Request Parameters
Complete specification for structuring API requests to the 1990 Web Archive. Includes query parameters, headers, path variables, and request payloads.
Note: All requests must include a valid
X-API-Key header. Base URL: https://api.1990webarchive.org/v1
Request Headers
Headers control authentication, content negotiation, and archival behavior.
| Header | Type | Required | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-API-Key | string | REQUIRED | Authentication token for API access | sk_live_8f2a91... |
| Authorization | string | OPTIONAL | Bearer token for OAuth2 flows | Bearer eyJhbG... |
| Accept | string | OPTIONAL | Response format preference | application/json |
| X-Archive-Mode | enum | OPTIONAL | Rendering engine for captures: original, emulated, modern |
emulated |
Query Parameters
Used for filtering, sorting, and paginating archive search and retrieval endpoints.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| q | string | OPTIONAL | Search query. Supports wildcard * and site: operators |
null |
| start_date | iso-8601 | OPTIONAL | Earliest capture timestamp to include | 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z |
| end_date | iso-8601 | OPTIONAL | Latest capture timestamp to include | 1999-12-31T23:59:59Z |
| format | enum | OPTIONAL | Output format: json, xml, html, warc |
json |
| page | integer | OPTIONAL | Page number for pagination | 1 |
| limit | integer | OPTIONAL | Results per page (max 100) | 20 |
| sort | enum | OPTIONAL | Sort order: date_asc, date_desc, relevance |
date_desc |
Path Parameters
Identifiers used directly in the URL path for resource-specific endpoints.
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| :archive_id | string | REQUIRED | Unique 12-character UUID for the archived page | arc_9f2b4c |
| :collection | string | OPTIONAL | Named collection slug (e.g., geocities, angelfire, dotcom) | geocities |
Request Body (POST/PUT)
Payload structure for submitting new archival requests or updating metadata.
JSON
{
"url": "http://www.example.com/~user94/",
"depth": 2,
"render_mode": "netscape_3",
"preserve_assets": true,
"tags": ["personal", "geoocities"],
"metadata": {
"author": "J. Smith",
"notes": "Original HTML with table layout"
}
}
"url": "http://www.example.com/~user94/",
"depth": 2,
"render_mode": "netscape_3",
"preserve_assets": true,
"tags": ["personal", "geoocities"],
"metadata": {
"author": "J. Smith",
"notes": "Original HTML with table layout"
}
}
Pagination & Rate Limits
Response pagination uses standard cursor-based pagination. Rate limits are enforced per API key.
Standard Tier
60 req/min
Free & trial accounts
Pro Tier
300 req/min
Researchers & developers
Enterprise
Unlimited
Custom SLA & bulk export
Pagination Response:
Link header includes rel="next" and rel="last". Use cursor tokens for reliable iteration across large result sets.
Complete Request Example
cURL
curl -X GET \
"https://api.1990webarchive.org/v1/search?q=site:geocities.com/area51/&start_date=1996-01-01&limit=5" \
-H "X-API-Key: sk_live_8f2a91b4c7d9e0" \
-H "Accept: application/json" \
-H "X-Archive-Mode: emulated"