Archive API Reference

Comprehensive documentation for integrating with the 1990 Web Archive platform. Access decades of preserved web history programmatically.

Introduction

The 1990 Web Archive API provides programmatic access to our repository of early internet content. Whether you're a researcher studying digital culture, a developer building retro web tools, or an institution preserving digital heritage, our RESTful API gives you structured access to millions of archived pages, assets, and metadata records.

Authentication

All API requests require authentication via Bearer token. You can generate and manage your API keys from the Developer Dashboard.

GET /v2/archive/search HTTP/1.1
Host: api.1990webarchive.com
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type: application/json

Search & Discovery

Query the archive by URL, era, technology, or content type. Supports full-text search across HTML, text, and metadata.

GET /archive/search

Retrieve archived pages matching your query parameters. Results are paginated and sorted by relevance by default.

const response = await fetch('https://api.1990webarchive.com/v2/archive/search', {
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
});

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data.results);

GET /archive/render

Retrieve a fully reconstructed version of an archived webpage, complete with inline assets and era-appropriate rendering hints.

Rate Limits

API access is tiered based on your subscription plan. Standard limits apply to search and render endpoints.