Browsertrix User Guide

Welcome to the Browsertrix User Guide. This page covers the basics of using Browsertrix, Webrecorder's high-fidelity web archiving system.

Getting Started

To get started crawling with Browsertrix:

1. Create an account and join an organization as described here.
2. After being redirected to the organization's overview page, click the Create New button in the top right and select Crawl Workflow to begin configuring your first crawl!
3. For a simple crawl, choose the Seeded Crawl option, and enter a page url in the Crawl Start URL field. By default, the crawler will archive all pages under the starting path.
4. Next, click Review & Save, and ensure the Run on Save option is selected. Then click Save Workflow.
5. Wait a moment for the crawler to start and watch as it archives the website!

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After running your first crawl, check out the following to learn more about Browsertrix's features:

• A detailed list of crawl workflow setup options.
• Adding exclusions to limit your crawl's scope and evading crawler traps by editing exclusion rules while crawling.
• Best practices for crawling with browser profiles to capture content only available when logged in to a website.
• Managing archived items, including uploading previously archived content.
• Organizing and combining archived items with collections for sharing and export.
• If you're an admin: Inviting collaborators to your org.

Have more questions?

While our aim is to create intuitive interfaces, sometimes the complexities of web archiving require a little more explanation. If there's something that you found especially confusing or frustrating please get in touch!