Offline Archiving for Logged-In Websites
After an archivist logs in locally and demonstrates key actions, the tool produces a JavaScript site archive that has been verified through offline interaction.
When web archivists encounter JavaScript games that only launch after login, conventional downloaders often preserve nothing but an empty shell. In an isolated browser on their own computer, users sign in to sites they are authorized to preserve and personally walk through key paths, such as launching a game or switching levels. Login credentials never leave the device.
The product uses this real session to explore page states and records scripts, network responses, local storage, and Service Workers. Users do not need to record an entire playthrough; they demonstrate each key point once. The system organizes discovered buttons, page transitions, and resource dependencies into an archive package, then disconnects from the network and replays every recorded path.
If a button fails, the result points precisely to the relevant page and action step, so the archivist can re-record only that short segment. Once validation passes, the exported package includes the capture time, path manifest, and resource checksums, making it possible to verify later that it still runs.
The first version focuses on interactive webpages and games that users are authorized to access. It does not attempt to bypass logins, paywalls, or access controls. Its purpose is to turn one still-functioning browsing session into a verifiable offline archive.
Why now
An August 25 r/internetarchive post asked how to preserve logged-in Starfall JavaScript games. Commenters suggested Browsertrix and ghostarchive.org, but a low-effort, verifiable workflow for archiving interactive sessions is still missing. S1
Target user
Museum, library, and independent web archivists who are authorized to preserve a site but may have only one remaining chance to log in. When standard downloaders leave blank pages, rebuilding every level manually is slow and prone to missing resources. They need to preserve key interactions they have personally verified, along with path evidence that can be reviewed later, rather than crawl more broadly.
Minimal entry point
Start with a Chromium-only desktop app that wraps a local Browsertrix Crawler. Users sign in themselves through an isolated profile, and the app never accesses plaintext passwords. Key actions can be saved as Chrome Recorder JSON User Flows. S2 Playwright then adds durable locators, network events, and step assertions. S4 Each path produces a WACZ file for offline replay in ReplayWeb.page. The first release will not automatically traverse every possible state; it will only expand links, buttons, and level entries near demonstrated paths. Failure records link the page, action, missing request, and screenshot so users can re-record only the affected section.
Punching above its weight
Initial users are already active in web-archiving communities and digital-preservation work. An August 25 r/internetarchive request provides both a reproducible site and a concrete failure mode. S1 Start with a publicly verifiable sample package showing that login remains local, each step is accepted offline, and failures can be repaired in place. Then open-source the path validator to invite existing Browsertrix and ArchiveWeb.page users to import WACZ files and try it.
Competitors & gaps
- BrowsertrixGoogle
- Browsertrix supports interactive browser profiles that can reuse login state. It can also run Chrome DevTools Recorder JSON User Flows and export WACZ files. Its existing QA compares screenshots, text, and resources between capture and replay. S2 These capabilities already cover authenticated capture, behavior scripts, and page-level checks. Its public workflow still centers on configuring crawl jobs, behavior files, and post-capture review. Archivists must decide which actions are worth recording and interpret why page metrics are anomalous. The opening is to turn a human demonstration directly into a path manifest, pinpoint an offline failure to a specific click, and let users re-record only the broken segment.
- ArchiveWeb.pageGoogle
- ArchiveWeb.page can record content a user sees in an existing Chromium browser, including authenticated sites. Archives remain on the local machine, can be replayed offline, and can be exported as WACZ files. S3 It is well suited to collecting interactive pages while browsing, with a straightforward login experience. Its capture scope primarily follows content the user personally visits and triggers. Its community documentation notes that it cannot crawl automatically like Browsertrix. S3 Complex games may therefore still require archivists to click through every level and determine for themselves which branches were missed. This product can build on its local-first approach by exploring branches around demonstrated paths, then validating each step offline and producing a failure list that can be repaired locally.
How it makes money
Sell the desktop app as a per-device license with a defined update period. Offer an institutional edition priced per archivist seat, with centralized policies, audit logs, and batch verification.
The case against
Login-state files may contain sensitive cookies and request headers that could be used to impersonate an account if exposed. S4 Local isolation, encrypted storage, and secure deletion must therefore be core design requirements. Games may also depend on WebSockets, real-time services, or server-side state, so a complete resource set may still not run offline. Path branches can multiply quickly with level and account state, making exploration nearly as costly as manual testing. Random animation and delayed loading can also create false failures. If the system repeatedly flags working archives as broken, archivists will return to checking pages one by one, eliminating the product’s time-saving value.