The Wayback Machine from the Internet Archive has long been on a mission to archive as much online content as possible. But for all of the work done in taking snapshots of pages, there has been little done to get around the problem of broken links – until now.
The Wayback Machine has joined forces with Automattic – maker of WordPress – producing a plugin which aims to stop “link rot”.
The description of the project on GitHub reads: “Internet Archive Wayback Machine Link Fixer is a WordPress plugin designed to combat link rot—the gradual decay of web links as pages are moved, changed, or taken down. It automatically scans your post content—on save and across existing posts—to detect outbound links. For each one, it checks the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine for an archived version and creates a snapshot if one isn’t available”.
It continues:
When a linked page disappears, the plugin helps preserve your user experience by redirecting visitors to a reliable archived version. It also works proactively by archiving your own posts every time they’re updated, creating a consistent backup of your content’s history.
Protect your links, preserve your content, and automate the archiving process—all with minimal effort.
Announcing the collaboration and the plugin, Automattic says:
Broken links on the web are inevitable, but losing valuable context doesn’t have to be.
At Automattic, we believe the web should be a lasting, reliable resource for everyone. Over time, however, links break. Pages move, domains don’t get renewed, sites go offline, and valuable content disappears. This is known as “link rot,” and it has been quietly eroding the web since its inception.
We’re excited to announce a collaboration with the Internet Archive to help solve this problem: the Internet Archive Wayback Machine Link Fixer, a new free WordPress plugin that keeps your links alive.
The plugin works quietly in the background of your WordPress site to protect your content and your readers’ experience. It automatically scans your posts for outbound links, checks the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine for archived versions, and creates new snapshots when none exist. When a linked page goes offline, the plugin seamlessly redirects visitors to an archived version, ensuring your content remains useful and your readers never hit a dead end. It even archives your own posts whenever they are updated, building a long-term record of your site’s history. Link checking is ongoing, so if the original link starts working again, the plugin stops redirecting to the archived version.
This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to preserving the open web. Since 1996, the Wayback Machine has been saving the digital history of the internet, and we’re honored to help bring that mission directly to WordPress sites everywhere.
Protect your links without taking your eyes off your latest post. The Internet Archive Wayback Machine Link Fixer is open source, free to use, and available now on WordPress.org.
