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Media, Film & Knowledge

Internet Archive API & Scraper

The Internet Archive API returns search and item data from archive.org as clean JSON.

6 actionsLive JSON1,000 free credits$0.67–$1.50 / 1,000 creditsMCP-ready
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The primary search endpoint returns items with identifier, title, media type, creator, year, description, downloads and size, and you can pull an item, a collection, reviews, files and search inside a text. It is built for research, media and digital-preservation tools that need Internet Archive data without a scraper. One ReefAPI key, one shared credit pool, the standard envelope.

Reference

archive.org mediatype values, and what each one holds

mediatype is the single most useful filter on archive.org: it decides whether you are searching books, concert recordings, abandonware or crawled web pages. These are the values search accepts.

mediatypeWhat is in it
textsBooks, magazines, papers and scanned documents. The only bucket search_inside works on.
audioRecordings, radio, podcasts and spoken word, including LibriVox audiobooks.
moviesFilm, TV, news broadcasts and video.
softwarePrograms and playable games, including the emulated console and DOS collections.
imagePhotographs, art and scanned imagery, including museum collections.
etreeLive concert recordings — taper-sourced sets, kept apart from the general audio bucket.
dataDatasets and raw data dumps.
webArchived web captures.
collectionThe collections themselves, so you can search for a collection rather than inside one.
accountContributor accounts.

Combine mediatype with collection (nasa, librivoxaudio, prelinger, GratefulDead), creator, subject, language and year_from / year_to. sort defaults to most-downloaded; the other options are downloads asc, week desc, publicdate, date, avg_rating and titleSorter.

Live example

Real request and response JSON

Captured from the indexed primary action, search, on .

