Help:Archiving a source
On Wikipedia you can archive sources to prevent link rot. A comprehensive list of web archive sites can be found at WP:WEBARCHIVES (technical documentation) and List of Web archiving initiatives. Below are some of the most common. See WP:Link rot for more detailed information about archiving sources.
 | This help page is a how-to guide. It explains concepts or processes used by the Wikipedia community. It is not one of Wikipedia's policies or guidelines, and may reflect varying levels of consensus. |
On Wikipedia you can archive sources to prevent link rot. A comprehensive list of web archive sites can be found at WP:WEBARCHIVES (technical documentation) and List of Web archiving initiatives. Below are some of the most common.
See WP:Link rot for more detailed information about archiving sources.
Internet Archive Wayback Machine
[edit]The Wayback Machine is a service which can be used to cite archived copies of web pages used by articles. This is useful if a web page has changed, moved, or disappeared; links to the original content can be retained. This process can be performed automatically, using the web interface for User:InternetArchiveBot.
Editors are encouraged to add an archive link as a part of each citation, or at least submit the referenced URL for archiving, at the same time that each citation is created or updated. New URLs added to Wikipedia articles (but not other pages) are usually automatically archived by a bot.
Visit the webform at https://web.archive.org, enter the original URL of the web page of interest in the "Wayback Machine" search box and then hit return/enter. The next screen may:
- show a calendar listing the snapshot dates for all archived copies of that page, or
- show a box near the bottom of the page with a link inviting the user to
Save this url in the Wayback Machine,
This is the code that needs to be added to an existing {{cite web}} or similar template:
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/<YYYYMMDDhhmmss>/http://www.originalurl.example.com |archive-date=<YYYY-MM-DD> |url-status=dead
Archive.today
[edit] | Archive.today has been linked to a malicious attack. Please exercise caution when using this site. |
As of February 2026, Archive.today should no longer be used on Wikipedia. See Wikipedia:Archive.today guidance.
Perma.cc
[edit]Megalodon.jp
[edit]When archiving on Megalodon.jp, insert the URL in the "魚拓をURLで検索・取得" field and click "検索と確認". Complete the captcha under "このまま魚拓をとる", and then click "取得" to start the archival process.
However, before clicking on "取得", if you see a URL with a date+time, followed by the title of the article you wish to archive, under "取得済みの魚拓", then check this URL. This normally means that the URL is already archived and you can use the existing archived URL.
Conifer
[edit]Conifer was previously called Webrecorder. When adding https://conifer.rhizome.org/ links, it's recommended to add a {{cbignore}} to keep IABot from removing it. In December 2025, Conifer announced that it would stop accepting archive requests in May 2026, but would continue to make archives available to its owners afterward.
There is some info at Wikipedia:Using Webrecorder.
Ghostarchive.org
[edit]Ghostarchive.org uses the Webrecorder technology and is thus able to save dynamic content such as YouTube videos, JavaScript etc. it is a general purpose archive service on demand with no login or usage cap requirements.
Usage instructions:
- For the moment (as of September 2021), it's recommended to add a
{{cbignore}}following the citation template using ghostarchive.org to keep IABot from removing it, which it might do automatically until IABot has been programmed to recognize it.- Tracked at Phabricator: T291588; marked resolved, but unclear if still problematic: comment: phab:T291588#7980573
- The site has default URL shortening e.g. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/fwAS7 .. this is disallowed on Wikipedia per RfCs and policy to prevent abuse. Use the long form URL instead. The long URL can be found by checking another URL first:
- For regular web pages:
- For video pages eg.YouTube:
- For Instagram pages:
- Thus it is a two step process: determine what the long URL is; add it to Wikipedia.
- To find the earliest and latest archive available use a timestamp of "1990" or "3000" e.g.
- https://ghostarchive.org/archive/1990/https://rms-support-letter.github.io/will find the earliest archived copy of that webpage, while
- https://ghostarchive.org/archive/3000/https://rms-support-letter.github.io/will find the latest.
- Note: Do not use 1990 or 3000 in Wikipedia it should be the actual timestamp.
Further technical information: Wikipedia:List_of_web_archives_on_Wikipedia#Ghost_Archive
WebCite
[edit] | As of July 14, 2019, WebCite does not accept any new archive requests. |