Google Replaces Cache Link With Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine

SEO

By Chris Barnhart Last updated Sep 12, 2024

0

Share

After Google has angered tons of SEOs and searchers over removing the cache link from the search result snippets, Google decided several months later to add links to Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. This will give you snapshots in time of what that webpage looked like, but it is not powered by Google.

As a reminder, in January, Google dropped the cache link from the search results page – I should note, the cache is still working right now (it will go away at some point). But the link from Google Search results snippets to that cache link is gone. Google tested dropping it in December and then dropped it officially in January.

So now, Google is replacing it with links to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. A Google spokesperson told me:

We know that many people, including those in the research community, value being able to see previous versions of webpages when available. That’s why we’ve added links to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to our ‘About this page’ feature, to give people quick context and make this helpful information easily accessible through Search.

You should see this after clicking on the three dots next to the search result snippet. That will open up the about this result/page feature in Google Search on the side bar (or overlayed on mobile) and then have links to the Wayback machine.

Here is what it looks like:

Clicking the link sends you to a recent archived version from the Wayback Machine – so with my corporate site, you can see the link over here and then it took me over here.

Here is a video of made of it in action from my phone:

It takes a few clicks to get to, unlike the old cache link which was a large button in that about this result page.

Here is the older cache link button interface:

Danny Sullivan, the Google Search Liaison, who I am sure fought for this feature wrote on X:

We know many people, including those in the research community, value seeing previous versions of webpages when available. That’s why beginning today, we’re adding links to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to our “About this result” panel, to give people quick context and make this helpful information easily accessible through Search.

To access archive links, click on the three dots next to a search result. In the window that appears, click on the “More about this page” button, then look for the “See previous versions on Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine” link.

It will take a day or so for this to fully roll out and be available for those searching in 40 different languages. Learn more about how “About this result” works and other information it offers here.

The Internet Archive wrote:

Starting today, users everywhere can view archived versions of webpages directly through Google Search, with a simple link to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.” Mark Graham, director of the Wayback Machine, added “The web is aging, and with it, countless URLs now lead to digital ghosts. Businesses fold, governments shift, disasters strike, and content management systems evolve—all erasing swaths of online history. Sometimes, creators themselves hit delete, or bow to political pressure. Enter the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine: for more than 25 years, it’s been preserving snapshots of the public web. This digital time capsule transforms our “now-only” browsing into a journey through internet history. And now, it’s just a click away from Google search results, opening a portal to a fuller, richer web—one that remembers what others have forgotten.

Honestly, I am a huge fan of the Wayback Machine. I used it way more often than I used the Google Cache. Yes, you can see what Google sees by using the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console or Google’s rich result testing tool. So you have those options and an even better option for looking at the history of the page from the Wayback machine.