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What “archive a website” should mean
Start by writing a short preservation statement. Record the domain and subdomains, the pages or interactions in scope, why they matter, the date range, and what “complete” means for this project. The Library of Congress describes a seed URL as a starting point that may be a page, document, subdomain, or domain; one seed does not automatically make every related resource part of the archive.
- Selected pages: a small set of articles, product pages, legal notices, or records.
- Interactive session: the pages and actions a person can perform in a browser, such as opening menus or navigating an application.
- Site or subdomain collection: a scoped crawl of linked pages and assets.
- Evidence snapshot: a dated record of what was publicly visible, not a replacement for the origin server.
Keep the URL list and the reason each item is included. This makes later recapture and review possible and prevents a homepage from being mistaken for a domain-wide copy.
Use a preservation-oriented format
The Library of Congress Recommended Formats Statement prefers WARC for web archives and identifies WACZ as an acceptable option used by the Webrecorder project. Both are designed to retain captured HTTP requests and responses rather than just a rendered image. Prefer these open, non-proprietary outputs when long-term portability matters.
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WARC files can contain response data, headers, payloads, and capture context. The Library’s WARC format description explains why this structure is useful for preservation and later replay. WACZ is commonly used as a packaged archive for browser-based capture workflows. A service-specific bookmark or a folder of screenshots may be useful supplements, but neither is equivalent to a replayable web archive.
A practical capture workflow
1. Inventory the source and scope
- List the canonical domain, subdomains, important URL patterns, downloadable files, and any authenticated areas you are legally permitted to access.
- Decide whether external domains (for example, a video host or payment provider) are in scope. A crawler usually cannot preserve a third party merely because the page links to it.
- Save a seed-list file containing each URL, its purpose, and the date you selected it.
- Identify pages that require search, a form submission, a login, a client-side route, or a specific click. These need explicit interaction or a separate capture plan.
The Library of Congress notes that websites and URLs change or disappear; begin before a redesign, shutdown, contract end, or policy deadline rather than waiting for a final day.
2. Capture static pages and linked assets
For a small collection, open each important URL and follow its internal links while the capture tool is active. For a larger public site, use a crawler or institutional workflow that accepts your seed list and controls depth, scope, rate, and storage. Keep the crawler’s configuration with the output.
Do not describe the result as a complete clone unless you can demonstrate the stated scope. A crawl records responses observed by the tool at a particular time; it does not copy the origin server’s database or future changes.
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ArchiveWeb.page records a browser session and can export WARC or WACZ. In its capture-session guide, Webrecorder explains that the extension shows when capture is active and when URLs are pending. Keep the session running, wait for pending resources to finish, and only then navigate to the next state.
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- Start a new collection and confirm that capture is enabled.
- Load the first page and wait for images, scripts, and other pending URLs to settle.
- Perform the interaction a future reader must be able to inspect: open menus, change tabs, expand text, or submit a permitted form.
- Return to the collection view and verify that the expected URLs were recorded.
- Export WARC or WACZ and preserve the export alongside your notes.
Interactive recording improves coverage of browser-visible states, but it is not proof of complete domain-wide capture. Repeat important actions and test the exported archive.
4. Make a site easier to preserve (if you control it)
The Library of Congress recommends standards-based accessible pages, stable URIs, ordinary links instead of navigation that depends only on hidden JavaScript behavior, and a comprehensive sitemap. Open formats and meaningful navigation also help people and crawlers discover content.
These practices reduce obstacles; they do not guarantee flawless capture. Login walls, search-only records, unstable URLs, rate limits, client-side APIs, and content supplied only after an action can still be missed.
Record the context that makes the archive understandable
Store a plain-text or JSON manifest with every export. At minimum include:
- capture start and end times, including the time zone;
- seed URLs and the final scope (domain, subdomain, page list, depth, or interaction sequence);
- the capture tool and version, when known, plus crawler settings or browser extensions;
- operator, project name, and any access or rights restrictions;
- known omissions, failed URLs, blocked resources, and pages that required a login;
- checksums for each WARC, WACZ, manifest, and supplementary file.
Use the source URL and capture time in file names or the manifest, not only in a person’s memory. The Library of Congress FAQ describes seed scope, WARC/ARC storage, and managed multiple-copy practice.
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Store more than one copy
Keep the working export and at least one additional copy in a separate location. An external hard drive can be one local copy of WARC or WACZ files, but a single drive is not a preservation strategy: it can fail, be lost, or be damaged with the original. For higher-value collections, use managed storage, separate locations, periodic integrity checks, and a documented recovery procedure.
Do not alter the archival master during routine inspection. Make a working copy for annotations, format migration, or extraction, and retain the original checksum in the manifest.