Captured request
{
  "method": "POST",
  "url": "https://api.reefapi.com/internet-archive/v1/search",
  "headers": {
    "x-api-key": "$REEF_KEY",
    "content-type": "application/json"
  },
  "body": {
    "query": "apollo 11"
  }
}
Captured response
{
  "ok": true,
  "meta": {
    "api": "internet-archive",
    "endpoint": "search",
    "mode": "live",
    "latency_ms": 3073.4,
    "record_count": 25,
    "bytes": 33080,
    "cache_hit": false,
    "stop_reason": "limit_reached",
    "num_found": 12224,
    "page": 1,
    "rows": 25,
    "has_more": true,
    "next_page": 2,
    "charged_credits": 1,
    "version": "1.0.0"
  },
  "data": {
    "results": [
      {
        "identifier": "KCHO_91_7_FM_KFPR_88_9_FM_20200103_180000",
        "title": "KCHO 91.7 FM/KFPR 88.9 FM [North State Public Radio] : January 03, 2020 10:00AM-11:00AM PST",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [],
        "year": 2020,
        "date": "2020-01-03T00:00:00Z",
        "description": null,
        "downloads": 23,
        "item_size": 30216304,
        "collections": [
          "Radio-KCHO-91-7-FM-KFPR-88-9-FM",
          "stream_only",
          "radio",
          "radioprograms"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Radio Program",
          "Regions of California",
          "NASA astronauts",
          "Apollo program",
          "Scouting",
          "Apollo program astronauts",
          "Megapolitan areas of California",
          "Spaceflight",
          "Manned spacecraft",
          "Exploration of the Moon",
          "American Episcopalians",
          "American test pilots",
          "Motorcycles",
          "Broadcasting",
          "Information systems"
        ],
        "languages": [
          "eng"
        ],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/KCHO_91_7_FM_KFPR_88_9_FM_20200103_180000",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/KCHO_91_7_FM_KFPR_88_9_FM_20200103_180000"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "nasahqphoto-3728910861",
        "title": "Legacy of Apollo Discussion (200907160022HQ)",
        "mediatype": "image",
        "creator": [],
        "year": 2009,
        "date": "2009-07-16T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "Cristina Guidi, deputy director, Constellation Systems Division, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, participates in a panel discussion on the legacy of Apollo, Thursday, July 16, 2009, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The discussion was part of the many events surrounding the 40th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission and landing on the Moon. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)",
        "downloads": 54,
        "item_size": 1361221,
        "collections": [
          "nasaheadquartersflickrstream",
          "nasa"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Cristina Guidi",
          "Constellation Systems Division",
          "Exploration Systems Mission Directorate",
          "NASA Headquarters",
          "Washington",
          "D.C.",
          "Apollo 40th Anniversary",
          "USA",
          "Paul E. Alers",
          "NASA"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/nasahqphoto-3728910861",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/nasahqphoto-3728910861"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "fba4ojdsec9mkfmh8niaf9p83qczjg7gtfgbijcw",
        "title": "Bobby Powell Allowed to Testify Before Judge Over J6 Footage - Hunter Biden Plea Deal, Obama Smokescreen, Mask Mandate Signals - DO NOT COMPLY",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "Conservative Daily Podcast"
        ],
        "year": 2023,
        "date": "2023-09-07T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "6 September 2023 - Conservative Daily 6PM EST - The evening, Apollo is joined by Bobby Powell, a veteran and journalist who was at the J6 protests. Bobby delves into his time at the J6 Protests, the undercover federal agents he encountered, and he goes over some of the video footage he took at the protests. He also discusses his testimonies in court using said footage, and how we must fight for these J6 protestors!  Follow us on Social Media: https://libertylinks.io/ConservativeDaily https://libertylinks.io/JoeOltmann https://libertylinks.io/Apollo",
        "downloads": 1,
        "item_size": 130812794,
        "collections": [
          "podcasts_mirror_bobarchives",
          "podcasts_mirror"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Podcast",
          "obama",
          "vaccine",
          "Apollo",
          "Court",
          "biden",
          "protest",
          "COVID19",
          "J6",
          "BigMIKE",
          "BobbyPowell"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/fba4ojdsec9mkfmh8niaf9p83qczjg7gtfgbijcw",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/fba4ojdsec9mkfmh8niaf9p83qczjg7gtfgbijcw"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "jx1xnwtwopxd6cjvhalld0djjuyxqvtkn6t4pr0j",
        "title": "11. Reflections | NASA's The Invisible Network Podcast",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "The Invisible Network"
        ],
        "year": 2019,
        "date": "2019-12-09T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "For billions of years, the Earth and the Moon have danced together. Since the Apollo era, scientists have used lasers - a technology then in its infancy - to measure their waltz. Lasers have since played increasingly important roles in spaceflight. They may even play a part in keeping the next generation of lunar astronauts connected to home.",
        "downloads": 1,
        "item_size": 16863327,
        "collections": [
          "podcasts_mirror_bobarchives",
          "podcasts_mirror"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Podcast"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/jx1xnwtwopxd6cjvhalld0djjuyxqvtkn6t4pr0j",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/jx1xnwtwopxd6cjvhalld0djjuyxqvtkn6t4pr0j"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "v5nbftyffm9smfdaqeidwa19ltwlitmk6r5eqbpg",
        "title": "APG 387 - Miracle On The Cornfield",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "Airline Pilot Guy - Aviation Podcast"
        ],
        "year": 2019,
