Server¶

The WebArc server provides HTTP access to an archive.

The server has two distinct roles:

• A Web UI for browsing and managing archives
• A stable HTTP API for programmatic access and integration

Both are served from the same process.

Starting the Server¶

Start a local WebArc server:

webarc serve

By default, this starts an HTTP server on localhost:8000

The server runs in the foreground and logs all activity.

Web Interface¶

The Web UI is designed for interactive exploration of an archive.

Through the browser interface, you can:

• Browse archived websites
• Navigate between domains and paths
• Inspect captured pages

Open the interface at:

http://localhost:8000/

Serving Archived Content¶

Archived HTTP responses are exposed under a stable path structure:

/s/<domain>/<path...>

For example:

/s/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website

serves the archived response for:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website

Snapshot Selection¶

If multiple snapshots of the same resource exist, a specific version can be selected using the time query parameter:

/s/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Website?time=2021-05-01

The server selects the archived response closest to the requested timestamp.

If no timestamp is provided, the server uses the default snapshot selection strategy (e.g. most recent).

HTTP API¶

In addition to serving archived pages, the WebArc server exposes an HTTP API for programmatic access.

The API allows other applications to:

• Query archive contents
• Enumerate domains, paths, and snapshots
• Retrieve metadata about requests and responses
• Build higher-level tools on top of WebArc archives

API endpoints are served from the same base URL as the web interface.