Google officially discontinues ‘cached’ web page option

Previously, this functionality enabled users to observe a webpage from Google's perspective, offering utility beyond mere assessment of slow-loading pages.

San Francisco: Google has officially retired its ‘cached’ web page feature as the company said that it was ‘no longer required’.

Google’s search liaison confirmed the development, saying, “It was meant for helping people access pages when way back, you often couldn’t depend on a page loading. These days, things have greatly improved. So, it was decided to retire it.”

---

In the past, this feature allowed you to view a webpage as Google sees it, which can be useful beyond just checking if a page is loading slowly.

Many users use this tool to verify the legitimacy of a website, and SEO managers can use it to examine their sites for problems. A lot of users, especially those in the news industry, check websites’ caches to determine if any content has been added or removed recently.

Earlier, an “about this result” dialogue with the Cached button at the bottom right would pop up on clicking on the three-dot menu next to a result.

Last month, Google removed some underutilised features in Google Assistant “to focus on delivering the best possible user experience”.

As per the list shared by the company, Google removed 17 features.

Some features being removed include — the functionality that allows users to use their voice to send an email, video, or audio message. Users will also not be able to use their voice to perform tasks such as making a reservation, sending a payment, or posting on social media.