archive.org classic web uploader (browser drag-and-drop)
- Free allowance
- No upload fee is stated and no total storage quota is stated; a free account is required.
- Verdict
- caveatusable, with a named limit or an unprobed read path
- Cost
- free tier
- Identity
- emailno card, no phone
- Binding limit
- per-object-cap~500 to ~700 GB per file (500 GB recommended)
- Evidence
- documented17 sources; a first-party page was read and the sentence quoted
- Freshness
- stale on 2026-12-05checked 2026-11-04 (live); stale on 2026-12-05
| Free tier | No upload fee is stated and no total storage quota is stated; a free account is required. A single file should not exceed ~500 to ~700 GB (500 GB recommended) and an item should hold fewer than 10,000 files. unit mixed; metered on unstated |
|---|---|
| Price | none stated |
| Limits |
Items should hold fewer than 10,000 files with no file above 1TB; the page states the API allows up to 250,000 files, and a browser upload that fails on a network interruption shows a Resume button. |
| Binding | per-object-cap the per-file size (500 GB recommended) sets the shard size; no total storage quota is stated |
| Identity | email a free archive.org account is required before uploading; sign-in uses the account email address and a password |
| Egress | not recorded |
| Per-object cap | A single file in an item should not be larger than ~500 to ~700 GB; 500 GB is the recommended lower limit. (500000000000 bytes) |
| Interface | unknown |
| Tooling | not recorded |
| Reliability | A browser upload that fails on a network interruption shows a Resume button; a failed upload can instead show a 503-slowdown-spam message, for which the page gives no cause. |
| Notes | Also the weakest path (Resume-button retries, 503-slowdown-spam, ASCII-only filenames). Only the IAS3 API or ia CLI are viable at 20TB. |
| Evidence note | documented The 2026-11-03 evidence rows read https://help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ (per-file size, 10,000-file item guidance, Resume button, 503-slowdown-spam), https://help.archive.org/help/archive-org-information/ (no upload fees) and https://help.archive.org/help/uploading-a-basic-guide/ (free account required). Every field that decides the verdict cites those captures. |
| Parsed numbers |
|
Evidence 17
| date | source | what it proved |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-21 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the text of Notes, above |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the per-file size guidance is 500 GB recommended, ~500 to ~700 GB maximum |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/archive-org-information/ | the Help Center states there is no fee for uploading and preserving materials |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/archive-org-information/ | uploads are free; the limits on the pages are per file and per item, not a total in one unit |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/archive-org-information/ | the page states no metering basis for uploads |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the recommended per-file limit is 500 GB |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the per-file limit |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the per-item file-count and file-size recommendation |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the only stated numeric limit is the per-file size |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the per-file size is the stated limit |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-a-basic-guide/ | a free account is required before upload |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the page documents the 503-slowdown-spam failure of the browser uploader |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/archive-org-information/ | uploads are free and no total storage quota is stated, so the allowance is not the limit |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the per-file limit is as stated |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the page lists a 503-slowdown-spam message as a second upload failure notice and gives no cause for it |
| 2026-11-03 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | a Resume button is shown when the upload failed due to a network interruption |
| 2026-11-04 | help.archive.org/help/uploading-troubleshooting/ | the per-file size guidance is 500 GB recommended, ~500 to ~700 GB maximum |
More fields 1
| dead end | {"failure_class": "quota","why": "Also the weakest path (Resume-button retries, 503-slowdown-spam, ASCII-only filenames). Only the IAS3 API or ia CLI are viable at 20TB.","retry_when": null,"first_recorded": "2026-10-21"} |
|---|
Unknown values 6
- chaining: no value was recorded for this field
- egress terms: no value was recorded for this field
- interface: the access interface was not established
- per object cap notes: no value was recorded for this field
- retention stated: no value was recorded for this field
- tooling: no value was recorded for this field