Since 2015 Google has been serving lighter-weight and thus faster-loading internet pages over Internet Gentle to some units that simply do not have the pace or capabilities to load the heavier model of the web page. Properly, that’s now completed; Google retired Internet Gentle.
Google posted the information on December nineteenth over right here saying “Eliminated the Internet Gentle documentation and retired the Internet Gentle consumer agent. We launched Internet Gentle to allow us to serve quicker, lighter pages to individuals looking on entry-level units. Whereas this characteristic has labored as meant and enabled broader entry to the richness of the online, elevated affordability of extra highly effective smartphones has diminished the necessity for such performance. We stay dedicated to evolving and refining the Search expertise to satisfy the altering wants of our customers.”
Internet Gentle was Google’s technique to point out quicker, lighter pages to individuals looking on gradual cellular shoppers. Google transcoded internet pages on the fly right into a model optimized for gradual shoppers, in order that these pages load quicker whereas saving knowledge. This know-how is what Google referred to as Internet Gentle. Google mentioned that Internet Gentle pages protect a majority of the related content material and supply a hyperlink for customers to view the unique web page. Our experiments present that optimized pages load 4 occasions quicker than the unique web page and use 80% fewer bytes. As a result of these pages load a lot quicker, we additionally noticed a 50% enhance in visitors to those pages.
John Mueller of Google mentioned on Mastodon, “It is fairly cool to see these sorts of options change into pointless. Websites have gotten a ton higher (thanks in a big half to work by website homeowners, builders, SEOs, and many others) & Web entry too. There’s all the time room for enchancment, and it is price watching out for regressions too.”
Properly, that’s now gone. Google retired the Internet Gentle consumer agent, often called googleweblight and eliminated the assistance docs on Internet gentle. Here’s a screenshot of that doc:
Simply an FYI, Internet gentle had no influence on Google rankings.
Discussion board dialogue at Twitter.
