archive.today / Wayback Machine / Perma.cc / Kiroku
Source, time, rendering, files, verification, and handoff
Add case-specific columns without retyping the framework
A fixed date makes later changes auditable
This operational checklist was compiled from public service documentation reviewed on August 18, 2026. It is not legal advice, product certification, or a controlled performance benchmark. Features and capture results can change. Inspect every important capture and ask qualified counsel about filing requirements.
- Treat historical discovery and proactive capture as two separate tasks
- archive.today says it stores both a text and a graphical copy, so this matrix does not label it screenshot-free
- Wayback Machine Save Page Now captures one submitted page; it does not initiate a whole-site crawl
- A matching hash helps check file identity but does not prove the source page was truthful or guarantee admissibility
- For important records, inspect the result, export a local copy when available, and consider an independent second archive
Web archives solve different problems: finding an old page, capturing a page now, keeping scholarly citations alive, or preserving a record that another person can inspect later. This resource maps four services against the same documented criteria and publishes Kiroku's original 14-point capture QA checklist as a reusable CSV. It does not invent success rates or promise legal outcomes; it helps you see what was captured, what was missed, and what can be independently checked.
There is no useful answer to 'Which web archive is best?' until you define the job. Searching for a page that is already gone, capturing a page that is live now, preventing citation link rot, and documenting file integrity require different outputs.
This matrix therefore avoids popularity and speed claims. It records what each service's official materials say it produces and where those materials state limitations. The accompanying CSV turns the comparison into a repeatable intake and quality-assurance process for research, reporting, legal consultation, and internal investigations.
Method and scope
We mapped statements in each service's official homepage, help center, or user guide to a common set of questions about capture trigger, output, history, access, verification material, and stated limitations.
For Kiroku, we also checked the actual capture artifact structure. Conditional features stay conditional in the table; an undocumented behavior is not converted into a confident yes or no.
We did not rank speed, success rate, collection size, or legal strength. Those claims require a controlled, repeatable test set and can vary with region, bot controls, JavaScript, authentication, and the target page itself.
Institutional programs such as the National Diet Library's WARP select and periodically collect sites for long-term access. That differs in purpose and granularity from the four user-triggered, single-page workflows, so WARP is cited as institutional context rather than placed in the product matrix.
- Record conditions instead of flattening every feature to a checkmark
- Label undocumented behavior as unknown rather than filling gaps with assumptions
- Separate a completed capture job from a capture that replays all required elements
- Publish the review date so readers can identify stale comparisons
We did not repeatedly submit a controlled URL set under identical network conditions. Accordingly, this page makes no 'fastest' or '100% success' claim.
Documented-capability matrix
Choose by job: history for discovery, concrete artifacts for capture, durable links for citation, and portable verification material for evidence workflows.
| Question | archive.today | Wayback Machine | Perma.cc | Kiroku |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary workflow | On-demand public snapshot and saved-URL search | Browse prior captures or save one page with Save Page Now | Prevent link rot in web citations | Capture a live public page for review, search, and sharing |
| Output described by the service | Text and graphical copies | Page plus retrievable images and CSS; missing assets can affect replay | Interactive archive view and screenshot view | Screenshot, self-contained HTML, extracted text, and summary |
| Historical discovery | Search saved snapshots by URL, host, and supported patterns | Browse captures for a URL on a calendar | Open previously created Perma Links | Search Kiroku's previously saved public records by URL or query |
| Scope of one submission | A snapshot of the submitted page | Save Page Now saves one submitted page, not an entire site crawl | Creates a Perma Link from the submitted reference | Creates one record from the submitted public URL |
| Public / private model | Treat as a shareable public snapshot | Primarily public Wayback access | Supports public and private record workflows | Public by default; Pro can select private before capture |
| Verification context | Source URL, capture time, and stable snapshot link | Source URL, capture time, and Wayback URL | Creation date, source URL, and Perma Link | Source URL, capture time, SHA-256, and external RFC 3161 timestamp; evidence-pack export is Pro |
| Documented limitation | Saved pages disable active elements and scripts | One-page scope; images or other assets can be missing | Failed captures may allow an uploaded image or PDF alternative | Authentication, access controls, and dynamic elements can prevent full reproduction |
Do not infer that one output includes the others. Open the capture and verify the exact artifact your workflow needs.
Want the steps in this guide to hold up as evidence?
Every save — including Guest saves — automatically gets an external RFC 3161 timestamp. Pro lets you download that proof as an evidence pack and adds private archives, URL monitoring, and diff checks on top.