        "date": "2019-08-19T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "NEWS[11:36] Ural A321 at Moscow on Aug 15th 2019, bird strike into both engines forces landing in corn field[18:25] Jackson Proskow: Dallas Airport Passengers Silently Salute the Return of a Fallen Hero[24:35] S7 Boeing 737 Almost Ran Out of Runway During Takeoff at Moscow Airport[28:47] Norwegian Boeing 787 Engine Debris Falls Near Fiumicino Airport[36:28] Meet the First Female Marine Assigned to Fly the F-35C[38:33] United Airlines Now Tells Pilots No Drinking for 12 Hours Before Shift StartsFEEDBACK[50:03] Matthias - DFW to ORD in Just Under 19 Hours[59:36] Kelly - OSH Kosh Wrap-up and 2 Qu…",
        "downloads": 0,
        "item_size": 154795435,
        "collections": [
          "podcasts_mirror_bobarchives",
          "podcasts_mirror"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Podcast"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/v5nbftyffm9smfdaqeidwa19ltwlitmk6r5eqbpg",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/v5nbftyffm9smfdaqeidwa19ltwlitmk6r5eqbpg"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "soundcloud-652945040",
        "title": "How Pirates Saved America | 7/18/19",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "Pat Gray Unleashed"
        ],
        "year": 2019,
        "date": "2019-07-18T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "Hour 1: Google's cozy with China and helped Hillary Clinton in 2016. We have 18 months to save the planet. Again. Metal straws kill. Literally.   Hour 2: President Nixon's speech if Apollo 11 had been a failure. Does an 'offensive' mascot name need to change? How pirates saved America from the Metric system!   Title:  How Pirates Saved America  | 7/18/19 Season: 2019 Episode: 138  Source: https://soundcloud.com/patgrayshow/how-pirates-saved-america-7-18 Uploader: Pat Gray Unleashed",
        "downloads": 5,
        "item_size": 98557369,
        "collections": [
          "podcasts_mirror_godane_misc",
          "podcasts_mirror_godane",
          "podcasts_mirror"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Soundcloud",
          "video"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/soundcloud-652945040",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/soundcloud-652945040"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "ksv1ywjqsr0jlqjq7ievzhd3tecebonijrhuuomw",
        "title": "ID: 040: Ask Not",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "Infinite Diversity: A Star Trek Universe Podcast"
        ],
        "year": 2021,
        "date": "2021-05-04T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "Brandon, Chrissie, and Justin talk about the Short Trek: \\\"Ask Not\\\" and what it might tell us about Strange New Worlds. Find us on Twitter:The Network: @UFPEarth. The Show: @IDICPodcast. Justin: @TrekFan4747. Brandon: @BrandonMutala. Chrissie: @TheGoddessLivia. News: Q will be in 6 episodes of Picard across seasons 2 and 3https://trekmovie.com/2021/04/30/john-de-lancie-reveals-he-is-shooting-two-seasons-worth-of-a-very-different-q-for-star-trek-picardFilming of Discovery season 4 paused after Covid exposurehttps://blog.trekcore.com/2021/04/star-trek-discovery-season-4-temporary-shutdown-covid…",
        "downloads": 10,
        "item_size": 42049323,
        "collections": [
          "podcasts_mirror_bobarchives",
          "podcasts_mirror"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Podcast",
          "podcast",
          "united",
          "startrek",
          "federation",
          "ufp",
          "captainpike",
          "strangenewworlds",
          "shorttrek",
          "asknot"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/ksv1ywjqsr0jlqjq7ievzhd3tecebonijrhuuomw",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/ksv1ywjqsr0jlqjq7ievzhd3tecebonijrhuuomw"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "ty2qaf9xvzuvsxmj7nzranwbepiwyqnmwbrytiaj",
        "title": "Friday, July 12, 2019 - Daily Star Trek News",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "Daily Star Trek News"
        ],
        "year": 2019,
        "date": "2019-07-12T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "Gearing you up for next week's commemorations of the Apollo 11 moon landing with some special events. Plus the answer to Tuesday's Trek Trivia and weekend podcast playlist!",
        "downloads": 6,
        "item_size": 8228715,
        "collections": [
          "podcasts_mirror_bobarchives",
          "podcasts_mirror"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Podcast",
          "cbs",
          "daily",
          "discovery",
          "fiction",
          "galaxy",
          "lowerdecks",
          "news",
          "orville",
          "paramount",
          "picard",
          "prodigy",
          "quest",
          "roddenberry",
          "science",
          "section31",
          "shorttreks",
          "star",
          "strangenewworlds",
          "trek",
          "trekker",
          "trekkie",
          "viacom"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/ty2qaf9xvzuvsxmj7nzranwbepiwyqnmwbrytiaj",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/ty2qaf9xvzuvsxmj7nzranwbepiwyqnmwbrytiaj"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "FuFrock-PartiendoDeCero101124-2",
        "title": "Partiendo de Cero #101",
        "mediatype": "movies",
        "creator": [],
        "year": null,
        "date": "2009-07-19T13:18:33Z",
        "description": "19/07/09 En el penúltimo programa de la temporada Darwin tendrá mucho protagonismo; en el museo nacional de ciencias naturales han realizado una exposición sobre Darwin; la editorial Planeta deAgostini ha editado un comic del viaje, hablaremos con su autor, José Fonollosa; un grupo de investigadores españoles han investigado los fenómenos extremos; en el 40 aniversario de la misión Apollo 11 hablaremos con el director de la NASA en España en aquella época, D. Luis Ruiz, y con D. Ricardo Artola autor del libro \"la carrera espacial, del Spuknik al Apollo 11\", las secciones habituales de…",
        "downloads": 25,
        "item_size": 203022805,
        "collections": [
          "bliptv",
          "vlogs"
        ],
        "subjects": [],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/FuFrock-PartiendoDeCero101124-2",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/FuFrock-PartiendoDeCero101124-2"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "z0ngceolp23f9drxerji5kdrtx3sq2jnwvtwjwhl",
        "title": "DJeff - Believe in Trance Episode 009",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "Dark Night Productions"
