Archive a web page before it goes.

The quick answer

To archive a web page publicly, paste its address into Save Page Now at web.archive.org: you get a permanent link anyone can open. To keep a private copy, save the page in your browser (Ctrl+S or Save as PDF) or with an extension such as DefyRot, which keeps a clean copy offline and opens it if the link dies. For pages you cite, do both.

Why archive a page at all

Because the web forgets fast. Pew Research found that 38% of web pages that existed in 2013 could no longer be reached ten years later, and a quarter of all pages from 2013 to 2023 were gone. If a page backs up your work, your research or a decision, keep a copy while it is still there.

1. The Wayback Machine

• Go to web.archive.org, paste the address into Save Page Now and press Save.
• You get a permanent public link in the form web.archive.org/web/<date>/<address> that you can cite or share.

What to know: the copy is public. Pages behind a login cannot be saved, some sites block the archive, and site owners can ask for their pages to be excluded.

2. archive.today

archive.today (also at archive.ph) takes a snapshot and a screenshot of the page and gives you a short public link. It is useful when the Wayback Machine cannot capture a page. The copy is public here too, and you may be asked to solve a captcha.

3. A private copy on your own device

Public archives are for citing. For your own reference, keep a copy you control:

• Save As or Save as PDF in your browser (see how to save a web page offline).
• A saving extension. DefyRot keeps a clean Markdown copy of each page you save, inside your browser. It works on pages you are signed in to, because it saves what your own browser shows, and when the original link breaks it opens your copy instead.

Public or private: which should you use?

• Citing a source in a paper, article or report: a public archive link, so readers can check it.
• Keeping references for your own work: a private copy, which works offline and stays yours.
• Anything important: both. They cost nothing and fail in different ways.

How do I go back in time on a website?

Type the address into the search box at web.archive.org. A calendar shows every date the page was captured; pick one to see the page as it was. If you need an older copy of a page that is already gone, see how to see a web page that no longer exists.

When I save a website, where does it go?

• Save As and Save as PDF: your Downloads folder, unless you choose another.
• Wayback Machine and archive.today: their servers, as a public page.
• DefyRot: a local database inside your browser, on your own machine. With Pro, an encrypted backup can sync to your other devices.

Related guides

• How to See a Web Page That No Longer Exists
• What Is Link Rot? Causes, Examples and How to Avoid It
• How to Save a Web Page Offline in Chrome