Google Removes Cache-Served AMP Pages From Search Results
▼ Summary
– As of July 1, clicking an AMP result in Google Search takes users to the domain’s AMP host page instead of a version served from Google’s AMP cache.
– Google has removed mentions of the AMP viewer, AMP Cache, and signed exchanges from its AMP documentation.
– Previously, clicking an AMP result served the page from Google’s AMP Cache with a google.com URL; signed exchanges allowed the original URL to appear instead.
– This update follows Google’s 2021 removal of AMP as a requirement for Top Stories and its retirement of the AMP lightning-bolt icon from search results.
– The change only affects how AMP content is delivered, not its ranking, as AMP pages will continue to rank like any other web page.
As of July 1, clicking an AMP result in Google Search no longer redirects users to a version served from Google’s AMP cache. Instead, it now takes visitors directly to the domain’s AMP host page, marking a significant shift in how the search giant handles accelerated mobile pages.
Google has quietly updated its documentation, removing references to the AMP viewer, AMP Cache, and signed exchanges. Previously, clicking an AMP result would load the page from Google’s cache, displaying it under a google.com URL. Signed exchanges allowed publishers to show their original domain instead of the Google-hosted version. Now, Google is discontinuing that serving path entirely. According to the revised documentation, the AMP URL is now visible when users click through from Search.
This change has been brewing for years. In 2021, Google dropped AMP as a requirement for the Top Stories carousel and retired the lightning-bolt icon from search results. Google News on mobile had already begun bypassing AMP URLs, sending traffic straight to publishers’ domains. This latest update extends that direct routing to all AMP pages within Search.
The key takeaway for publishers is clear: you no longer need the AMP cache or to configure signed exchanges to serve your own URL for AMP. For those debating whether to keep AMP pages, the decision is now just like any other technical choice, free from Google’s former mandates.
Looking ahead, this change affects only how AMP content is delivered, not how it ranks. Google explicitly states that AMP content “will continue to rank just like any other web page.” So while the delivery mechanism has evolved, the playing field for search visibility remains level.
(Source: Search Engine Journal)
