Submission Guidelines
We accept historically significant web content from 1990–1999. Follow these standards to ensure your materials are preserved accurately, securely, and permanently.
Acceptance Criteria
What We Do & Don't Accept
✅ We Accept
- Static HTML files (HTML 2.0 through 4.01)
- Inline/embedded assets (GIFs, PNGs, early JPEGs, MIDI, WAV)
- Table-based layouts, framesets, and early CSS (v1/2)
- Client-side archives (.tar.gz, .zip, .hqx, .sit)
- Physical media (CD-ROM, 3.5" floppy, Zip disks) upon request
- Documentation, READMEs, and contextual notes
❌ We Decline
- Dynamic server-rendered content (PHP, ASP, ColdFusion)
- Modern frameworks (React, Vue, Angular, etc.)
- Database dumps or backend configurations
- Copyrighted material without proper provenance
- Malware, exploits, or illegal content
- Uncompressed assets exceeding 500MB per submission
Submission Process
How to Submit Your Archive
01
Prepare Your Files
Organize your content into a clean directory structure. Use relative paths for all internal links. Strip unnecessary modern metadata from files.
02
Generate Metadata
Create a metadata.json file following our schema. This is mandatory for indexing, verification, and searchability.
03
Compress & Encrypt
Package your submission into a .tar.gz archive. GPG encryption is optional but recommended for sensitive or private collections.
04
Upload or Ship
Use our secure upload portal for files under 2GB. For larger or physical media submissions, contact our preservation team for SFTP or courier arrangements.
Metadata Schema
Required Documentation Format
Every submission must include a metadata.json at the root level. Fields marked with required cannot be omitted.
{
"submission_id": "SUB-1990-0824",
"title": "GeoCities Personal Page", required
"author": "J. Doe", required
"original_url": "http://home.geocities.com/...", required
"creation_date": "1996-11-04", required
"technology_stack": [
"HTML 3.2", "Frames", "MIDI", "WebRing"
],
"context_notes": "Originally hosted on GeoCities. Contains early web design experiments...",
"preservation_level": 3,
"rights_statement": "Public Domain / CC0 1.0" required
}
Frequently Asked Questions
Submission FAQ
Can I submit content created after 1999?
No. Our mandate strictly covers 1990–1999. For later eras, we recommend the Wayback Machine or Internet Archive's general collection.
What if I only have screenshots or a PDF?
We prioritize source code, but high-resolution screenshots, PDF exports, or printed manuals are accepted as supplementary materials. Mark them clearly as "format": "reference_only".
How long does verification take?
Standard submissions are processed within 5–10 business days. Cryptographically verified or physical media submissions may take 2–4 weeks due to manual inspection and checksum validation.
Will my submission be publicly visible?
Yes, unless you opt for restricted access during submission. All approved content is indexed and rendered through our public viewer with full preservation metadata attached.
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Ready to Preserve History?
Submit your collection today. Our preservation team will verify, authenticate, and archive it for future generations.
Access Submission Portal →