'This sucks' shout Google users as the giant decides to shut down the big search button
GOOGLE users are devastated after the tech giants announced they are shutting down a major search button.
The beloved tool was one of the oldest functions on Google before the bosses made the 'sad' decision to do away with everything.
The bold move to remove links to page caches from Google search results left some upset, with one even saying: “This really sucks.”
Google's search contact Danny Sullivan confirmed the disappointing news on X, formerly known as Twitter, after being asked about the caching feature.
He wrote: “Yes, it has been removed. I know, it's sad. I'm sad too. It is one of our oldest features.
“It was intended to help people access pages, whereas before you often couldn't rely on a page loading.
“Today, things have improved tremendously. That's why it was decided to stop.”
The caching feature was a very useful tool in the past because it allowed users to look at a website in exactly the same way as Google saw it – giving you a whole lot more information.
It also acted as a smart tool to help you view a web page when it was difficult to load.
But more recently, the caching feature was used by SEO professionals and journalists to help debug their sites and keep an eye on what their competitors were doing.
Additionally, it was a useful tool for reporters when investigating a new story because it allowed them to see exactly what a company was doing with their website.
You could see what had been added or removed from a website, which in some cases meant getting to the truth and discovering things that had apparently been erased from the internet.
Google's cache was also a great alternative to a VPN.
Bitterly disappointed Google users left their comments under Sullivan's tweet.
One said: “This was a very useful feature, especially for SEOs. Another useful tool/feature from Google bites the dust.”
A second wrote: “Nooooo. Google removes its cached links in search results. Incredibly frustrating.
“This is such a useful tool for journalism, especially for finding old information/research on sites that are no longer active.”
A third said: “It just got a lot easier to hide your bad activity or mistakes…the Google cache link disappears. This really sucks.”
“Big shame, Google Cache links were incredibly useful,” said another X user.
Before one last disgruntled user reminded others that there are alternatives to tracking web pages, he was still saddened by the news.
They wrote: “Google Cache is being discontinued, which is a real shame for journalists, researchers and anyone with an interest in finding information on sites that are no longer active.
“There are alternatives, but they are not as comprehensive.”
How did you gain access to cached web pages?
In the past, you could access a Google page's cache through a number of different routes.
There was a “Cached” button at the bottom of the “About this result” panel that you could find if you clicked the three-button dropdown next one to the search results bar.
Or you can put “cache:” in front of your URL query so it appears immediately spring into action and launch you into the cached version that Google sees.
Despite only just being officially confirmed as being defunct, there are rumors that the cache links have been on their last legs for some time now.
In 2021, Google developer relations engineer Martin Splitt called the cached viewer page a “basically unmaintained legacy feature”.