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Search your ArchiveBox collection through the CLI, web interface, REST API, or generated static index. Results identify matching snapshots; they do not necessarily show the exact matching passage. Open the snapshot’s details, then use browser find or a file-search tool to locate the text inside its saved files.
Choose where to search
Use the interface that fits how you access your archive. These are documented routes, but commands, endpoints, and interface details can vary by ArchiveBox version and configuration; check your installed version before relying on them.
Command line
The search guide documents this example:
archivebox list --filter-type=search 'text to search'Replace the quoted phrase with a URL fragment, title text, tag, or words likely to appear in archived content. Check archivebox list --help for the options available in your installation.
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Web interface
Use the web search box or the snapshot list in the admin interface to search the archive. Search can match snapshot metadata and, depending on the configured backend, archived content.
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REST API
The documented list endpoint supports a search filter:
/api/v1/list?filter_type=searchUse the API base URL for your own ArchiveBox instance and consult its API documentation for authentication, response format, and any version-specific requirements.
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Generated static index
If you generated ArchiveBox’s static HTML index, open it in a browser and use its search and sorting controls. Select the file icon for a result to open that snapshot’s details page.
What ArchiveBox search matches—and what it does not
Search can cover metadata such as URL, title, timestamp, and tags, as well as archived page content through the selected search backend. The result is a list of matching snapshots, not a guaranteed highlight or link to the exact matching sentence.
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After opening a result, use your browser’s find function—usually Ctrl+F on Windows or Linux, or Command+F on macOS—to look for the search phrase in the saved page. If the relevant text is in another captured file, search the snapshot’s output files with a suitable local tool. ArchiveBox can store snapshots in different formats, and the files available depend on what was captured and which archiving methods were configured.
Choose a search backend when basic search is not enough
ArchiveBox documents ripgrep, Sonic, and SQLite FTS5 search options. The selected engine is used by the UI and CLI, but defaults and setup guidance differ across documentation contexts. Check your installed version and current configuration rather than assuming one backend is always enabled.
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| Backend | Useful when | Trade-offs to consider |
|---|---|---|
| ripgrep | You want a filesystem scan without a separate search index or background indexer; the search guide describes it as suitable for smaller collections. | Search can slow as the archive grows. The guide says it does not search binary files such as PDFs, ebooks, or compressed archives. |
| Sonic | You need indexed search and broader content support as described by the search guide. | It adds a dependency and background worker that you must operate. |
| SQLite FTS5 | You want to try the documented SQLite full-text search option. | The search guide describes it as experimental; it uses an index database and requires an update step. |
Before changing backends, consider the size of your archive and filesystem speed, whether you need to search PDFs or ebooks, what query features you need, how you will store and refresh an index, and whether you can maintain an additional service or worker. Exact capabilities and defaults should be verified against your installed version’s documentation.
Open a result and inspect its saved files
- Search for a distinctive URL fragment, title, tag, or phrase using your chosen interface.
- Open the matching snapshot’s details from the web interface or select the file icon in the static index.
- Inspect the available captured files; their formats depend on the original capture and configured archiving methods.
- Use browser find or a local file-search tool to locate the passage within the saved output.
Troubleshooting search
- No results for text you can see in a saved page: Your configured backend may not index that file type, or the content may not have been indexed. Check the backend’s documented coverage and use a local search tool on the snapshot files.
- The command rejects a filter option: CLI options can vary by version. Run
archivebox list --helpand use the syntax supported by your installation. - The web UI and CLI return different results: Confirm the configured search engine and version. Configuration documentation says the selected engine is used by both, but plugin-specific settings and changing project guidance can affect setup.
- A result opens, but the phrase is not obvious: Search results identify snapshots rather than exact match locations. Use browser find or search the captured files directly.
- Indexed results appear stale or missing: Check whether your chosen backend requires an index update and whether its worker or service is operating. The update and maintenance steps are backend-specific.
Or skip the browser setup
If your goal is to capture a current website page rather than search an existing ArchiveBox archive, ScreenshotNeo provides a screenshot API and MCP server. One GET request can return an image or PDF; the example below requests a WebP screenshot:
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for options. It accepts cookie banners and removes known consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; those steps can be turned off. Bot checks, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents use screenshot tools. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Learn more at ScreenshotNeo.
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