        ],
        "year": 2015,
        "date": "2015-07-23T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "**Tracklist : ***Dark Side*1. DJeff - Time To Music Play (Original mix)2. Andre Visior - Life Signs (Original Mix)3. Beatsole - Let Me Drive (Original Mix)4. UCast - Tanity (Original Mix)5. Michael Kaelios - Black Butterfly (Original Mix)6. Sonic Element - Vulnerable (Alan Morris Remix)7. DJ Harn & Spins - Still Perfectly Clear8. Binary Finary & Nicholson - Apollo Rising (Original Mix)9. Artur - Aura (Beat Anatomy Remix)10. Zach Zlov - Spellbound (Changes Remix)11. Stella Project - Calypso (John Sunlight Remix)*Angel Side*1. Syntouch - The Longest Journey (Original Mix)2. Tau-Rine - Time (Orig…",
        "downloads": 7,
        "item_size": 290381189,
        "collections": [
          "podcasts_mirror_bobarchives",
          "podcasts_mirror"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Podcast",
          "Uplifting",
          "Hard Trance",
          "Hard Techno",
          "Emotional",
          "Epic"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/z0ngceolp23f9drxerji5kdrtx3sq2jnwvtwjwhl",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/z0ngceolp23f9drxerji5kdrtx3sq2jnwvtwjwhl"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "stockholmsyndrome2010-09-03.hometeam.flac16",
        "title": "Stockholm Syndrome Live at The Orange Peel on 2010-09-03",
        "mediatype": "etree",
        "creator": [
          "Stockholm Syndrome"
        ],
        "year": 2010,
        "date": "2010-09-03T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "01 Easter 02 Counterclock World 03 In Your Cups 04 Emma's Pissed > 05 That Which Is Coming 06 Lick The Tears 07 Spy 08 Apollo 09 Drive 10 Wisconsin Death Trip 11 crowd & tuning Encore 12 Henry 13 Light Is Like Water",
        "downloads": 331,
        "item_size": 1003053212,
        "collections": [
          "StockholmSyndrome",
          "teamdirtysouth",
          "etree",
          "audio_music"
        ],
        "subjects": [],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/stockholmsyndrome2010-09-03.hometeam.flac16",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/stockholmsyndrome2010-09-03.hometeam.flac16"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "elvis-costello-1981-03-10-glasgow",
        "title": "Elvis Costello - 1981-03-10 Glasgow",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "Elvis Costello"
        ],
        "year": 1981,
        "date": "1981-03-10T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "Elvis Costello And The Attractions Apollo Theatre Glasgow, Scotland 10 March 1981 01. Pump It Up 02. Radio, Radio 03. (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea 04. Oliver's Army 05. I Don't Want To Be Nice - King Horse 06. Strict Time 07. Little Goody Two Shoes 08. This Year's Girl 09. Clowntime Is Over 10. Big Tears 11. Clubland 12. Secondary Modern 13. The Beat 14. New Lace Sleeves 15. Lovers Walk 16. The Imposter 17. He's Got You 18. Temptation 19. High Fidelity 20. Big Sister's Clothes 21. From A Whisper To A Scream 22. Watching The Detectives - including Master Blaster (Jammin') 23. Mystery Dance E…",
        "downloads": 0,
        "item_size": 453895082,
        "collections": [
          "elvis-costello-bootlegs",
          "audio_music"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Elvis Costello",
          "The Attractions",
          "Apollo Theatre",
          "Glasgow",
          "Scotland",
          "Bootleg"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/elvis-costello-1981-03-10-glasgow",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/elvis-costello-1981-03-10-glasgow"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "nasahqphoto-3728911077",
        "title": "Legacy of Apollo Discussion (200907160026HQ)",
        "mediatype": "image",
        "creator": [],
        "year": 2009,
        "date": "2009-07-16T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "Steven J. Dick, NASA Chief Historian, left, conducts a panel discussion on the legacy of Apollo with John Logsdon, Charles A. Lindbergh chair in aerospace history, Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, second left, Roger Launius, senior curator in space history, National Air and Space Museum, Michael Neufeld, chair of the division of space history, National Air and Space Museum, Cristina Guidi, deputy director, Constellation Systems Division, Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters and Craig Nelson, author of \"Rocket Men: The Epic Story of the First Men on…",
        "downloads": 79,
        "item_size": 1513120,
        "collections": [
          "nasaheadquartersflickrstream",
          "nasa"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Steven J. Dick",
          "Historian",
          "John Logsdon",
          "Roger Launius",
          "Michael Neufeld",
          "Cristina Guidi",
          "Craig Nelson",
          "Apollo 40th Anniversary",
          "Headquarters",
          "Washington",
          "D.C.",
          "USA",
          "Paul E. Alers",
          "NASA",
          "NASA Headquarters"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/nasahqphoto-3728911077",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/nasahqphoto-3728911077"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "TILRedditRecapSunFeb232020",
        "title": "TIL Reddit Recap for Sunday, February 23rd 2020",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "Matt Greene"
        ],
        "year": 2020,
        "date": "2020-02-23T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "1) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/f800lu/til_queen_elizabeth_has_met_12_us_presidents/ 2) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/f88fpd/til_frederick_banting_discovered_insulin_in_1923/ 3) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/f831im/til_agatha_christie_described_the_symptoms_of/ 4) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/f89kis/til_that_in_the_1600s_some_monks_in_germany_only/ 5) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/f880mw/til_that_spirited_away_is_the_only_anime_ever_to/ 6) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/f8ag0c/til_agatha_chri…",
        "downloads": 254,
        "item_size": 2598817,
        "collections": [
          "tilredditrecap",
          "podcasts"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Reddit",