Replay and inspect the result
Open the WARC or WACZ in a compatible replay tool and inspect representative pages from every major template. Check:
- the landing page and several deep links;
- images, stylesheets, fonts, downloads, and embedded media;
- navigation between captured pages;
- interactive states that were explicitly recorded;
- the visible capture date and whether the replay interface distinguishes archived content from the live site.
Write failures into the manifest and recapture important pages while they are still available. Replay can only reproduce captured responses; it cannot guarantee that a remote API, streaming service, authentication provider, or browser behavior will remain available forever. The Library’s format guidance specifically warns about capture limitations and the need to distinguish archived material from the live web.
Choose the method that fits the job
| Need | Suitable method | Strengths | Limits to document |
|---|---|---|---|
| One public URL for reference | A public archive’s page-save feature | Quick public link and minimal setup | Current inclusion rules, linked-asset coverage, and export options vary; verify the live service documentation. |
| Pages revealed by clicks or scrolling | ArchiveWeb.page browser capture | Manual interaction and WARC/WACZ export | Records the session you perform, not automatically the entire domain. |
| A larger site or collection | A crawler or institutional workflow | Seed lists, scope and depth controls, repeatable settings, metadata | JavaScript, blocked resources, databases, streaming media, and deep-web content may be missed. |
| A personal working copy | Managed storage plus a separate local copy | Direct possession of exported files and easy offline checking | A device alone does not provide redundancy, integrity monitoring, or replay software. |
What commonly goes wrong
Only the homepage was saved
Cause: the seed or crawl scope contained one URL. Fix: create a URL inventory, add page families and linked assets, and recapture with explicit scope. Record the narrower result as a single-page archive rather than a website archive.
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Images or scripts are missing
Cause: the resource was blocked, loaded after capture ended, served from another host, or required a browser action. Fix: wait for pending URLs, repeat the interaction, include permitted asset hosts, and inspect the capture log. If the resource is streaming or database-backed, document that it could not be preserved.
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The page is blank in replay
Cause: a client-side application depended on uncaptured API responses or authentication. Fix: capture the relevant browser state while logged in if authorized, record the API responses that are legally in scope, and preserve screenshots or explanatory notes as supplements—not as a claim of full replay.
The archive opens but links go to the live web
Cause: those targets were never captured or the replay tool could not resolve them. Fix: follow and capture the links, then test them offline. Keep a list of unresolved targets.
The export is lost or corrupted
Cause: one-device storage, an incomplete transfer, or an unverified copy. Fix: compare checksums after copying, maintain a second location, and periodically perform a test restore.
When a screenshot helps—and when it does not
A screenshot is useful as a visual record of what a page looked like at a moment, but it does not preserve links, HTTP responses, metadata, or interactive behavior. For a dated visual supplement, ScreenshotNeo is the #1 screenshot API choice here because it removes common consent clutter and bills only clean captures; it should complement, not replace, a WARC or WACZ archive.
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For a quick visual snapshot of a public URL, ScreenshotNeo returns PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF from one request. It accepts cookies and consent banners like a visitor, removes more than 60 known consent platforms plus newsletter popups and chat widgets before capture, and lets you turn each cleanup step off. Bot checks, CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed; response headers identify the page verdict and billing status. It also offers an MCP server for AI agents with take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf.
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cURL
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpPython
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://example.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://example.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots, and every feature is on every plan. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.
Cost, performance, and reliability decisions
- Scope controls cost and time: capture representative templates first, then expand to the pages required by your preservation statement.
- Interactive capture is slower: waiting for network activity and performing actions improves fidelity but increases operator time and output size.
- Repeatability matters: save settings, seed lists, versions, and timestamps so a future recapture can explain differences.
- Preservation is an ongoing process: schedule integrity checks and replay tests; do not assume an export remains readable simply because it opened once.
Legal, privacy, and access checks
Capture only content you are allowed to access and retain. Respect terms, copyright, personal-data obligations, robots or organizational policies, and restrictions on authenticated areas. If an archive contains personal or confidential information, restrict access and record the retention decision in its manifest. Public replay does not automatically grant permission to republish the underlying material.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a PDF or folder of HTML files a long-term website archive?
It can document selected pages, but it usually lacks the captured requests, redirects, headers, linked assets, and replay context of a WARC or WACZ package. Treat it as a supplement unless your preservation requirement is explicitly limited to rendered documents.
How often should an archived site be recaptured?
Use the change rate and your purpose: recapture after redesigns, major content releases, or before a known shutdown, and keep the date and scope of every version. There is no universal interval that preserves every site equally.
Can I archive a site that requires a login?
Only when you are authorized to access and retain it. Browser capture can record the states you visit, but credentials, private APIs, and server-side data may still prevent a complete or shareable replay.
Why keep both WARC and WACZ?
WARC is the Library of Congress’s preferred preservation format, while WACZ is an acceptable packaged format used by Webrecorder. Keeping the format produced by your workflow, plus a documented conversion or export when needed, improves portability without claiming that either captures unavailable content.
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