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EnglishWhat Is Archiveteam and What Does wiki.archiveteam.org Do?
Updated
Archiveteam is a loose collective of volunteers—archivists, programmers, writers, and others—dedicated to saving digital heritage that is at risk of disappearing. The site wiki.archiveteam.org serves as an information hub and coordination point for archiving projects, mainly focused on rescuing websites and data facing shutdowns, mergers, or deletions. If you want to understand what the group does, find active projects, or learn how to contribute, this wiki is the central place to start.
What Archiveteam Is
According to the site's main page, Archiveteam describes itself as a "loose collective of rogue archivists, programmers, writers and loudmouths dedicated to saving our digital heritage." Since 2009, the group has tracked shutdowns, shutoffs, mergers, and deletions, working to save history before it is lost.
The organization is not a formal institution. It operates as a volunteer-driven effort with a clear message: "IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY"—meaning that losing digital history is not inevitable if people act to preserve it.
What the Wiki Does
The wiki functions as an "offloading point and information depot" for archiving projects. Its main purposes include:
- Coordinating team-based archiving efforts: Volunteers pull down and mirror data from websites at risk.
- Providing advice on managing and rescuing data: Beyond group projects, the site offers guidance for individuals.
- Listing active, upcoming, and finished projects: So contributors can see where help is needed.
How to Get Involved
The main page highlights several entry points for participation:
Run a Warrior
The primary way to contribute is by downloading and running a "warrior"—a tool that helps archive data as part of a distributed effort. The site directs newcomers to download and run their warrior, with an online tracker showing what's being archived.
Join a Project
Projects are organized by type and duration:
| Project Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Warrior-based | Telegram (current choice), short-term urgent projects |
| Medium-term | Meta Ad Library, US Government, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Voice of America |
| Long-term | Distributed recursive crawls, Telegram, Twitch, URLTeam, URLs |
Report a Shutdown
If you know of a website or service shutting down, the site suggests adding it to the "Deathwatch" list or reporting it via IRC.
Contribute Code
For those who want to program for Archiveteam, the wiki provides a starting point for developers.
Why It Matters
The wiki exists because digital content disappears regularly—when companies shut down, merge, or simply delete data. Archiveteam's response is organized, volunteer-driven archiving. The site makes that work visible and accessible: you can see what's at risk, what's being saved, and how to help.
Whether you want to run a warrior, report a shutdown, or just understand what digital preservation looks like in practice, wiki.archiveteam.org is the place to begin.