Google Search Restores Key Feature Thanks to Wayback Machine

Google doesn’t hold its heart in its hands when it decides to kill apps and services that don’t live up to its expectations. Although the technology has a bad reputation, every now and then a miracle happens and a forgotten feature is reborn. That’s the case with A search engine that restores the functionality of browsing a cached sitealthough with an interesting twist.

The tech giant announced that Google Search will reactivate older versions of a website in search results. Unlike the cached version, Google to Use Wayback MachineInternet Archive database that stores old copies of the Internet. Users will be able to view previous versions of a page directly from the results.

“We know that many people, including those in the research community, value viewing older versions of web pages when they are available,” says the SearchLiaison account on X. “That’s why, starting today, we’re adding links to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine […] to give people quick context and make this useful information easily accessible through search.”

On the other hand, the Internet Archive mentioned in its blog that the collaboration with Google will make it even easier to access and explore archived content. “This digital time capsule turns our browsing into a journey through the history of the Internet. And now it’s just a click away from Google search results,” said Mark Graham, director of the Wayback Machine.

How to Access Wayback Machine Links from Google Search Engine

Accessing Old Versions of a Website from Google Search not as friendly as before. The Wayback Machine link will appear in the “About this result” panel, which is activated by clicking on the three dots next to the result. Once inside, we must click on the “Learn more about this page” button and find the “View previous versions in the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine” link.

The change will gradually roll out to search results in 40 languages ​​(including Spanish). Google warns that it may take a day or two for the links to appear.

An important detail that the Internet Archive points out is that some links will be unavailableWhile the mission is to “make all knowledge universally accessible,” the Wayback Machine does not store the entire web. If a page violates its content policy or the owner chooses not to archive it, Google Search will not display it.

The partnership between Google and the Internet Archive is commendable, although for practical purposes Wayback Machine browser extension provides immediate access and without a lot of steps to the previous version of the site.