In a recent development, Microsoft announced the removal of cache links from its Bing results, a move aimed at enhancing the overall browsing experience. The change was announced on Bing Webmaster"s official X account. The decision follows months of testing and comes after Google dropped the cached option for websites in its search results earlier this year in February.
Previously, the cache link was indicated by a downward arrow icon next to the URL in the search snippets. However, following the change, you will no longer see the arrow icon. Microsoft stated that the reason for removing cache links is the evolving nature of the internet and the increasing inadequacies of cache viewing for modern web pages.
This week, we"ve removed cache links from Bing search results. As the internet has evolved for better reliability, and many pages aren"t optimized for cache viewing. Site owners can still access Bing-crawled content via Bing Webmaster Tools URL Inspection: https://t.co/LOIAk2786M
— Microsoft Bing Webmaster Team (@BingWMC) December 11, 2024
Using cache links, users could view snapshots of websites in situations when pages were temporarily unavailable due to server issues or outages. SEO workers or journalists also made use of cached links to check if any content on a site had been changed due to errors or updates. However, now that modern websites rely on dynamic content and advanced scripts, cached versions often fail to deliver a reliable experience.
Bing"s decision mirrors Google"s move, signaling a broader industry trend. Notably, site owners and webmasters will still be able to access Bing-crawled content via the Bing Webmaster Tools URL Inspection tool. This tool provides insights into how Bing"s crawler interacts with their website and offers better control over indexed content. Meanwhile, the Wayback Machine may become the preferred resource for accessing older versions of specific URLs, as it is available for free.