The function allowed viewing archived versions of website pages in search results.
Currently, Google has officially removed the option to view cache links from Search – as the company notes, it has become less necessary because “the reliability of the Internet has improved.”
Hey, catching up. Yes, it’s been removed. I know, it’s sad. I’m sad too. This is one of our oldest features. But it was a means to help people access the pages when they backback, you can not depending on page loading. These days, things have greatly improved. So, it was decided to…
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) February 1, 2024
At the same time, the function was convenient for viewing remote pages, or to find out how and if the current version was edited. Search engine optimization specialists could also use it to customize sites or track competitors. Also, if the site was blocked in your region, Google Cache could work as a VPN alternative.
Usually, access to cached versions of pages can be obtained by several “routes”: through the “Cached” button, which appeared at the bottom of the “About this result” panel, accessible from the menu of three buttons next to the search result; and via the “cache:” search operator appended to the URL to instantly go to Google’s cached version (this option seems to work so far).
Here’s how the Cached button looked in search results in 2021 compared to what it is today:
It doesn’t appear that Google has any plans to replace the feature, but the company’s search partner Danny Sullivan says he hopes it can add a link to the Internet Archive that can be used to show how a web page has changed over time.
It is interesting that Google immediately erases all traces of the presence of this function, deleting even a separate help page (it is still displayed in the search, but when you try to go to it, it is sent to the main page).
Source: The Verge
