Using a normal Google search to find the cached page is as simple as performing a regular search and then clicking a link in the search results to open the cached page.

Search for a word, phrase, or entire website. Locate the specific page in the results for which you want a cached version. Click on the triangle above the page title and then select Cached.

Clicking on the Cached link often shows you the page as it was last indexed on Google, but with your search keywords highlighted. This method is extremely useful if you want to find a particular piece of information without having to scan the entire page.

Go Straight to the Cache

You can instead cut to the chase and go directly to the cached page by adding cache: just before the Google search.

Open a new Google search field and type cache: (including the colon). Type the URL of the page for which you want to see the cached version. For example, type cache:lifewire. com in all lowercase letters and with no spaces. Leave out the standard “http” or “https” that appears at the beginning of URLs. Press Enter to immediately open the cached page.

Limitations of Caches

Keep in mind that the cache shows the last time the page was indexed, so sometimes images won’t display, and the information will be outdated. However, depending on what you’re looking for, that might not be a concern.

Some pages instruct Google through the use of a protocol called robots.txt to make historical pages unavailable. Website designers can also elect to keep pages private from Google searches by removing them from the site index (also known as “noindexing” them).

Google only stores the most recent cache of the page, so if you’re trying to access a really old page—maybe one that has changed a lot or has been offline for a long time—try the Wayback Machine.