What is the process by which a browser stores copies of previously viewed pages?

The process by which a browser stores copies of previously viewed pages is referred to as caching. Caching allows the browser to save the content of web pages locally on the user's device, so that when the same pages are revisited, they can be loaded more quickly without needing to fetch them again from the original server. This enhances the user experience by reducing load times and minimizing the amount of data that needs to be downloaded over the internet.

In contrast, storing doesn't specifically capture the technical meaning associated with how browsers manage page retrieval. Buffering generally relates to temporarily holding data while it is being transmitted, often used in the context of streaming media or data transfer, rather than storing web pages for later access. Indexing involves organizing data to facilitate quick retrieval but does not specifically pertain to the storage of previously viewed web content. Thus, caching is the term that precisely describes this efficient retrieval process employed by web browsers.