          "TIL",
          "Podcast",
          "Today I Learned"
        ],
        "languages": [
          "eng"
        ],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/TILRedditRecapSunFeb232020",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/TILRedditRecapSunFeb232020"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "TILRedditRecapSunMar032019",
        "title": "TIL Reddit Recap for Sunday, March 3rd 2019",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "Matt Greene"
        ],
        "year": 2019,
        "date": "2019-03-03T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "1) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/awnj0b/til_conservationists_in_south_africa_have_been/ 2) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/awlq0v/til_the_queen_of_england_still_has_a_champion_the/ 3) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/awmfvz/til_that_the_dow_jones_industrial_average_will/ 4) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/awtkgt/til_that_universal_studios_jurassic_park_the_ride/ 5) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/awm278/til_tupac_was_a_ballet_dancer_and_played_the_role/ 6) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/awq1y6/til_about…",
        "downloads": 245,
        "item_size": 2425647,
        "collections": [
          "tilredditrecap",
          "podcasts"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Reddit",
          "TIL",
          "Podcast",
          "Today I Learned"
        ],
        "languages": [
          "eng"
        ],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/TILRedditRecapSunMar032019",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/TILRedditRecapSunMar032019"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "TILRedditRecapSatJul212018",
        "title": "TIL Reddit Recap for Saturday, July 21st 2018",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "Matt Greene"
        ],
        "year": 2018,
        "date": "2018-07-21T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "1) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/90omtn/til_in_2004_sylvia_browne_a_psychic_told_the/ 2) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/90mspm/til_your_pup_can_pick_up_on_subtle_changes_in/ 3) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/90jmdv/til_george_rr_martin_made_game_of_thrones_show/ 4) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/90o550/til_that_1_out_of_every_160_new_zealanders_were/ 5) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/90nd0l/til_that_a_spanish_government_worker_was_absent/ 6) http://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/90n119/til_that_a_teen_sta…",
        "downloads": 238,
        "item_size": 2049736,
        "collections": [
          "tilredditrecap",
          "podcasts"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Reddit",
          "TIL",
          "Podcast",
          "Today I Learned"
        ],
        "languages": [
          "eng"
        ],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/TILRedditRecapSatJul212018",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/TILRedditRecapSatJul212018"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "youtube-RDiMzAXdXvk",
        "title": "20th anniversary special on Apollo 11 moon landing that aired on San Diego's News 8 in 1989",
        "mediatype": "movies",
        "creator": [
          "CBS 8 San Diego"
        ],
        "year": 2019,
        "date": "2019-07-17T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "Twenty years after Apollo 11 landed on the moon, News 8's Chris Saunders presented a two-part special highlighting the milestone of American history. Chris shared that in 1961 he had brought a model of a spacecraft to his sixth grade class and explained how man would someday walk on the moon. Chris said even his teacher laughed and no one believed him. Decades later, Chris came full circle as he spoke to a sixth grade class about their knowledge of the moon landing. In part two, Chris spoke to astronaut Bill Anders, astronaut-turned-commentator Wally Schirra, and others about the moon landing…",
        "downloads": 58,
        "item_size": 206201473,
        "collections": [
          "mirrortube",
          "social-media-video",
          "additional_collections_video",
          "deemphasize"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Youtube",
          "video",
          "News & Politics",
          "news 8",
          "san diego",
          "moon landing",
          "apollo 11",
          "cbs 8"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/youtube-RDiMzAXdXvk",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/youtube-RDiMzAXdXvk"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "A11_T868_HR2U_CH18_02-00-14_11-57-58-2015-08-25Recording.wav",
        "title": "A11_T868_HR2U_CH18_02-00-14_11-57-58-2015-08-25Recording.wav",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "[email protected]"
        ],
        "year": 2018,
        "date": "2018-01-01T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "A11_T868_HR2U_CH18_02-00-14_11-57-58-2015-08-25Recording.wav",
        "downloads": 104,
        "item_size": 4886330743,
        "collections": [
          "nasaaudiocollection",
          "nasa"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Apollo 11 MOCR ACR Collection",
          "Apollo",
          "NASA",
          "audio",
          "MOCR"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/A11_T868_HR2U_CH18_02-00-14_11-57-58-2015-08-25Recording.wav",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/A11_T868_HR2U_CH18_02-00-14_11-57-58-2015-08-25Recording.wav"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "A11_T885_HR2U_CH30_19-10-57_03-10-57-2015-09-21Recording.wav",
        "title": "A11_T885_HR2U_CH30_19-10-57_03-10-57-2015-09-21Recording.wav",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "[email protected]"
        ],
        "year": 2018,
        "date": "2018-01-01T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "A11_T885_HR2U_CH30_19-10-57_03-10-57-2015-09-21Recording.wav",
        "downloads": 92,
        "item_size": 5143115039,
        "collections": [
          "nasaaudiocollection",
          "nasa"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Apollo 11 MOCR ACR Collection",
          "Apollo",
          "NASA",
          "audio",
