Ever loose all your site content? If you’ve maintained a website for any number of years you know that “things happen”. Servers crash, hard drives go bad, and security holes are exploited. Before you realize it, your once simple startup might have overlook backups in its growth and all your hard work is lost. More importantly, all your unique content is lost that you’ve put hours into. It doesn’t have to be that way if you act fast however!
Search Engine Cached Data
The top search engines cache the text on each page of your site so that they can search on it from queries. They also provide this to be viewed by anyone VIA a “cache” link. Google, Yahoo, and MSN have these features. If you act quickly you may be able to obtain all your site data by using the queries below. Make sure you substitute my site with your domain.
Syntax: keywords site:robmalon.com
Example: Search For Wordpress on RobMalon.Com

MSN
Syntax: search term (site:robmalon.com)
Example: Search For Wordpress on RobMalon.Com

Yahoo
Syntax: keyword (Then use “Preferences” to add a site restriction on searches”)

Revision Systems Recover Accidental Mishaps.
- Search Engine Cache (again) - The process mentioned above can also be useful if you accidently reverted content to an old version and somehow lost a large chunk of content on a page in the process. Simply enter the current URL into google and click on the “cache” link it provides you for that link.
- Wordpress Revisions - Wordpress also has a revision system complete with auto save. Check out the Revision Control plugin which gives you some extra control over it.

- Drupal Revisions - Another great CMS, Drupal, also has a built in revision system. Just make sure you’re using it. It doesn’t auto save by itself. You have to consciously put a tick mark in the revision box when saving a page.
Archives
Archive.Org is another resource you could try using. The only problem with this one is it typically wont index as much content. In fact, you’ll only see the front page of your site in most cases, but you will be able to see how its changed over time. Useful in rare cases, but more for fun to see how far you’ve come.
Embarrassment for your enjoyment…
Way back when I ran my current game sites on free servers. One of the first places I had them hosted at was at a url that looks like this:
- members.spree.com/funNgames/matrix223
That hosting service isn’t around anymore (as you can see from the cache, I didn’t like them very much and was happy about my new domain/servers). However you can see pieces of my early web years from viewing it on archive.org. I had just learned tables and didn’t know PHP at all yet. Thank god it didn’t cache the site in 1997. The 2002 version, sadly, was a redesign and had all the hallmarks of a 90’s website (too much color, gifs etc. everywhere).
Were you able to find your long lost site on there? Let us know the story in the comments below.











































