Google Removes Cached Link Feature, Retains Noarchive

In recent months, users have been unable to find the cached links feature in Google search results. The feature is reported to have been removed by Google. So, is this news true? Find out here.

What Is a Cached Link?

Before delving deeper into the news, let's understand what the cached links feature is. The cached links feature is a copy of web pages stored by Google on its servers. This feature allows users to view a version of the web page created at a specific time, even if the page is currently unavailable.

Here are some benefits of Google's cached links feature:

• Accessing unavailable web pages: If you encounter a web page that is inaccessible due to server downtime or other reasons, you can use Google's cached links to view the version of the web page stored by Google.
• Viewing old versions of web pages: Sometimes, the content of a web page is changed or deleted by its owner. With Google's cached links, you can view old versions of the web page stored by Google.
• Checking web page content before clicking: If you're unsure whether a web page is safe or not, you can use Google's cached links to preview the web page content before clicking on it.

Users can find the cached links feature in two ways:

1. Using the "cache" search operator

Users can use the "cache" search operator to find Google's cached links on specific web pages. To do this, type "cache:" followed by the URL of the web page in Google Search.

2. Clicking the "Cached" link in Google search results

Sometimes, Google will display a "Cached" link below search results. You can click on this link to view the cached version of the web page.

It's worth noting that not all pages can be cached by Google, and the available data may be less accurate in showing old versions of pages. Nevertheless, this feature is considered beneficial for SEO practitioners and users who want to find the history of a page.

Cached Link Feature Removal

Through his X account, Barry Schwartz shared a screenshot where he couldn't find Google's cached link feature. Here's Barry Schwartz's tweet about the removal of this feature:

The above tweet received a response from Danny Sullivan via the Google Search Liaison account. Here's Google's representative response:

Through this response, it's evident that Google has officially removed the cached link feature, assuming that page loading has been improved, so users no longer need to access pages via cached links.

However, Danny Sullivan also regrets this removal and hopes to collaborate with the Internet Archive to provide the history of pages that have been modified or deleted.

Currently, Google also has the About This Page feature, which is useful for fact-checking images or pages. With this feature, users can view the page history and the original owner of the page.

In addition to information about cached links, Danny Sullivan also added that Google is still retaining the noarchive feature, which instructs Google not to store copies of web pages on its server. This means that Google's cached link will not be available for those web pages.

User Responses

In the X discussion forum above, users also provided their responses to the removal of the cached link feature. Here are some responses we gathered:

One user expressed concern that this removal could impact their activities, such as checking if content engages in cloaking practices. If only Google can view the page history, it means users cannot check the previous content of that page.

However, this opinion received a direct response from Danny Sullivan, who stated that even though only Google can view the page history if the website owner uses the noarchive feature, Google also cannot store the page history on its server.

Moreover, some users regretted this removal because the cached link feature is considered beneficial for SEO. Meanwhile, users also argued that some recent actions by Google have often been detrimental to users who want to use its search engine effectively.

The conclusion to be drawn is that users generally feel disappointed and regretful about Google's removal of the cached link feature. This feature is deemed important because it allows users to access archived versions of web pages that have been modified or deleted.