Automattic and the Internet Archive Team Up To Fight Link Rot
(Thursday February 05, 2026 @04:30PM (msmash)
from the whack-a-mole-no-more dept.)
- Reference: 0180735298
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/26/02/05/1729259/automattic-and-the-internet-archive-team-up-to-fight-link-rot
- Source link:
Automattic and the Internet Archive have released a free, open-source WordPress [1]plugin that automatically detects broken outbound links on a site and [2]redirects visitors to archived Wayback Machine copies instead of serving them a 404 error.
The Internet Archive Wayback Machine Link Fixer, which launched last fall and is available on WordPress.org, runs in the background scanning posts for dead links, checking for existing archived versions, and requesting new snapshots when none exist. It also archives a site's own posts whenever they are updated. If the original link comes back online, the plugin stops redirecting.
Pew Research has found that 38% of the web has disappeared over the past decade, and WordPress powers more than 40% of websites online.
[1] https://wordpress.org/plugins/internet-archive-wayback-machine-link-fixer/
[2] https://blog.archive.org/2026/02/04/inside-the-new-wayback-machine-plugin-for-wordpress/
The Internet Archive Wayback Machine Link Fixer, which launched last fall and is available on WordPress.org, runs in the background scanning posts for dead links, checking for existing archived versions, and requesting new snapshots when none exist. It also archives a site's own posts whenever they are updated. If the original link comes back online, the plugin stops redirecting.
Pew Research has found that 38% of the web has disappeared over the past decade, and WordPress powers more than 40% of websites online.
[1] https://wordpress.org/plugins/internet-archive-wayback-machine-link-fixer/
[2] https://blog.archive.org/2026/02/04/inside-the-new-wayback-machine-plugin-for-wordpress/
seems risky (Score:2)
by bugs2squash ( 1132591 )
If a user percieves the archive to be current material it may lead to confusion. Better the 404 error perhaps sometimes
been thinking of doing this for drupal (Score:3)
by drinkypoo ( 153816 )
I used to use weblinks module that did this but it fell out of favor. Now it makes more sense just to scan contents for dead links.
Re: (Score:2)
by CrankyFool ( 680025 )
When you refer to "my cash register," you mean The Internet Archive? Is that right?
Re: What a Great Idea! (Score:2)
by drinkypoo ( 153816 )
Tell your lawyer to suck MY dick.
Why do I need a plugin for that? (Score:2)
by gweihir ( 88907 )
This happens rarely enough that a) being aware is valuable and b) doing it manually is really not a problem.
Re: (Score:3)
by Aristos Mazer ( 181252 )
This plugin is on the server side, not the client side. It's so that wordpress authors can proof their sites against pulled content.
what about the false linking? (Score:1)
Seen several times that Internet archive has been used as a source for false linking. Seems like they need a overhaul of their security measures. links to it are used to redirect to other sites that are quesitonable.