Core API Documentation v1.4.0

The 1990 Web Archive Core API provides programmatic access to our curated collection of early web artifacts. All endpoints support JSON responses, cursor-based pagination, and cryptographic verification of archived content.

Authentication

All API requests require a valid API key passed via the X-1990-Archive-Key header. Keys are scoped to specific collections and can be managed in your developer dashboard.

Header	Type	Description
X-1990-Archive-Keyrequired	string	Your secret API key
X-Client-Version	string	Optional: SDK or client version
Accept	string	Defaults to application/json

                        Bash
                        
# Example request with curl
curl -X GET "https://api.1990webarchive.com/v1/archive/search" \
  -H "X-1990-Archive-Key: sk_live_8f7a...9x2m" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

Endpoints

GET /v1/archive/search Stable

Query the archive index for preserved pages, assets, or metadata matching era-specific criteria.

q string Search query or URL pattern

era range Date range (e.g., 1995-1999)

format enum html, gif, mid, full_render

cursor string Pagination cursor

POST /v1/archive/render Stable

Triggers an on-demand pixel-perfect rendering of an archived page using era-appropriate browser emulation.

archive_id string Unique identifier of the archived page

emulator enum netscape_30, ie_40, mozilla_1_0

viewport string Resolution string (e.g., 800x600)

GET /v1/geo/profiles/:id Beta

Retrieves structured metadata for a recovered GeoCities or Angelfire personal homepage.

id string Path segment or numeric ID

include_assets boolean Include base64 thumbnails and GIF manifests

GET /v1/system/health Stable

Returns system status, storage utilization, and crawler queue depth.

                                JSON Response
                            

{
  "status": "operational",
  "storage_tb": 142.8,
  "active_crawlers": 12,
  "queue_depth": 3420,
  "last_backup": "2024-11-14T08:30:00Z"
}
                            

Rate Limits & Quotas

Tier Allocation

Free Tier: 100 requests/hour, 5 concurrent renders
Researcher: 5,000 requests/hour, 50 concurrent renders
Enterprise: Custom limits, dedicated crawler nodes, SLA support

Rate limit headers are included in every response:

                        Response Headers
                    

X-RateLimit-Limit: 1000
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 842
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1700000000
Retry-After: 45 (only on 429)
                    

Error Codes

The API uses standard HTTP status codes. Detailed error payloads are returned in JSON format.

Code	Meaning	Resolution
200	OK	Request successful
400	Bad Request	Malformed query or invalid parameters
401	Unauthorized	Missing or expired API key
429	Too Many Requests	Check Retry-After header and implement backoff
500	Internal Server Error	Archival node failure. Retry with exponential backoff.

Need Help?

Check our SDK repository on GitHub, join the #api-support channel on Discord, or contact developer-relations@1990webarchive.com for enterprise access.