Microsoft is testing removing the cache link from the Bing search results a couple of months after Google officially removed the cache link from its search results.
Fabrice Canel from Microsoft confirmed this is a Bing test, he wrote, “Yes. Our team continuously experiments and tests various experiences to learn and deliver the best possible customer experience.”
The test. Here is a screenshot showing the cache link, which would be in a little down arrow, is missing from this search result snippet in the Bing Search results:
Here is what it looks like with the cache link:
Fabrice Canel from Microsoft said I was on the “nocache flight,” which means a Bing test for not showing a cache link.
Why we care. Some SEOs have sought out other search engines that have cache links, such as Bing, even though the cache is not a good use for debugging SEO issues, it has become a defacto tool for many SEOs and searchers over the years.
Bing has not officially removed the cache link yet, but it may.
The Wayback Machine is an excellent way to see older versions of specific URLs, and it is free.
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About the author
Barry Schwartz is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.