          "MOCR"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/A11_T885_HR2U_CH30_19-10-57_03-10-57-2015-09-21Recording.wav",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/A11_T885_HR2U_CH30_19-10-57_03-10-57-2015-09-21Recording.wav"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "A11_T867_HR1L_CH3_16-46-54_23-46-54-2015-08-24Recording.wav",
        "title": "A11_T867_HR1L_CH7_16-46-54_23-46-54-2015-08-24Recording.wav",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "[email protected]"
        ],
        "year": 2018,
        "date": "2018-01-01T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "A11_T867_HR1L_CH7_16-46-54_23-46-54-2015-08-24Recording.wav",
        "downloads": 103,
        "item_size": 3396305748,
        "collections": [
          "nasaaudiocollection",
          "nasa"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Apollo 11 MOCR ACR Collection",
          "Apollo",
          "NASA",
          "audio",
          "MOCR"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/A11_T867_HR1L_CH3_16-46-54_23-46-54-2015-08-24Recording.wav",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/A11_T867_HR1L_CH3_16-46-54_23-46-54-2015-08-24Recording.wav"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "A11_T872_HR1L_CH2_12-19-03_19-08-08-2015-08-31Recording.wav",
        "title": "A11_T872_HR1L_CH2_12-19-03_19-08-08-2015-08-31Recording.wav",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "[email protected]"
        ],
        "year": 2018,
        "date": "2018-01-01T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "A11_T872_HR1L_CH2_12-19-03_19-08-08-2015-08-31Recording.wav",
        "downloads": 82,
        "item_size": 3786241274,
        "collections": [
          "nasaaudiocollection",
          "nasa"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Apollo 11 MOCR ACR Collection",
          "Apollo",
          "NASA",
          "audio",
          "MOCR"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/A11_T872_HR1L_CH2_12-19-03_19-08-08-2015-08-31Recording.wav",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/A11_T872_HR1L_CH2_12-19-03_19-08-08-2015-08-31Recording.wav"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "6mzjgbmwa6n79jbzpnrfawbafrcdcb03vwfyszhu",
        "title": "Disco935/WDA1 (Live DiscoFlight Show From New York) 5 31 2020",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "VJC"
        ],
        "year": 2020,
        "date": "2020-05-31T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "Today's Live DiscoFlight 5 31 2020Website: www.disco935.com1-Zhane-Hey MR. DJ (Apollo Sun Mix) 2-Fern Kinney-Groove Me (Digital Visions Re-Edit) 3-Gayle Adams-Love Fever (SanFranDisko Re-Edit) 4-Shalamar-A Night To Remember (David Grant Mix Extended)5-Linda Clifford-Love Runaway (KS French) 6-Rene & Angela-I'll Be Good (Digital Visions Re-Edit)7- El Coco-Fait Le Chat (Do The Cat)8-Silver Convention-Up Up To The Sky (Fly Robin Fly)(Superprince Dub Edit)9-Tavares-More Than A Woman (Extended Remix) 10-Gloria Gaynor-Casanova Brown (Digital Visions Re-Edit) 11-Trammps-Hooked For Life (Digital Visio…",
        "downloads": 8,
        "item_size": 305699526,
        "collections": [
          "podcasts_mirror_bobarchives",
          "podcasts_mirror"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Podcast"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/6mzjgbmwa6n79jbzpnrfawbafrcdcb03vwfyszhu",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/6mzjgbmwa6n79jbzpnrfawbafrcdcb03vwfyszhu"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "A11_T874_HR1U_CH2_02-03-20_09-04-12-2015-09-03Recording.wav",
        "title": "A11_T874_HR1U_CH2_02-03-20_09-04-12-2015-09-03Recording.wav",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "[email protected]"
        ],
        "year": 2018,
        "date": "2018-01-01T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "A11_T874_HR1U_CH2_02-03-20_09-04-12-2015-09-03Recording.wav",
        "downloads": 78,
        "item_size": 4217174129,
        "collections": [
          "nasaaudiocollection",
          "nasa"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Apollo 11 MOCR ACR Collection",
          "Apollo",
          "NASA",
          "audio",
          "MOCR"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/A11_T874_HR1U_CH2_02-03-20_09-04-12-2015-09-03Recording.wav",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/A11_T874_HR1U_CH2_02-03-20_09-04-12-2015-09-03Recording.wav"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "A11_T886_HR1L_CH14_01-56-10_09-56-10-2015-09-22Recording.wav",
        "title": "A11_T886_HR1L_CH14_01-56-10_09-56-10-2015-09-22Recording.wav",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "[email protected]"
        ],
        "year": 2018,
        "date": "2018-01-01T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "A11_T886_HR1L_CH14_01-56-10_09-56-10-2015-09-22Recording.wav",
        "downloads": 99,
        "item_size": 4591269666,
        "collections": [
          "nasaaudiocollection",
          "nasa"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Apollo 11 MOCR ACR Collection",
          "Apollo",
          "NASA",
          "audio",
          "MOCR"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/A11_T886_HR1L_CH14_01-56-10_09-56-10-2015-09-22Recording.wav",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/A11_T886_HR1L_CH14_01-56-10_09-56-10-2015-09-22Recording.wav"
      },
      {
        "identifier": "A11_T887_HR2L_CH19_11-39-12_18-39-12-2015-09-23Recording.wav",
        "title": "A11_T887_HR2L_CH19_11-39-12_18-39-12-2015-09-23Recording.wav",
        "mediatype": "audio",
        "creator": [
          "[email protected]"
        ],
        "year": 2018,
        "date": "2018-01-01T00:00:00Z",
        "description": "A11_T887_HR2L_CH19_11-39-12_18-39-12-2015-09-23Recording.wav",
        "downloads": 75,
        "item_size": 3995757656,
        "collections": [
          "nasaaudiocollection",
          "nasa"
        ],
        "subjects": [
          "Apollo 11 MOCR ACR Collection",
          "Apollo",
          "NASA",
          "audio",
          "MOCR"
        ],
        "languages": [],
        "num_reviews": null,
        "avg_rating": null,
        "details_url": "https://archive.org/details/A11_T887_HR2L_CH19_11-39-12_18-39-12-2015-09-23Recording.wav",
        "thumbnail_url": "https://archive.org/services/img/A11_T887_HR2L_CH19_11-39-12_18-39-12-2015-09-23Recording.wav"
      }
    ]
  }
}
Actions

