WARC

WARC stands for Web ARChive. It is used in web archiving to package captured resources and related records, rather than simply saving a page as a picture. The Library of Congress describes its web archives as stored in WARC and, for some older collections, ARC containers. For a researcher, the important question is what the capture actually includes and whether you can replay or inspect it. Possessing a WARC file does not guarantee that every interaction, external service, or linked page was captured. Keep the capture scope, dates, tool information, and known missing resources with the file. Preserve a readable inventory or explanation alongside technical files so a future user knows why the capture matters and what software or workflow was used to examine it.

Editorial review: 2026-09-23. New evidence may change this account.

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