convenient way to access archived versions of web pages, others recognize its limited utility in the modern internet landscape. The cache: search operator, which remains functional, has its own drawbacks but can still be useful for checking the indexing status of competitor pages.

It is important to note that Google's decision to phase out the cache search operator is in line with its ongoing efforts to streamline its search results and provide users with the most relevant and up-to-date information. The Internet Archive, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the internet's history, offers a valuable alternative to Google's cache by archiving websites and making them accessible to the public. As Google continues to evolve its search engine, it is likely that we will see further changes to the way we access and interact with cached content.