What is the BBC Web Archive?
The BBC is introducing a process whereby certain web pages are moved in to an "archive" format. The BBC's web archiving policy intends to make sure that web pages are preserved and kept online for as long as possible. In most cases that principle means BBC web pages are kept online with the expectation they will be available in perpetuity. However there may be exceptional circumstances where content is removed. These may include legal reasons, safety risks to individuals or a serious breach of editorial standards that cannot be rectified except by removal of content; or where tragic events make a programme containing similar content unsuitable for continued availability; or that older pages must be closed because the technology that underpinned the page has become obsolete and modern browsers can no longer support certain website features and functions.
What is and isn't in the archive?
Not all BBC sites will be in the archive format. You will know you are in the web archive when you can see a special banner at the top of the page. This will show that you have entered the web archive and what date the page you are viewing was archived. When in the archive some links will take you to more archived pages and others will take you to a more recent "live" page. This will depend on when a page moved from a "live" state to an "archived" state. Currently most pages pre-2012 will be part of the archive and post-2012 pages will be "live". Also, most index and homepages will also be "live".
Why re-format older pages?
To mitigate against obsolescence where possible the BBC has begun moving millions of its older pages to an international web archive standard called "WARC". This standard ensures that older pages can be copied into a new format and presented back to the user in such a way that the text, images, links, and most of the features still work. However, this cannot guarantee that the video, audio, or interactive elements (such as games) that were embedded on a particular page can still function. That depends on the browser and the technology supporting those playable assets.
How old and big is the BBC web archive?
The BBC’s web archive stretches back to the 1990s. What is currently available publicly online ensures that the website remains as intact as possible for audiences. The BBC has so far taken steps to ensure older pages are no longer subject to obsolescence and closure.
The bbc.co.uk websites consist of more than 35 million pages. Some of those pages will be part of a web archive in the WARC standard, but many will simply be in a “live” state. When older sites and pages deprecate the BBC will convert those pages and present them back in the new archive format. This will ensure as few broken links and 404s (often referred to as “link rot”) are present.
Outdated language
The world has changed a lot in the last 25 years and material in the web archive will reflect the standards of the time. These pages are a public record of the BBC's online history which the BBC has not sought to rewrite, as they are of historical and cultural interest.
Our promise
We hope by reformatting our older pages we are providing a new lease of life and longevity to older pages on our website. Preserving these pages to keep the public’s bookmarks, hyperlinks and references to our webpages continuing is a vital part of the BBC's mission to inform, educate and entertain.
Blogs
We've recently archived our BBC Blogs service and Comments service due to their reliance on outdated technology systems. The Blogs service was running on old technology and the Comments service was connected to a legacy system that has been decommissioned and is no longer supported.
While the archived version of our Blogs service closely mirrors the live version, it's important to note that some comments will not be available for a short period of time. Over the coming months we intend to re-enable all of the comments within blog pages themselves. If you're interested in things that you've commented in the past, you can still view your most recent comments by logging into your BBC account.
How can I contact the BBC about archived pages?
If you wish to make a comment or observation about an archived page, or if you want to report a technical issue, you can do this at https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/comments-feedback/#/Your%20comment
If you have a complaint about an archived page, you can find further information at https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaints
