# Wayback Machine

An MCP server and CLI for the Wayback Machine. Search snapshots, pull archived page content, compare versions — no API keys needed.

- MCP server · `type=mcp` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), Cline, Zed, Gemini CLI · ★ 60
- Author: Mearman
- License: not stated · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/Mearman/mcp-wayback-machine
- Updated: 2026-10-06
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/mcp/wayback-machine

## What it does

The server exposes the Wayback Machine to your agent as a set of tools. `search_archives` queries the CDX API, `get_archived_url` returns a stored copy of a page, and `save_url` submits a URL for archiving through SPN2. Rounding it out are `list_screenshots`, `compare_snapshots` and `check_archive_status`. The same operations run from a terminal: `src/bin.ts` figures out whether it was started as a CLI or as an MCP server and routes accordingly.

Anonymous requests work, but they share a ceiling of 15 requests per minute. Set `WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY` and `WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY` — issued from your archive.org account — and SPN2 limits go up. Responses are cached, with TTLs chosen per endpoint: 24 hours for snapshot content, an hour for search and status, 30 minutes for save operations.

Building from source takes Node.js 22+ and pnpm. Installing through `npx` only needs Node 22, since the package ships compiled. One thing to know: end-to-end tests hit the live API and stay off unless `WAYBACK_LIVE_TESTS` is exported in your shell.

## Requirements
- Needs: Node.js (commands run via npx)
- Environment variables: `WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY`, `WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY` — keys and tokens: ask the human for the values, never commit them or put them in shared files.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

**Platform CLI**
```bash
claude mcp add mcp-wayback-machine -e WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY=<WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY> -e WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY=<WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY> -- npx -y mcp-wayback-machine
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Codex

**Platform CLI**
```bash
codex mcp add wayback-machine --env WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY=<WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY> --env WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY=<WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY> -- npx -y mcp-wayback-machine
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Cursor

**Config file**
File `.cursor/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "wayback-machine": {
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "mcp-wayback-machine"
            ],
            "env": {
                "WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY": "<WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY>",
                "WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY": "<WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### GitHub Copilot

**Config file**
File `.vscode/mcp.json`:
```json
{
    "servers": {
        "wayback-machine": {
            "type": "stdio",
            "command": "npx",
            "args": [
                "-y",
                "mcp-wayback-machine"
            ],
            "env": {
                "WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY": "<WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY>",
                "WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY": "<WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY>"
            }
        }
    }
}
```
Replace <…> with your own values

### Gemini CLI

**Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini mcp add -e WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY=<WAYBACK_ACCESS_KEY> -e WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY=<WAYBACK_SECRET_KEY> wayback-machine npx -y mcp-wayback-machine
```
Replace <…> with your own values

## When to use it
- see how a page looked before an edit
- list every archived version of a URL by date
- diff two snapshots of the same page
- archive a page without leaving the agent
- check whether Wayback already captured an address

## Example prompts
- Find all Wayback Machine snapshots of example.com from 2023
- Fetch the archived copy of this URL and show me the text
- Save the current version of this page to the archive and tell me when it's done

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md