How to Use Internet Wayback Machine to Archive a Website

06 Feb How to Use Internet Wayback Machine to Archive a Website

Internet Archive Wayback Machine is a free web service project developed by the Internet Archive, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to preserving the history of the Internet. The machine was launched in 2001 and has been used by millions of people around the world.

Wayback Machine is the site that most people turn to when they need to find archived versions of websites.

You can use it to view and explore archived web pages from sites that have been taken down or moved to a new domain. It allows users to access archived web pages that are no longer available on the current web. In addition to websites, archives include videos, images, and software. The data is collected from many sources and kept on Wayback servers.

How Does Wayback Machine Work

The Wayback Machine is a digital archive that stores websites and web pages so that they can be accessed at a later date. The machine works by taking snapshots of websites at different points in time and then storing these snapshots in an archive.

Just type a URL into the Wayback Machine search box, and you’ll get to see how the website looked in the past when it was archived.

Internet Wayback Archive Machine can save you a ton of headaches if you accidentally delete digital content from the website you’re working on. If you didn’t take a screenshot or don’t have a photographic memory and no way to retrieve it, an Internet Wayback machine can help. By regularly using the Wayback Machine website to archive content, you have another great option to find your deleted pages. The only thing you have to remember is to save pages and submit your website to the Web archive website.

Another useful application of Website archives for web developers is for showing potential clients how the website evolved over time. By showing how much better the new and improved website looks and functions compared to the old one you can get clients on board more easily.

So even if your website is not backed up, and some information got deleted, all is not lost and you might still be able to retrieve it by searching the Internet Archive website for the old version and archived pages of your website.

Did you also know that you can make Wayback Machine take a snapshot and save a version of your website at any given moment?
To take a snapshot of your website, all you have to do is go to Wayback Machine submission page and look for “Save Page” submission form on the main page. Type the url of the website you want to save and Internet Archive Machine will archive that page for your future reference.

Wayback Website Machine can also come in handy if you’re looking for a website that is no longer online. If it’s no longer available and was taken down, there is a good chance Wayback Machine archived it before it was removed.

You can also use Archive Machine for research and to see how websites have evolved over time.

You can use Wayback Machine for reference when working on rebuilding websites. It’s always a good idea to take a snapshot of the website you’re working on, just in case something goes wrong, or you need to reference the old website. I was even able to restore the client’s site fairly quickly after it was accidentally deleted.

Just remember to take frequent snapshots of your websites to make sure there is a version you can reference later on when you need it. And now Wayback Machine added a new Compare feature where you can track changes and compare them over time.

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Finally, if you plan to use the Internet Archive frequently, please consider making a donation on their website, so they can continue providing the services.

BONUS: Internet Wayback Machine Alternative

Wayback Machine is great, but if you’re looking for other similar services to archive websites there are similar services including Archive.Today

archive.today

Archive today works similarly. It takes a ‘snapshot’ of a webpage that will always be online even if the original page disappears. You can enter the URL of any website and it will create a digital archive record of your website. There is also an Archive.Today Chrome extension you can use if you plan to archive websites frequently.

So next time you need to archive a website to reference later you can use either of these tools.

Gene

Gene is Web Developer & the Founder of BigAppleMedia. He helps clients get leads & grow traffic by building smart & result driven websites and applying the latest SEO strategies. Schedule a Free Consultation