FIELD GUIDE / 001
How to find a website that vanished.
An old URL is a better starting point than a vague memory of a spinning globe.
Internet Archaeology Department · September 30, 2026
Start with the address
If you have the original URL, enter it in the Wayback Machine. Try the page you remember, not only the homepage. Available capture dates give you places to begin.
Read the gaps
A capture may have missing pictures, unavailable scripts, or links that jump to another date. Treat what you see as preserved evidence with limits, rather than a complete recreation.
Keep your trail
Record the original address, capture date, and archive URL when taking notes. That makes a find easier for someone else to revisit. Internet archaeology is more fun when the footnotes still work.
Build a small evidence sheet
Before searching, write down what you remember and mark it as memory rather than fact. Include possible spellings, an approximate period, and any address fragments. Keep a second column for what you actually find. This small separation helps prevent a familiar-looking page from becoming a confident but unsupported identification.
Search the page, not just the brand
Our suggested workflow starts with the most specific address you have. A homepage may survive while the article, fan page, or product listing you want does not. Conversely, an interior page can be a useful lead even when the homepage is unhelpful. Record each address you try so you can retrace your route instead of repeating the same hopeful clicks.
Compare before drawing a conclusion
Choose two available captures and compare one detail at a time: navigation, introductory text, a named creator, or a visible announcement. Describe the evidence narrowly. Finding a feature in one capture and not another does not establish its exact launch date. It gives you a question and a possible period to investigate.
Know when to change tools
If your question concerns the look of an interface, explore Web Design Museum. If you want to investigate the browser environment, try OldWeb.Today. If the missing object is a game or animation, Flashpoint or Ruffle may be more relevant. These are different routes through different kinds of surviving material; none guarantees a result.
Leave a trail someone else can follow
Finish with a short research note: what you sought, where you looked, what you found, and what remains uncertain. Include links and dates. If you found nothing, say that your search did not locate a capture—not that the page never existed. The best excavation note sometimes ends with a useful unanswered question.
Sources & places to explore
An original introductory guide based on the project sources above. Availability and compatibility may change.