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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteArchiveBox’s REST API documentation is served by your own installation at /api/v1/docs. Use that live schema to confirm the URL-submission route and payload before sending a request: the official guide documents authentication and snapshot listing, but does not establish one universal add-URL endpoint or capture-completion field. Once you have a token, the documented snapshot endpoint can retrieve records; a record listing alone is not proof that a capture is finished.
Find the API documentation for your ArchiveBox instance
Open http://api.archivebox.localhost:5797/api/v1/docs as an example of the interactive API documentation address. The hostname and port vary by deployment, so replace this example with the address configured for your server. The REST API has been available since ArchiveBox v0.8.0, but the project labels it alpha; use the documentation served by the version you actually run rather than assuming routes or schemas are identical across installations. ArchiveBox’s authentication guide explains the entry point.
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In the interactive schema, locate the operation for creating or adding a snapshot. Verify its HTTP method, path, required request body or parameters, response shape, and required permissions. Do not infer the REST route from a CLI command or Python function: those interfaces are documented separately and do not establish the REST request format.
Authenticate with a token
ArchiveBox documents creating an API token through the Admin UI or by posting your username and password to /api/v1/auth/get_api_token. This example follows the official guide’s local-host convention; replace the host and credentials with those for your installation.
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curl -X POST 'http://api.archivebox.localhost:5797/api/v1/auth/get_api_token'
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'
-d '{"username":"YOURUSERNAMEHERE","password":"YOURPASSWORDHERE"}'Use the returned token as a bearer token for subsequent calls. The guide also documents X-ArchiveBox-API-Key for deployments where a reverse proxy consumes the bearer header. Avoid putting a key in a query parameter unless you understand the exposure risk: anyone who obtains that URL may be able to use the API. See the authentication documentation for the supported options.
Add a URL through the REST API
There is no verified, universal REST add-URL route or payload to copy here. Open /api/v1/docs on the running instance and use the operation it exposes for adding a URL. Follow that operation’s exact method, path, body, and response schema. The REST API is alpha, so confirming these details against the installed version is part of making the integration reliable.
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For a documented REST call, supply the bearer token in the Authorization header. The particular submission request depends on the schema shown by your server; do not substitute a guessed endpoint or assume that parameters from another interface apply.
Retrieve snapshot records and interpret status carefully
The official authentication guide demonstrates retrieving snapshot records with GET /api/v1/core/snapshots?limit=10. Using the same example host, an authenticated request is:
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curl -X GET 'http://api.archivebox.localhost:5797/api/v1/core/snapshots?limit=10'
-H 'accept: application/json'
-H 'Authorization: Bearer YOURAPITOKENHERE'This lists snapshot records; it does not by itself establish that a capture has completed. The reviewed API guidance does not define a universal completion field, whether adding a URL is synchronous, or a recommended polling interval. Inspect the response schema and lifecycle details in your instance’s interactive docs before building status logic. In particular, distinguish a record existing from its capture work being finished.
For local operational checks, the installation documentation also describes archivebox list and archivebox status. These can help inspect snapshots and collection health, but they are not documented as equivalent to a specific REST status field. See the installation and configuration guide.
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Choose between REST, CLI, and Python
| Interface | Best fit | What the documentation establishes | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| REST API | A separate process or service that needs HTTP access to ArchiveBox. | Token authentication and snapshot listing are documented. | The API is alpha; check the running instance’s schema for add routes, payloads, and status behavior. |
| CLI | Local workflows running where ArchiveBox is installed. | archivebox add URL, stdin and file imports, and input formats including RSS, XML, Netscape bookmarks, and URL text are documented. |
CLI behavior does not specify the REST endpoint or its request body. |
| Python | Local Python integration with access to the ArchiveBox data directory and environment. | The usage guide shows Django initialization followed by a call to the add function. | The Python API is labeled beta; it is not a REST request recipe. |
Documented local alternatives for adding URLs
Use the command line
For a local installation, the usage documentation gives these forms:
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echo 'https://example.com' | archivebox add
cat urls_to_archive.txt | archivebox add
archivebox add < urls_to_archive.txtThe CLI also documents --depth=1 for including a URL’s one-hop outlinks. These examples are CLI workflows; use the instance API schema when the caller must submit through REST. ArchiveBox’s usage guide covers these imports.
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Call the Python function locally
The documented Python example changes to the data directory, initializes Django, and calls add. It requires local access to that installation’s environment and data directory:
import os
from pathlib import Path
DATA_DIR = Path("~/archivebox/data").expanduser()
os.chdir(DATA_DIR)
from archivebox.config.django import setup_django
setup_django(check_db=True)
from archivebox.cli.archivebox_add import add
crawl, snapshots = add(urls=["https://example.com"], index_only=True)
print(crawl.id, list(snapshots.values_list("id", flat=True)))The example’s index_only=True behavior and returned crawl and snapshot objects belong to the Python interface. Do not treat them as a specification for REST fields. The usage documentation provides the local integration context.
Troubleshoot common integration problems
- The docs URL does not load: confirm the hostname, port, and API path for your deployment. The
api.archivebox.localhost:5797address is an example, not a universal server address. - A request is unauthorized: confirm the token was created for this instance and is sent as
Authorization: Bearer YOURAPITOKENHERE. If a reverse proxy consumes that header, check whether the documentedX-ArchiveBox-API-Keyheader is appropriate for your setup. - You are unsure how to submit a URL: inspect the live API schema for the installed version. A CLI command or Python call does not verify a REST route or body.
- A snapshot appears, but your client says the capture is done: do not equate record presence with completion. Confirm the response fields and lifecycle semantics in the instance docs before defining a completion condition.
- A query-string key may have leaked: treat the URL as sensitive because possession of it may grant API access. Prefer the documented header-based authentication method and handle exposed credentials according to your deployment’s security procedures.
Or skip the browser setup
If your task is to capture a rendered website screenshot rather than add an archive to your own ArchiveBox installation, ScreenshotNeo can return an image or PDF with one request. It is a separate screenshot API, not an ArchiveBox REST client; it does not add records to an ArchiveBox collection.
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for the available parameters. Cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots, and 1,000 screenshots a month are free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for free ScreenshotNeo access.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ArchiveBox document a universal REST endpoint for adding a URL?
The endpoint and request schema must be confirmed in the interactive API docs served by the ArchiveBox instance you run.
Does the snapshots endpoint prove that a capture has finished?
No. It retrieves snapshot records, but completion semantics must be verified in the running instance’s API schema.
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