Web ArchivesCoffee break

Stanford Web Archive

Curated collections around specific research subjects, preserved because a university decided they would matter later.

Visit Stanford Web Archive(opens in a new tab)Somewhere else

Opens in a new tab. We do not control this site and it may have changed since we catalogued it.

How to get the most from it

Stanford Web Archive sits in Web Archives under Retro, filed as coffee break.

  • Set aside five to fifteen minutes and give it your proper attention.
  • It works on a phone or a desktop, so open it on whatever is nearest.
  • It works with the sound off, so it is fine on a train or in a quiet office.
  • No account needed — you can start without signing up.
  • Go in expecting something brainy.

About this category: Archives, dead websites brought back and search pointed at the past. What the web looked like before it settled down.

Good for

  • Filling a coffee break properly
  • Giving your brain a workout
  • A quiet break at your desk
  • Killing time on your phone
  • Trying it with zero commitment

Stanford Web Archive: quick answers

Is Stanford Web Archive free?

Yes. Stanford Web Archive is free to use and needs no account.

Do I need an account to use Stanford Web Archive?

No. You can use Stanford Web Archive without signing up for anything.

Does Stanford Web Archive work on a phone?

Yes. Stanford Web Archive works on phones as well as desktop browsers.

Is Stanford Web Archive safe for work?

Yes, we file it as safe for work. It also works muted.

How long does Stanford Web Archive take?

We file it as "Coffee break": Five to fifteen minutes of proper attention.

More in Web Archives

All 12 in Web Archives

  • The Wayback Machine

    Nearly a trillion saved web pages. Paste any address, pick a year, and see what was there — the single most important archive online.

    • 2 min
    Web ArchivesVisit

  • Trove

    Australia's national archive of newspapers, websites and photographs, digitised back to 1803 and open without an account.

    • 1 hr+
    Web ArchivesVisit

  • UK Web Archive

    The British Library's record of the UK web, collected under legal deposit — including sites their owners deleted years ago.

    • 10 min
    Web ArchivesVisit

  • Archive-It

    Thousands of themed collections built by libraries and museums, each one somebody's deliberate decision about what to keep.

    • 10 min
    Web ArchivesVisit

Same mood: brainy

All brainy sites

  • StatMuse

    Ask a sports question in plain English and get the actual numbers back with a chart. Ends pub arguments in about four seconds.

    • <1 min
    Armchair SportsVisit

  • Story Reader

    AltF

    Long-form serialised fiction with a reader built for actually reading — chapter memory, no pop-ups, no interruptions.

    • 1 hr+
    Free LibrariesVisit

  • Strands

    A word search with a theme you have to deduce first, and one spangram threading corner to corner through the grid.

    • 2 min
    Word GamesVisit

  • Submarine Cable Map

    The actual cables carrying the internet between continents, each one named, with its landing points and the year it went live.

    • 10 min
    • Desktop
    Map OdditiesVisit

Keep exploring

Category

Time and mood

Collections

Have a site of your own? Suggest it for Detour or browse the AltFTool backlinks hub.