Help:Using WebCite
 | This article contains instructions, advice, or how-to content. |
This page gives information about using WebCite, which is an on-demand web archiving service. It is located at http://www.webcitation.org. By using WebCite, Wikipedia editors can preserve a copy of an online source that can be accessed if the original page is moved, changes, or disappears though link rot.
How to archive
At the WebCite archive form, users identify the URL they wish to archive, as well as additional source-identifying information. WebCite requires users to submit an email address that will receive a confirmation or failure email. WebCite will then send you to a page with the links to your archived webpage.
Previously archived web pages are accessible through a searchable database. Users may search by URL, date, or by "Snapshot ID."
Use within Wikipedia
Links archived with WebCite may appear in two forms. The first format displays the original URL and the date of archiving within the URL itself: http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.example.com&date=2009-11-04. The second form uses a 9-digit hexadecimal "Snapshot ID," similar to URL shortening services, to provide a more convenient link: http://www.webcitation.org/XXXXXXXXX Either is appropriate for use within Wikipedia. This URL can be inserted into the archiveurl= and its supporting archivedate= parameters in any of the citation templates.
{{Cite web | last = | first = | title = | work = | publisher = | date =| url = | archiveurl = | archivedate = }}