Google after discontinuing the cached pages feature, have now opened a way for users to directly access the archived versions of websites through the Internet Archive. This new feature allows users to access the historical snapshots of webpages, offering some sort of a sci-fi element to our normal search results.
What is the Internet Archive?
The Internet Archive, well known for its Wayback Machine is a non-profit organization dedicated to archiving the web, acting as a record keeper of sorts. It has allowed the users to navigate across billions of web pages throughout the span of their existence. The Internet Archive is already considered to be the Internet’s time machine.
How to access Internet Archive Links?
This new feature can be accessed by clicking the three-dot menu next to the search result and then selecting “More about this Page”. This should provide the links to the Wayback Machine to view the archived web pages. However, this feature might not be readily available to all the users due to the phased rollout planned according to Google.
If you aren’t able to see this feature, it is a good idea to check back later.
What benefits does this have?
The first perk this gives the users is the ability to do historical research on the websites over time, that too at the ease of a google search. Likewise, any altered or removed content can also be accessed with the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. A simple google search will be enough to get the historical context for research, comparison, and verification. Moreover, if you’re someone who has spent a lot of time on the internet, nostalgia is just a click away.
Many people seem to be very excited about the new feature amidst a group of some who miss the cached pages feature. Overall, the integration of the Internet Archive Links into Google Search results promises to enhance our web browsing experience.
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