Google Search has introduced a new feature that adds links to archived websites from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. This new integration replaces its search engine‘s cached web page feature, which was discontinued earlier in the year.
For the uninitiated, the Wayback Machine is a useful tool for viewing past versions of websites, with some archives going back decades. However, not all web pages will be available. As mentioned in a recent blog post by its director Mark Graham, some rights holders have opted out of allowing their sites to be archived by the Internet Archive.
We know many people, including those in the research community, value seeing previous versions of webpages when available. That’s why beginning today, we're adding links to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine to our "About this result" panel, to give people quick context and… pic.twitter.com/TbpSo9ohHb
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) September 11, 2024
To access the new feature, users can perform a search on Google as they normally would. Next to each result, three dots will appear—clicking on these opens the “About this Result” panel. From there, selecting “More About This Page” provides a link to the website’s Wayback Machine archive.
This new integration allows users to explore how a web page looked at different points in time through direct links to the Wayback Machine. While the feature is rolling out now, it might take a little while before it becomes available to everyone.
(Source: Google / Internet Archive)
