Frequently Asked Questions

Below you’ll find answers to some of the most common questions regarding Wayback Restorer, our restoration services, and tips for hosting or converting your recovered website. If you don’t see your question, feel free to open a support ticket or contact us directly.

Quick Restoration Process Summary

  1. Enter Your Domain: Specify the domain (www or non-www) you wish to restore.
  2. Select Snapshots: Pick the best “From” and “To” dates from the Wayback Machine snapshots.
  3. Save and Start Restore Job: Wayback Restorer fetches files from the selected timeframe.
  4. (Optional) Perform Advanced Actions: Extract missing files, fix URLs, or insert ads for a more complete website.
  5. Download & Host: Once restoration completes, download the ZIP and upload it to your hosting provider.
  6. (Optional) Convert to WordPress: If you prefer a dynamic CMS, request a WordPress conversion through a support ticket.

What is Wayback Restorer?

Wayback Restorer is a tool that helps you recover and restore websites from the Wayback Machine. It allows you to fetch archived snapshots, fix broken links, and even convert static HTML sites into WordPress.

How does the 301 Redirect Checker work?

The 301 Redirect Checker queries the Wayback Machine’s CDX API to identify historical 301 redirects for a domain. It helps you assess whether a domain has been repurposed or lost SEO value due to redirects.

What is Cleanup URL?

Cleanup URL standardizes all domain references by removing unwanted Wayback prefixes and ensuring they match your chosen domain format. This improves SEO and fixes styling issues.

What is Append Style?

Append Style injects or re-links CSS/JS resources site-wide to fix layout and script errors caused by partial snapshots. It handles 99% of display anomalies.

What does Extract External URLs do?

Extract External URLs identifies and copies images, scripts, or media from external domains into your local restoration, ensuring a fully self-contained site.

Should I Force HTTPS?

Force HTTPS rewrites all internal links to https://. If you have an SSL certificate and want to avoid mixed content warnings, you should enable it.

How can I Find and Replace Text in my restored website?

After downloading your restored site, use a bulk find/replace tool to update brand names, disclaimers, or references, then re-upload to your hosting provider.

Why does Windows ZIP Extraction miss certain files?

Windows' default ZIP extractor may skip or rename files with special characters. We recommend uploading to hosting for server-side extraction or using 7-Zip/WinRAR.

Which hosting provider is recommended?

We suggest DreamHost because it has straightforward file management and SSL setup, making it highly compatible with static site restorations.

Can I convert my Wayback Machine restore into WordPress?

Yes, but it requires additional steps or a custom service. We offer a WordPress Conversion Service starting at $199, depending on your site’s size and complexity.

What is the Wayback Restorer service agreement?

By using Wayback Restorer, you agree to include a small backlink on your restored homepage for 1 year, or pay $1 per file to remove it.

How do I check historical 301 redirects?

Use the 301 Redirect Checker tool to analyze a domain’s redirect history. It fetches snapshots from the Wayback Machine and highlights 301 redirects.

Need More Help?

If you’re still unsure about any step, or need advanced customization, feel free to open a ticket via your My Jobs page. Our support team is here to assist with advanced restores, custom domain requests, or unique site configurations.