What the Internet Archive API does

ActionDescriptionConcrete use caseKey params
searchSearch archive.org's catalogue. Filter by mediatype (texts/audio/movies/software/image/etree…), collection, creator, subject, language and year range; sort and paginate. Returns items with identifier, title, mediatype, creator, year, downloads, rating, collections and thumbnail/details URLs.Content platforms call search to search archive.org's catalogue.query, mediatype, collection, creator, subject, ...
itemFull metadata for one archive.org item by identifier: title, creator, description, date, publisher, language, subjects, collections, license, rating — plus the COMPLETE file list (name, format, size, duration, source) with direct download URLs, and the item's reviews. Set include_files=false / include_reviews=false to slim the payload.Research tools call item to get full metadata for one archive.org item by identifier.identifier, include_files, include_reviews, files_limit
collectionBrowse the items inside an archive.org collection by its identifier (e.g. 'nasa', 'librivoxaudio', 'prelinger', 'GratefulDead'). Same rich item rows as search, paginated and sortable; optionally narrow by mediatype within the collection.Community analysts call collection to get browse the items inside an archive.org collection by its identifier (e.g.collection, mediatype, query, sort, rows, ...
reviewsAll public reviews and star ratings for one archive.org item: reviewer handle, star rating (0-5), review title, body and date. Reviews are embedded in the item record, so this returns every review in one call (no pagination needed).Media monitors call reviews to get all public reviews and star ratings for one archive.org item.identifier
filesJust the downloadable files for one archive.org item (no heavy metadata/reviews): name, format, size, duration, source and a direct download URL for each. Useful for fetching the actual book PDF / MP3 / video / ZIP.Content platforms call files to get just the downloadable files for one archive.org item (no heavy metadata/reviews).identifier, format, files_limit
search_insideFull-text 'search inside' one digitized book on archive.org: find a phrase within the book's OCR text and get the matching snippets with page numbers. The item must be a texts/book item with OCR (most scanned books are).Research tools call search_inside to get full-text 'search inside' one digitized book on archive.org.identifier, query
Code samples

Call search from your stack

curl -X POST https://api.reefapi.com/internet-archive/v1/search \
  -H "x-api-key: $REEF_KEY" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{"query":"apollo 11"}'
MCP one-liner
Ask your MCP-connected assistant: call reefapi.internet-archive.search with {"query":"apollo 11"}.
Use cases

Who uses this API and why

  • Research tools call search and search_inside to find and quote archived texts.
  • Media apps use item and files to stream or download archived audio and video.
  • Preservation workflows use collection to inventory an archive's holdings.
FAQ

Questions developers ask before integrating

Does the Internet Archive have an official API, and why use this one?

archive.org does publish open JSON endpoints, and this engine reads them. What it adds is the tidying-up: search, item metadata, the file list, reviews, collections and full-text search behind one shape, with the raw field soup normalized into identifier, title, mediatype, creator, year, downloads, item_size, collections, subjects, languages, avg_rating, details_url and thumbnail_url. You get archive.org's own data without writing a client per endpoint or handling its rate limits.

How do I full-text search inside a scanned book on archive.org?

Call search_inside with the item identifier and the phrase you are looking for. It returns the matching snippets with their page numbers, so you can quote and deep-link straight into the scan. It works on texts items that have OCR, which is most scanned books. Find the identifier first with search using mediatype texts — it is the slug in archive.org/details/<identifier>.

How do I get direct download URLs for an archive.org item?

Call item with the identifier. Alongside the metadata it returns the complete file list — name, format, size, length, source, md5 and a download_url per file — capped by files_limit (200 by default, up to 2,000), with files_count and files_truncated telling you whether anything was cut. That is how you go from a search hit to a playable MP3 or a downloadable PDF in two calls.

How many results does an archive.org search return, and how do I page?

Up to 100 rows per call (25 by default). meta.num_found is the true match count — a live search for "apollo 11" returned 12,189 matches on 2026-08-26 — and meta.has_more with meta.next_page walks the rest. The query field also accepts Lucene syntax, so title:moon AND year:[1960 TO 1970] works as written.

Is everything on the Internet Archive free to reuse?

No, and the API does not pretend otherwise. Rights vary item by item, from public domain to all rights reserved. item returns the archive's own licenseurl field, but plenty of items leave it empty — it was null for the museum image measured on 2026-08-26. Treat a missing licenseurl as unknown, not as permission, and check the item page before redistributing anything.

What is the Internet Archive API?

Internet Archive API is a ReefAPI endpoint group for internet archive It returns live JSON through POST requests under /internet-archive/v1.

Is the Internet Archive API free to try?

Yes. ReefAPI starts with 1,000 free credits, no card required. Internet Archive calls use the same shared credit balance as every other ReefAPI engine.

Do I need an Internet Archive login or account?

No login to Internet Archive is needed for the API response. You call ReefAPI with your x-api-key header, and the playground can run live examples before you create a production key.

How fresh is the Internet Archive data?

The page example is captured from a live search call, and production requests fetch live data through ReefAPI rather than a static sample.

How many credits does the Internet Archive API use?

