To save the pages listed in a text file, run archivebox add < urls_to_archive.txt from your ArchiveBox data directory. ArchiveBox reads URLs from standard input and creates local snapshots. You can also pipe the file into archivebox add; Docker and Docker Compose support the same basic workflow.
Prepare ArchiveBox and your URL list
Install and initialize ArchiveBox using the official instructions for your chosen setup before importing pages. The supported installation and platform guidance can change between releases; the official Quickstart describes support for macOS and Ubuntu on amd64 or arm64, and Docker on Linux and macOS, while noting that other operating systems were not tested for that release.
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Create a plain-text file such as urls_to_archive.txt with one page URL per line:
https://example.com/
https://example.org/aboutUse full URLs, including the scheme (https:// or http://). Save the file somewhere you can reference from the ArchiveBox data directory, or use its full path in the command.
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Import the list from a terminal
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Open a terminal in your ArchiveBox data directory.
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Run:
archivebox add < urls_to_archive.txt -
Wait for ArchiveBox to process the submitted pages. Then inspect the
archivedirectory or use the web interface to view the resulting snapshots.
The equivalent pipe form is:
cat urls_to_archive.txt | archivebox addBoth commands feed the file contents to ArchiveBox through standard input. For a list stored elsewhere, provide its path, for example archivebox add < ~/Downloads/urls_to_archive.txt.
Run the same import with Docker
For plain Docker, the official Quickstart demonstrates passing the URL list on standard input with -i:
docker run -v $PWD:/data -i archivebox/archivebox:dev add < your_urls.txtHere, the current directory is mounted as /data, so run the command in the directory you intend to use for ArchiveBox data. The -i option keeps standard input open so the container can read the redirected file.
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With Docker Compose, use the documented -T option to disable pseudo-TTY allocation for the redirected input:
docker compose run --rm -T archivebox add < your_urls.txtThese examples use the image and service names shown in the Quickstart. If your installation uses a different Compose service or image configuration, substitute the names from your setup while preserving the standard-input handling.
Import bookmarks and feeds, not just text files
ArchiveBox can extract URLs from other URL-bearing inputs as well. The Usage guide demonstrates importing RSS or XML feeds and bookmark exports, including Netscape-format HTML and JSON. For example:
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archivebox add < ~/Downloads/pinboard_bookmarks.jsonYou can also pass a feed URL to archivebox add, as shown in the Quickstart. These inputs are parsed for URLs; they do not need to be converted into a hand-written one-URL-per-line file first.
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Choose whether to archive only submitted URLs or follow links
A plain URL-list import submits the listed pages; it does not ask ArchiveBox to crawl links from them. If you deliberately want the submitted URL and links one hop away, add --depth=1:
archivebox add --depth=1 < urls_to_archive.txtThis increases the scope beyond the pages in your input file. Use it only when that broader capture is intended.
Find and understand the saved snapshots
ArchiveBox stores snapshots as files in its local archive. Depending on the page and the extractors configured, a snapshot may include formats such as HTML, PDF, PNG, JSON, or WARC. Do not expect every format for every URL: the available outputs depend on the page and configuration.
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Troubleshoot common URL-list import problems
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archivebox: command not found: The command is not available in the current shell or environment. Confirm that ArchiveBox is installed for the setup you chose, then run the command in that environment and from the data directory. -
The command reports no URLs or imports nothing: Check that the file path is correct, that the file contains actual URLs, and that the redirection operator points into the command:
archivebox add < urls_to_archive.txt. -
Docker does not receive the file: Use the stdin-related options shown in the official examples:
-ifordocker runand-Tfordocker compose run. Also confirm the working directory and mounted data path are the ones you intend.The Tool Desk
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Some pages do not produce the expected files: Snapshot outputs vary by page and configured extractors. A missing PDF, image, or other format does not by itself mean that every part of the import failed.
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You expected linked pages to be included: A basic URL-list import does not request link crawling. Add
--depth=1only if you want one-hop links included.
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ArchiveBox saves local snapshots; ScreenshotNeo is a separate screenshot API for returning an image or PDF from a URL, not a replacement for a local ArchiveBox collection. Its one-call API example is:
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 request options. ScreenshotNeo accepts cookie or consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; each of those steps can be turned off. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and response headers report the page verdict and billing status. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for AI agents and MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does ArchiveBox save every URL as a PDF?
No. Snapshot formats depend on the page and the extractors configured; a PDF is not guaranteed for each URL.
Can I import a bookmark export without converting it to a text list?
Yes. ArchiveBox can parse URL-bearing inputs such as Netscape-format bookmark HTML and JSON exports.
Quick Recap
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