- External timestamp auto-attached to every save, even Guest
- Pro unlocks the evidence pack download for past Guest saves too
- Private archives, URL monitoring, diff checks, and archive management
The 14-point post-capture check
At minimum, verify source URL, capture time, required rendering, and documented failures. For handoff or dispute work, add an inventory, hashes, timestamp material, an operator note, and an independent second copy.
| # | Check | Minimum record | How to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Source URL | Exact submitted URL as text | Compare the worksheet with capture metadata |
| 2 | Final URL | Both URLs when redirects occur | Compare the browser destination and metadata |
| 3 | Capture time | Timestamp with time-zone offset | Prefer UTC or an explicit offset |
| 4 | Page identity | Title, publisher, account, or author | Inspect the header and body |
| 5 | Primary visual | Full view containing the relevant section | Check truncation, consent walls, and errors |
| 6 | Body text | Searchable or quotable text | Compare headings and key passages |
| 7 | Context | Quotes, replies, adjacent pages, and relationships | Capture related URLs as separate records |
| 8 | Embedded items | Images, video poster, charts, or PDFs | Look for placeholders and missing assets |
| 9 | Artifact formats | Image, HTML, PDF, or other types | Open each actual file once |
| 10 | Capture limits | Login wall, CAPTCHA, unloaded areas | Preserve failure notes instead of hiding them |
| 11 | File inventory | Name, size, and purpose of each file | Record in a manifest or worksheet |
| 12 | Hash | SHA-256 for each covered file | Recompute and compare with the recorded value |
| 13 | External time material | TSA response when available | Verify which hash the response covers |
| 14 | Handoff and redundancy | Owner, purpose, storage, independent copy | Add a short note another person can follow |
A five-minute operational workflow
State whether this is personal reference, research citation, internal documentation, or consultation material. Choose a private workflow before sending sensitive or personal data to any public archive.
Contacting an author, reporting a post, refreshing, or signing out can change what is visible. Write down the URL and current time first.
A completed job is not enough. Open the screenshot, HTML, and text and confirm that the relevant material is present.
Preserve quoted posts, replies, profiles, attachments, or PDFs as related records, then note how they connect.
Complete the CSV status column. For important work, export locally and add a capture from an independent service.
What hashes and timestamps do—and do not—show
SHA-256 supports a byte-for-byte identity check. An RFC 3161 timestamp supports checking that the covered data existed no later than the stated time. Neither proves that statements on the source page were true.
- A hash alone does not identify the operator, procedure, or source URL
- A correct screenshot can still omit off-screen context or prior interactions
- An external timestamp supports existence-at-time analysis, not truth assessment
- Admissibility and weight depend on jurisdiction, procedure, testimony, and objections
- Keep the source URL, timestamp, artifacts, limitations, and operator note together
A third party should be able to recompute the hash, validate the timestamp when present, and understand capture limitations without relying on marketing language.
Download the editable checklist
The CSV includes priority, minimum requirement, verification method, status, and notes for all 14 checks. Add case ID, retention schedule, or reviewer columns as needed.
It is licensed CC BY 4.0. When adapting it, attribute 'Kiroku Web Archive Evidence Checklist (2026-08-18 edition)' and link to this page.
Summary
Web archives solve different problems: finding an old page, capturing a page now, keeping scholarly citations alive, or preserving a record that another person can inspect later. This resource maps four services against the same documented criteria and publishes Kiroku's original 14-point capture QA checklist as a reusable CSV. It does not invent success rates or promise legal outcomes; it helps you see what was captured, what was missed, and what can be independently checked.
FAQ
Are archive.today and archive.is different services?
They are domains used by the same service. Use an official domain that resolves for you and record the resulting snapshot URL in your worksheet.
Does archive.today lack screenshots?
Its official homepage says the service saves both a text and a graphical copy, so this matrix does not mark it as image-free. You should still inspect whether the required area rendered correctly.
Is one archive service enough?
It may be enough for ordinary reference. For fragile sources, research citations, or dispute-related records, a local export and an independent second archive reduce reliance on a single service.
Can I reuse the CSV in an organizational procedure?
Yes. Under CC BY 4.0, you can translate it, add columns, and incorporate it into an internal template with attribution and a link to this page.
Does passing every check guarantee court admissibility?
No. The checklist reduces avoidable gaps; it does not guarantee admissibility or legal effect. Ask qualified counsel about acquisition, retention, and filing requirements early in a material case.
Sources
- archive.today official homepagehttps://archive.today/
- Internet Archive: Save Pages in the Wayback Machinehttps://archivesupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001513491-Save-Pages-in-the-Wayback-Machine
- Perma.cc User Guidehttps://perma.cc/docs
- Kiroku: Verification method and public samplehttps://kiroku.today/en/trust
- National Diet Library WARP Help (capture and replay limitations)https://warp.ndl.go.jp/info/help
- NIST FIPS 180-4: Secure Hash Standardhttps://csrc.nist.gov/pubs/fips/180-4/upd1/final
- RFC 3161: Time-Stamp Protocolhttps://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3161
- Creative Commons Attribution 4.0https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Capture, then run the 14 checks
After saving a public page with Kiroku, verify the URL, timestamp, visual, text, limitations, and verification material. Choose a private save before submitting sensitive content.
Guest saves are free and include an external RFC 3161 timestamp automatically. Pro unlocks the evidence pack download and ongoing archive workflows.