Internet Archive actions currently cost 1 credit per successful call. Failed or blocked calls are free. All APIs draw from one credit pool.

Can I call Internet Archive from an AI assistant or MCP client?

Yes. Connect ReefAPI once through MCP and your assistant can call internet-archive actions with the same key, credit pool and JSON envelope used by normal REST requests.

Is the Internet Archive API an Internet Archive scraper?

It is the managed alternative to a DIY Internet Archive scraper. Instead of building and maintaining your own scraper — proxies, headless browsers, captcha and constant breakage — you call one ReefAPI endpoint and get the same internet archive back as clean JSON.

Why does my Internet Archive scraper keep getting blocked?

Most Internet Archive scrapers break on anti-bot defenses, rate limits and IP bans that need rotating residential proxies and browser fingerprinting to clear. ReefAPI handles all of that for you — no proxies, no captchas, no maintenance — and returns live JSON. Blocked calls are free.

docs / internet-archive

Internet Archive

Internet Archive

base /internet-archive/v16 endpoints
post/internet-archive/v1/item1 credit

Full metadata for one archive.org item by identifier: title, creator, description, date, publisher, language, subjects, collections, license, rating — plus the COMPLETE file list (name, format, size, duration, source) with direct download URLs, and the item's reviews. Set include_files=false / include_reviews=false to slim the payload.

ParameterAllowed / rangeDescription
identifierrequired—The archive.org item identifier (the slug in archive.org/details/<identifier>). From a search result's 'identifier'.
include_files = trueoptional—Include the full file list with download URLs (default true).
include_reviews = trueoptional—Include the item's reviews (default true).
files_limit = 200optional1–2000Cap on files returned (1-2000, default 200); clamped.
Try in playground →
post/internet-archive/v1/collection1 credit

Browse the items inside an archive.org collection by its identifier (e.g. 'nasa', 'librivoxaudio', 'prelinger', 'GratefulDead'). Same rich item rows as search, paginated and sortable; optionally narrow by mediatype within the collection.

ParameterAllowed / rangeDescription
collectionrequired—The collection identifier to browse (from a search result's 'collections', or a known name).
mediatypeoptionaltexts · audio · movies · software · image · etree · data · web · collection · accountFilter to one archive.org media bucket: texts, audio, movies, software, image, etree (concerts), data, web, collection.
queryoptional—Free-text search across titles, descriptions, creators and subjects. Accepts Lucene syntax (e.g. 'title:moon AND year:[1960 TO 1970]'). Optional if you pass a mediatype/collection/creator filter instead.
sortoptionaldownloads desc · downloads asc · week desc · publicdate desc · publicdate asc · date desc · date asc · avg_rating desc · titleSorter asc · titleSorter descResult ordering. Defaults to most-downloaded.
rows = 25optional1–100Results per page (1-100, default 25); clamped.
page = 1optional1–1000Page number (1-based). Page until meta.has_more is false.
Try in playground →
post/internet-archive/v1/reviews1 credit

All public reviews and star ratings for one archive.org item: reviewer handle, star rating (0-5), review title, body and date. Reviews are embedded in the item record, so this returns every review in one call (no pagination needed).

ParameterAllowed / rangeDescription
identifierrequired—The archive.org item identifier (the slug in archive.org/details/<identifier>). From a search result's 'identifier'.
Try in playground →
post/internet-archive/v1/files1 credit

Just the downloadable files for one archive.org item (no heavy metadata/reviews): name, format, size, duration, source and a direct download URL for each. Useful for fetching the actual book PDF / MP3 / video / ZIP.

ParameterAllowed / rangeDescription
identifierrequired—The archive.org item identifier (the slug in archive.org/details/<identifier>). From a search result's 'identifier'.
formatoptional—Optional case-insensitive substring filter on the file format (e.g. 'PDF', 'MP3', 'MPEG4', 'EPUB').
files_limit = 500optional1–5000Cap on files returned (1-5000, default 500); clamped.
Try in playground →
post/internet-archive/v1/search_inside1 credit

Full-text 'search inside' one digitized book on archive.org: find a phrase within the book's OCR text and get the matching snippets with page numbers. The item must be a texts/book item with OCR (most scanned books are).

ParameterAllowed / rangeDescription
identifierrequired—The archive.org item identifier (the slug in archive.org/details/<identifier>). From a search result's 'identifier'.
queryrequired—The phrase to find inside the book's text.
Try in playground →
Built for volume
5M+ requests a day

Measured at 60 requests a second across the fleet, with no central bottleneck. Volume pricing is on request, and per-key limits are raised for high-volume accounts.

Missing a source?
We build it

Tell us a site we do not cover yet and it becomes an engine. A customer asked for bestprice.gr on a Sunday and it was in the catalog the next day.

Support
2 minute median reply

Median time from a question in the live chat to the first answer, measured across every answered conversation. Setup help included, no support tier to buy.

One key, one balance
Every API included

No per-site plans and no separate subscriptions. One key and one credit pool across the whole catalog, so adding a source costs nothing up front.

Planning something large? Tell us the volume and the sources and we will come back with what it costs and what we would have to build.

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