Wayback Machine
A bridge to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine that works without authentication (though you can add credentials for higher SPN2 rate limits). You get seven tools: save URLs, retrieve archived snapshots, search the CDX API for historical captures, check availability via sparkline, list screenshots, compare snapshots, and clear cache. Built with a 15 req/min token bucket rate limiter, automatic Retry-After handling for 429s, and tiered cache TTLs (24h for immutable snapshot content, 1h for CDX/availability, 30min for saves). Reach for this when you need to programmatically archive pages, pull historical versions of a site, or diff snapshots across time. Ships as both an MCP server and a CLI, written in TypeScript with strict Zod validation and full test coverage.
- GitHub stars
- 33
- tools
- 7
- auth
- Secret needed
- transport
- STDIO
- env vars
- 2
- last updated
- May 31, 2026
Tools
7 toolsPublic tool metadata for what this MCP can expose to an agent.
save_urlArchive a URL to the Wayback Machine using the SPN2 API.
Archive a URL to the Wayback Machine using the SPN2 API.
No parameter schema in public metadata yet.
get_archived_urlRetrieve an archived snapshot's content and metadata.
Retrieve an archived snapshot's content and metadata.
No parameter schema in public metadata yet.
search_archivesSearch the CDX API for archived versions of a URL.
Search the CDX API for archived versions of a URL.
No parameter schema in public metadata yet.
check_archive_statusCheck archival statistics for a URL — capture counts, yearly breakdowns, and first/last capture dates.
Check archival statistics for a URL — capture counts, yearly breakdowns, and first/last capture dates.
No parameter schema in public metadata yet.
list_screenshotsList available screenshots for a URL.
List available screenshots for a URL.
No parameter schema in public metadata yet.
compare_snapshotsCompare two archived snapshots of a URL. Fetches the raw content of both and provides a visual diff URL.
Compare two archived snapshots of a URL. Fetches the raw content of both and provides a visual diff URL.
No parameter schema in public metadata yet.
clear_cacheClear all cached API responses. Use when fresh data is needed or after saving a new URL.
Clear all cached API responses. Use when fresh data is needed or after saving a new URL.
No parameter schema in public metadata yet.
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WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEYsecretInternet Archive S3 access key for higher SPN2 rate limits. Optional — anonymous mode works without it.
WAYBACK_SECRET_KEYsecretInternet Archive S3 secret key for higher SPN2 rate limits. Optional — anonymous mode works without it.
Readme
MCP Wayback Machine Server
MCP server and CLI tool for interacting with the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. Supports full CDX search, snapshot content retrieval, screenshot listing, snapshot comparison, and optional authentication for higher SPN2 rate limits.
Details
- Repository
- github.com/mearman/mcp-wayback-machine
- Package
mcp-wayback-machine- Transport
- STDIO
- Auth
- Required
- Registry
- MCP registry, active