Why should you care when a site was last updated? An outdated website can signal unreliable info, weak security, or irrelevance. Would you trust a website that hasn’t been updated since 2014? Probably not.
In this article, we’ll explore some quick and easy ways to check when a website was last updated, using everything from a peek at the content to some handy online tools.
How to Check Website Content for Updates
You don’t need to be a web wizard to determine if a website’s content is outdated. One of the easiest ways is to check for publication dates in blog articles—if the site has a blog. Many outdated sites leave old blog posts up for years, collecting digital dust. You can usually find the date under the title or at the bottom of the page. Look for phrases like “published on” or “updated on,” often accompanied by the author’s name.
But just because a blog has ancient articles doesn’t mean the entire site is neglected. Check if the site has posted anything new in the past year or two. If not, chances are the site isn’t being updated.
Viewing the Source Code for Update History
Don’t be scared off by the word “code.” You don’t need to be a developer to check a site’s update history this way. It’s actually simpler than you think! Here’s what you do:
- Right-click anywhere on the page and select “View Page Source.”
2. Hit CTRL+F (or Command+F on a Mac) and search for keywords like “date” or “modified.”
This will bring up any tags related to dates, giving you a sense of when the site’s content was last tweaked. If you don’t see any recent dates, it’s likely the site hasn’t been touched in a while.
Try Out the Wayback Machine
You’ve probably heard people say, “There’s an app for everything.” Well, the web has tools for just about everything, too—like the Wayback Machine, which acts like a time machine for the internet. Want to know what a site looked like years ago? Just plug in the URL, and you’ll see snapshots from different points in time.
Keep in mind if you see something like this that the screenshot may not offer a reliable view of what the website looked like then, although the date itself is accurate.
The Wayback Machine even shows you how the site’s design and content have evolved (or not) over the years. Fair warning, though—the screenshots aren’t always perfect. Sometimes they make the site look broken, especially the older ones. Still, it’s a fun and informative tool to see when changes were made.
Utilize the Power of WHOIS
Ever wondered who owns a website or when its domain was registered? That’s where WHOIS comes in. It’s like a public directory for websites. Just pop the URL into a WHOIS lookup tool, and you’ll see info like the domain’s creation, renewal, and last updated dates.
But keep in mind, WHOIS records are about the domain, not the website content. So, while you’ll get details on domain changes, it won’t tell you when the blog was last updated or if those pixelated images have been swapped out for crisp, modern ones. For that, you’ll need to use the other methods we’ve discussed.
Wrapping It Up
Knowing when a website was last updated is crucial for gauging its trustworthiness. Whether a site looks ancient or freshly designed, outdated content could mean inaccurate info and security risks. By checking visible dates, looking at the source code, or using tools like the Wayback Machine and WHOIS, you can get a clear picture of how up-to-date the site is.
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