Archive.ph, also known as Archive.today, is a web archiving service that creates permanent snapshots of webpages. It can be useful when an article has changed, disappeared, moved behind a login, or is no longer available at its original URL. Unlike a normal bookmark, an Archive.ph link points to a saved copy of the page as it appeared when the snapshot was created.

How to find an archived webpage on Archive.ph

If you already have the URL of the page you are looking for:

1. Copy the original webpage URL.
2. Open Archive.ph.
3. Paste the URL into the search field.
4. Archive.ph will show any snapshots that already exist.
5. Open one of the available archived versions.

There may be several snapshots from different dates. This makes Archive.ph useful when you want to see an earlier version of a page after the publisher has edited or replaced it.

How to archive a webpage yourself

If Archive.ph does not already contain the page, you can attempt to create a new snapshot.

Copy the page URL and paste it into the section for archiving a new page. Archive.ph will fetch the page and create a static copy if the site can be accessed by its archiving system.

No browser extension is required.

The archived page receives its own URL, which you can bookmark or share as a reference.

Can Archive.ph show paywalled articles?

Sometimes.

Archive.ph stores the version of a page its crawler was able to retrieve when the snapshot was created. As a result, an existing archive may contain more of an article than the version currently displayed to a visitor on the publisher’s website.

This is why searches for archived versions are common with publications such as newspapers and magazines.

It does not work consistently with every paywall. Results depend on how the publisher implements access restrictions and what Archive.ph was able to capture.

Using Archive.ph with news websites

Archive.ph is particularly useful for news research because online articles are frequently changed after publication.

An archive can preserve:

• the original headline;
• article text;
• publication and update information;
• images available at the time of capture;
• corrections or wording that may later change;
• the overall layout of the page.

For journalists, researchers and writers, this makes archived copies useful when documenting exactly what a publisher displayed at a particular time.

Archiving posts from X, Instagram and Facebook

Archive.ph can also capture some publicly accessible social-media pages.

Depending on the platform and page, it may be possible to preserve public posts from:

• X / Twitter;
• Instagram;
• Facebook;
• YouTube;
• other publicly accessible websites.

This can be useful when a post may later be deleted or edited.

Dynamic social networks are harder to archive than ordinary webpages, so captures are not always complete. Comments, videos, interactive elements and content loaded only after scrolling may be missing.

Archive.ph vs. the Wayback Machine

Archive.ph and the Internet Archive Wayback Machine perform similar jobs, but they do not archive exactly the same content.

Archive.ph is often useful for individual webpages and snapshots created on demand. The Wayback Machine maintains a much larger historical archive and may contain many versions of the same website collected over several years.

For important research, it is worth checking both services.

A page missing from the Wayback Machine may exist on Archive.ph, and the opposite is also true.

Why use an archived version instead of the live page?

There are several practical reasons.

The original page was deleted

An archived snapshot may remain accessible even after the publisher removes the original page.

The content was changed

If several snapshots exist, you may be able to compare an older version with the current one.

You need a stable citation

Webpages change constantly. Linking to an archived snapshot allows readers to see approximately the same version you used as a source.

A social-media post may disappear

Saving a snapshot can preserve a publicly visible statement before it is edited or deleted.

The website is temporarily unavailable

An archived version may still provide access to previously saved information.

Limitations of Archive.ph

Archive.ph does not create a perfect copy of every website.

Common limitations include:

• missing videos;
• broken interactive elements;
• incomplete JavaScript applications;
• missing comments;
• images that were loaded from blocked external servers;
• pages that prevent automated archiving;
• content requiring authentication.

An archive should therefore be treated as a snapshot of what the service managed to capture, not necessarily a complete replica of the original website.

Frequently asked questions

Is Archive.ph free?

Archive.ph can generally be used to search existing snapshots and submit webpages for archiving without creating a normal user account.

Can I search Archive.ph using a URL?

Yes. Paste the original webpage URL into Archive.ph to check whether copies have already been saved.

Does Archive.ph archive every website?

No. Some websites block automated access or depend heavily on authentication, JavaScript or other technology that makes them difficult to capture.

Can Archive.ph archive social-media posts?

It can archive some publicly accessible social-media pages, although the resulting snapshot may not include every interactive element.

Is Archive.ph the same as Archive.org?

No. Archive.ph and Archive.org’s Wayback Machine are separate services with different archives and crawling systems.

Summary

Archive.ph is a simple way to find older versions of webpages or preserve a page before it changes or disappears. Paste the original URL into the service, check for existing snapshots and, if necessary, request a new archive.

For research, citations, deleted pages and changing online content, it is useful to check Archive.ph alongside the Wayback Machine rather than relying on the live webpage alone.